Supplementary feeding of Roe Deer - trailcam photos

DEEANDDON

Active Member
Set up a feeding station (flaked maize & feed carrots spread out on ground) and trailcam on part of my lease to see the results. Roe now coming in regularly to the maize as per attached photographs. Doesn't look like they are touching the carrots.
Will be interesting to see how busy it gets if and when the snow arrives this winter.
Simon
 

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Just like the OP I have found that the roe deer on my permission do not want to know about carrots. However they seem to enjoy as many chopped up apples as I can afford to put out and are showing regularly at and around my feeding station.
 
Just like the OP I have found that the roe deer on my permission do not want to know about carrots. However they seem to enjoy as many chopped up apples as I can afford to put out and are showing regularly at and around my feeding station.
Feed them your guppies :rofl:
 
OK, playing a bit devils advocate here. Many land managers claim there are to many deer (and statistics indicate that UK deer numbers have increased greatly in recent years) but many stalkers, keepers and deer managers say the numbers are not there. If you need to give deer supplementary feed is that not an indication that there are more deer that the area can naturally support?:stir:
 
OK, playing a bit devils advocate here. Many land managers claim there are to many deer (and statistics indicate that UK deer numbers have increased greatly in recent years) but many stalkers, keepers and deer managers say the numbers are not there. If you need to give deer supplementary feed is that not an indication that there are more deer that the area can naturally support?:stir:

Those deer look in good enough condition to me. The more deer he has the better for his stalking business - he certainly doesn't have to feed them in the condition that they're in.
 
Those deer look in good enough condition to me. The more deer he has the better for his stalking business - he certainly doesn't have to feed them in the condition that they're in.

That's my point - if they are in good nick then why feed - except to encourage more deer - but then is the most basic point of deer stalking not to control numbers to level that the environment can sustain and therefore restrict damage to farmer, foresters etc? Are we about doing that or about cultivating deer numbers for the purposes of then culling them?
 
That's my point - if they are in good nick then why feed - except to encourage more deer - but then is the most basic point of deer stalking not to control numbers to level that the environment can sustain and therefore restrict damage to farmer, foresters etc? Are we about doing that or about cultivating deer numbers for the purposes of then culling them?

Well, maybe there's not a deer problem here and the higher deer numbers are good for business? Do you think there's anything wrong with boosting numbers for a higher yield?
 
Well, maybe there's not a deer problem here and the higher deer numbers are good for business? Do you think there's anything wrong with boosting numbers for a higher yield?

Not provided there is no affect on the wider environment (I work in the forestry industry). Just trying to stimulate a bit of debate.
 
Not provided there is no affect on the wider environment (I work in the forestry industry). Just trying to stimulate a bit of debate.

I'm not too clued up on forestry and I haven't seen large scale deer damage. I admire the fact that deer are so resilient to cope with sustained pressure on them.

Yes, I agree it's good to have a debate.
 
Maybe he's just feeding this spot in front of the camera to see what deer are currently on the ground?
A lot of interesting comments but basically just keen to see what is on the ground. Also good to see antler development at various stages on bucks of various ages.
Quite impressed with the photo quality of this trailcam.
 
A lot of interesting comments but basically just keen to see what is on the ground. Also good to see antler development at various stages on bucks of various ages.
Quite impressed with the photo quality of this trailcam.

Yes, great photos of the sturdy little fellers! Wasn't trying to detract from your post at all.
 
I'm not too clued up on forestry and I haven't seen large scale deer damage. I admire the fact that deer are so resilient to cope with sustained pressure on them.

Yes, I agree it's good to have a debate.

The main concern is that the vast majority of our forests are even aged planted blocks. There is a desire to move towards the "continuous cover" model as practiced in many other countries (in fact clear fell and re plant is simply not allowed in Germany). This model is much more sustainable as it encourages natural regeneration of woodland, however if deer numbers are to high browsing damage prevents this. The alternatives are to fence deer out or reduce densities to a level that will allow a percentage of naturally regenerated plants to escape damage.
 
Perhaps the OP should have described it as 'bait', for the camera(not gun). instead of 'supplementary feeding'. I am wondering if the sliced apples mentioned are being eaten by badgers if there is no camera set up, perhaps there is. I have an apple-flavoured lick set up which doesn't appear to attract anything.
 
Always interesting to put cameras out.
I use trail cams in out of the way places to monitor what is on the ground
so a little feed helps anchor the deer for the trail cam shots.
Roe numbers are well down in my neck of the woods
Muntjac increasing only very slowly.
 
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