Numbers

kohana

Member
A farming friend of mine has asked me to manage the deer on their farm c. 200 acres. He currently seeing regularly 60 plus fallow and there competing with his beef cattle on the grassland and fodder crop.
To manage this herd effectively what numbers would members advise should be on land acreage. Would welcome thoughts?
 
A farming friend of mine has asked me to manage the deer on their farm c. 200 acres. He currently seeing regularly 60 plus fallow and there competing with his beef cattle on the grassland and fodder crop.
To manage this herd effectively what numbers would members advise should be on land acreage. Would welcome thoughts?


kohana,

Assuming open fields then your Farmer will expect close to zero. Woodland isn't his issue.
Not what you want but that's the brief you are getting :(

​Stan
 
True I think he wants them all out the way, but you will never do it. If there are cattle on meadows as I have on some on my ground you cannot shoot there until the cattle have gone in for the winter.

You will then shoot a few, the rest will then realise that there is not much food and a little unsafe and move off. They will return in small groups and you will have a constant supply of deer. I think there will be good trees there to attach high seats to.

I would put up a about quite a few high seats and get a few mates to help out, fill all the seats up the first few times and maybe walk any woods out. We have been doing this for over 15 years on one of my pieces of ground, sometimes on the first outing we take 10 deer.

Good luck
 
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You will find with Fallow that as soon as you get into them they will wise up and will become much harder to cull. And as they are very nomadic they will often disappear for a while before returning. Much depends on the surrounding areas and cover as well. I would concentrate on getting the doe numbers down as much as you can, as they will be in larger groups as the winter progresses and you will find it harder to get onto to them.
 
Yes fallow are very nomadic if disturbed but left alone and not pushed too hard and with big enough woodland to sustain them will stick to one area ,soon as you take a few in one area good byesky ,one of the reasons the estate I stalk has four big cull days in feb and march .
good luck many would be envious of your predicament .
​norma
 
I would start off with a relatively heavy cull in the early stages, basically shoot as you see them, chances are they will move elsewhere but drift back occasionally.
 
How does he know there are 60? Does he see them different days indifferent places? Management to farmers I have dealt with in the past means eradication. Good luck with the project.
 
Another situation where you and your landowner would benefit from working together with neighbouring landowners and stalkers on a landscape basis - so start a small Deer Management Group or at the very least make contact with neighbouring stalkers and try to be on the ground at the same time.
You'll have to fight apathy and suspicion if you want stalkers to work together...;)

Also consider your extraction issues - imagine you do manage to shoot 8-10 deer between a few stalkers during one session...what about chilled transport/mobile larders and having a game-dealer lined up. Can you cope with shooting two or three on your own? I would certainly be struggling myself with the extraction and work after the shots.
Good luck
 
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