Mike, this is going to be a bit of a long one, & OTT, but probably needs clarification, otherwise folks may think I'm some vegan animal rights person & look for ways to bash me, so here goes. I am a farmer, & as such, a custodian of the land & I am responsible therefore of the welfare for the creatures that I share it with. I don't shoot mallard, grey partridges or hares anymore, they have declined hugely to predation over the last few years. Don't shoot tame pheasants either This farm has had a permeant resident population of about 5 Roe does, 1 fine buck, plus a few non resident travellers. The travellers & offspring keep me in venison for the winter, but I always try to keep 5-7 does on the place. I have Chinese Water deer & Muntjac they are just good food & culled hard. We have a travelling herd of 30 -60 red deer, which pass through the farm as regularly as clockwork when the clocks go forward & back. Reds don't interest me very much, I find the meat almost indigestable, they are only here for a short time. I only kill what I eat, but I understand the problems all too well with deer overpopulation. Two years ago the neighbouring farmer gave permission to a so called professional deer culler. The first thing he did was to install a high seat 180 yards from my boundary, the the slaughter started. Every day. And now I have 1 doe left, the fine buck has gone, the shooting continues. I pulled the farmer up about it, mindful of the fact that what he was doing was perfectly legal, & within his rights, he said they were on his land & could do what he likes. I told him he was depriving me of an important food source, he said I could buy one off him. I accept that everyone farms for different reasons, he farms for money, I farm for lifestyle. But what he doesn't understand are the repercussions of his actions, next year I will install a feed hopper 180yds from the wood he releases his pheasants in, sit in my truck with a silenced .22 & remove every single pheasant from his wood, leaving him just one. Meanwhile the doe that was left gave birth to twins, both females, I immediately removed every fox from the area to safeguard them. They are now half grown still with mother, & everyday I open the curtains of my bedroom, I see them standing on the lawn. It fills my heart with joy. So in answer to your questions, No, I won't be shooting does or bucks in the immediate future. Thanks for your interest.
PS to bring this back on subject, maybe we should all be aware of the problems that lead up to Brexit & continue after, & the repercussions of our actions. Peace. FG.
Not much of an idea of a deer management plan.
