Best approach for managing deer in young plantation?

[Hook'N'Bullet]

Hi All,

I've managed to get myself a new permission as part of a native woodland restoration program.

Its a small holding of about 40 acres. The landowners are sort of "hobby farmers" (the best way I can put it). They have a couple of sheep, a veg garden, orchard, 3 small grazing fields for the sheep and then two young-ish tree plantations. One is Sitka Spruce and the other is native Oak and make up the majority of the ground.

They contacted me through an ecologist friend. I walked the ground last weekend. There wasn't really that much sign of deer. A few dropping here and there and the odd track in the mud. The plantations are in blocks with no lanes or access routes cut. To be honest, they pretty much unshootable. Both are a "hands and knees" type job trying to get through them. Land owner has said he's never walked them because its too hard. He also said there was one person trying to shoot it a few years ago. They got one deer and never came back. I suggested the colder months might be better time to assess as things will die back. I also suggested looking into hiring a forest manager to open areas up to allow shooting which they seemed interested in. At this point in time, the only shoot-able area would be the grazing fields (roughly 100 to 150 meters long) from a high seat. I do know there are a lot of deer in the general area as I had permission close by a couple of years ago (paid lease).

I suppose I'm wondering if anybody has any experience with newly forming, very dense woods and how best to approach as I don't want to be defeated. My other permissions are either mature woods / fields so its a bit of a new one for me.

Kind Regards,

H&B

 

[VSS]

What is on the boundary of the wooded areas?
Personally, I prefer (and have more success) shooting deer on woodland edge than within woodland itself.
If the fields alongside the wood are just grazing pasture that doesn't work so well, but if you've got a hay meadow alongside the wood it might. Or get the landowner to plant a few metre wide game cover strip alongside the wood ("for the wildlife"), with the sheep kept off it by a temporary fence.
A highseat tucked in close to the trees, positioned so that you're looking along the woodland edge, means you then get a chance at anything emerging from the wood to feed in the cover crop or meadow.

 

[Hook'N'Bullet]

Thanks VVS, The grazing fields are bordering the oak plantation but running perpendicular to it if that makes sense. So setting the high seat up, I'd be looking into the woods rather than along it. I don't think its a big deal as back stop if they come out into the grass. It is quite boggy mind you.

In the woods along the fences is just trees, trees and more trees.

 

[VSS]

Thanks VVS, The grazing fields are bordering the oak plantation but running perpendicular to it if that makes sense. So setting the high seat up, I'd be looking into the woods rather than along it. I don't think its a big deal as back stop if they come out into the grass. It is quite boggy mind you.

In the woods along the fences is just trees, trees and more trees.

If you could post a little sketch map of the layout of the place would help.

 

[Jon P]

Are trees planted in rows or were they planted randomly? If in rows . A weed wacker up and down a few lines would really help- deer will use the easiest route and also graze the fresh regrowth so be more visible.

 

[Hook'N'Bullet]

If you could post a little sketch map of the layout of the place would help.

This is it. Spruce in green, oak in pink. Fields are in blue.

 

[Hook'N'Bullet]

Are trees planted in rows or were they planted randomly? If in rows . A weed wacker up and down a few lines would really help- deer will use the easiest route and also graze the fresh regrowth so be more visible.

From what I could gather when trying to walk it. They were scattered randomly. Planning on doing a proper bit of bushwhacking this weekend to see if I can get some idea of the lay out deeper in the woods

 

[Hook'N'Bullet]

If you could post a little sketch map of the layout of the place would help.

This is sort of what I’m dealing with on the first walk though meeting the land owner. On second look, the trees seem to be somewhat planted in a line in second photo

 

[Jon P]

Turn some pigs in there for a few weeks -

 

[cjm1066]

Even a muntjac is likely to include neighbouring land in it home range.

The layout looks ideal for a H/S and you can cull a few deer for the table. Realistically that all you can achieve, don't complicate it.

 

[Cyres]

The biggest issue would be grey squirrels they will do far more damage than the deer.
D

 

[Donkey Basher]

They need to get a forester in to that lot - it needs some management work done on it by the look of it! I'm no expert but it looks like it could do with some thinning out & at the same time some deer lawns could be cut with suitable locations for highseats & access/recovery tracks.

 

[Klenchblaize]

Talk to the adjoining landowners. All deer - at least fallow - have to make their way to the 'core' from the outskirts.

K

 

[Hazlett]

I haven't quite got my head around this - it reads and looks like young woodland that doesn't have many deer or at least doesn't have a deer problem and you want to open it up to encourage deer in, so you can shoot some of them?

 

[Hook'N'Bullet]

I haven't quite got my head around this - it reads and looks like young woodland that doesn't have many deer or at least doesn't have a deer problem and you want to open it up to encourage deer in, so you can shoot some of them?

You’re quite right!

I got the call from the ecologist who said he has somebody that wants to implement a management plan for deer. When I got there, I presented with the above. Plantation doesn’t look that old, nor does it seem like there’s much deer activity. Sure they might be passing through but no signs of serious damage. The odd scat, track and according to land owner, some branches broken . I didn’t see any lolly popping of trees, no broken fences etc. I know there are deer in the area but not much sign on this particular holding

 

[Hook'N'Bullet]

Talk to the adjoining landowners. All deer - at least fallow - have to make their way to the 'core' from the outskirts.

K

Yeah I memtioned it to the land owner but he didn’t bite. I told him there’s not much point in me shooting the odd deer here if it’s going to keep filling from surrounding neighbours that are bordering big government plantations holding deer.
From my previous experience in the area, I’ve ran into his neighbour who is not so approachable. Doesn’t like shooting

 

[Hook'N'Bullet]

They need to get a forester in to that lot - it needs some management work done on it by the look of it! I'm no expert but it looks like it could do with some thinning out & at the same time some deer lawns could be cut with suitable locations for highseats & access/recovery tracks.

I agree, looks like been planted and then left to the wilds. There isn’t room to swing a cat

 

[Hook'N'Bullet]

Even a muntjac is likely to include neighbouring land in it home range.

The layout looks ideal for a H/S and you can cull a few deer for the table. Realistically that all you can achieve, don't complicate it.

Yeah, I think the woods are off limits for the next year or two. Highseat in the grazing fields more than likely the only option

 

[countrryboy]

Wot does the landowner want to achieve with the trees?
I gues the hard woods purely for athestics or habitat.
And soft for timber?

When u said young plantations i was expecting trees in tubes that would be vulnerable.
To be fair deer arent going to do an awful lot if damage to trees that hieght.
Unless red eating bark or some bore scoring

Shame with strimming while it helps young trees get established at that age not going to be any real benefit.

Possibly ur best bet is to plant something or even just strimming grass on a ride so u get the young sweet growth the deer like to eat somewhere safe and easy to shoot and extract them.
Hardly worth having a management plan as such ( apart from for paperwork/grant schemes) on such a small area.
At end if day no matter how good ur plan or u are ur deer will be spending so much time elsewhere

 

[Pete6.5]

Best way to manage deer in a young plantation is to fence it and spend time maintaining the fence.