Deer cull

Stop the Deer Cull in the UK.

Please sign and share.

Some scientists are saying the UK has too many deer and that culling is necessary. But talk of a better solution seems missing from the discussion.

A BBC report explains that the UK has more deer now than any time since the last Ice Age, and expanding populations threaten woodland vegetation and birds, as well as crops. The recommendation to cull comes from a study by Journal of Wildlife Management, which suggests as many as 750,000 be shot yearly.

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/709/568/589/stop-the-deer-cull-in-the-uk/?z00m=20520308#taf

Lai

Press release from The British Deer Society on the Cull Numbers
http://www.bds.org.uk/

WS

WS.

Lai

I do not know much about the environmental situation in the UK but I do not think merely signing a petition will resolve a situation that will surely escalate if not addressed.

What alternatives are being considered?

Without natural predators how are animal wildlife populations controlled in the UK?

Is hunting allowed and if so can that not help with this situation?

I would love to know how the UK manages these types of challenges that we face in Africa every day.

Chris

I agree Chris, a petition merely voices the opinion of concerned people it doesn't even have any impact more times than not. Sometimes the government will listen but seldom will they do a U turn.

I can't answer your questions without some research. I know culling happens as the Deer population is ever expanding but as you say we don't have predators like Africa.

Lai

Deer stalking is virtually the only form of control, or culling, for the six wild or feral species of deer at large in the UK. The six species are Red Deer, Roe Deer, Fallow Deer, Sika Deer, Muntjac and Water Deer and there have never been more deer at large or more widely distributed in the UK than there are now.

The law regarding the killing and taking of deer is not consistent throughout the UK. In both Scotland and Northern Ireland the legislation is different from that governing England and Wales.
In summary, the following are some of the more important provisions, but this is NOT to be taken as a complete or authoritative statement of the law.
Although the Deer Acts and Orders contain exceptions, particularly to allow occupiers to protect their crops (certain conditions apply) from excessive damage, and to permit mercy killing of an animal to prevent suffering, the stalker must NOT...
•use anything except legal firearms to kill deer
•shoot out of season unless authorised to do so
•shoot at night (one hour after sunset to one hour before sunrise) except under licence
•shoot from a moving vehicle, or use a vehicle to drive deer (vehicle includes aircraft)
•sell venison in Scotland, except to a licensed venison dealer.
A Game Licence is no longer needed to kill or take deer, anywhere in the UK.

I agree Chris we should'nt just sign petitions, for the sake of signing them. We should look at the problem, and see if there are alternatives to any proposed action. In the case of Deer in the UK the numbers are become a big problem as the Deer population of all species has grown enormously. The numbers have grown so much that they are causing great damage not only to crops, but the habitat they inhabit, which is creating big problems to other forms of wildlife, and also to their own species, as there is not enough food, and in hard winters they are starving, and dying. Clearly something has to be done, and culling is really the only way to do this. My concern is that it is done properly, and controlled. With the areas, and numbers be carefully studied, and assessed, not just plucked out of thin air, like some are at the moment
WS

An interesting post WS. I was wondering (playing devil's advocate) what the reaction would be if you changed the word DEER to ELEPHANT in your post. It could then apply to countries such as Botswana and SA which have problems with too many elephants!!!!
I am sure there would be an enormous outcry particularly from the northern hemisphere!!!

Safariman

Thanks for that informative reply WS.

That problem is certainly not unlike ours regarding the elephant population control measures required in Southern Africa. (although the poachers are "running out" of animals in Central Africa and West Africa and will soon be at our doorstep)

Your post hints at exactly what I mean. The sensible approach is not always the nice “compassionate” one.

Brutal facts require sensible solutions.

Chris

I agree you are both right. If you changed the name Deer to Elephant there would be one hell of an outcry, mainly I think, because people relate to Elephants more in human terms. They have family groups with Aunties, brothers, and sisters who all look after each other, and take care of the young. They clearly grieve for the loss of any family members, and this resonates with humans, apart from the how people feel about the atrocities of poaching as seen in Chad, and other African countries. Silly as it seems the problem for Deer in the UK, is similar to the problem of Elephants in SA, and Botswana. That’s because of the number animals impacting on the habitat, and other wildlife, as well as conflicting with human settlements. So what are the answers ?. The UK has only a finite area, and there really is nowhere to move Deer herds to even if it was feasible, the same applies to SA, and Botswana. Both the Deer in UK, and the Elephants have no natural predators apart from poachers, and hunters. In an ideal world these animals would migrate to new areas to find food, and water, or nature would solve the problem through an increase in predators or starvation, so only the strongest would survive. There are areas of Africa, that desperately need repopulating with Elephants, but again its not feasible to move whole Elephant herds to different parts of Africa, the best that can be done is to move selected breeding animals to these areas. So what to do about the over population of these animals ? As sad as it is we cant save every animal in the world, and we have to be realistic, the only answer may be a cull. At least if its done properly at least they wont suffer through starving to death, and the rest of the herd will survive. Its very much like some of the documentaries I’ve seen where an Elephant mother who has a bay that’s starving, and cant go any further has to make the decision whether to leave, and go with the rest of the family, its tough but they realise that life has to go on.
It maybe controversial but something has to be done
WS