By Cini, E. , Spake, R., McMillan, L.,Gresham, A., Shannon, G., Eigenbrod, F., Nichols, C., Orsi, P., Ward, A., & St John, F. A. V.

A red deer stag in the New Forest National Park. Photo by Becks Spake

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Deer can threaten woodland growth and resilience through intensive grazing and browsing. Consequently, increasing deer populations present a challenge to UK government policies aiming to expand woodland cover, which can help the transition to net zero by 2050. Since wild deer are highly mobile, to be effective, strategies to manage them, including lethal control or deer-proof fences should be implemented across large areas. This requires cooperation between landowners and widespread public support.

We used a questionnaire to collect data from 3,936 people that subscribe to national wildlife- or woodland-management organisations to investigate perceptions toward wild deer and deer management in England and Wales. This enabled us to collect data from different groups, including farmers, land managers, deer stalkers, foresters, conservationists, and people not involved in land management. Most respondents reported having wild deer on their property, and experiencing deer impacts, such as damage to trees and hedges. Lethal control received strong support across our sample.

However, differing opinions on deer and land management make it challenging for neighbours to collaborate on managing deer.  Broad support for lethal control could help nature organisations and decision-makers feel more confident about recommending its use, since they often depend on public backing.