Combined cull

[deerwarden]

I stalk in Suffolk and have been asked to join in on a combined cull in my area. Bradfield woods has a problem with deer damage and evidently HUGE ROSE is going to cull the deer on the 28th Feb and the 1st March. all ajoining estates have been asked to have people available to maximise the cull. Anyone else out there joining in, there was a slight hint that the problem was caused by other peoples deer, not their fault as he's doing such a good job, I believe there's some history regarding another estate he was involved with, but I could be wrong, anyway we are very proactive, have good cull figures and feel we are doing O.K. I've useualy found where people complain about other peoples deer doing damage on their ground is because they are not active enough to get the job done. We have a stalker out one or two days a week every week, I wonder how often they stalk, could be a problem with public access, I agree, but I don't like the idea of organised mass culls, you're views please. deerwarden.

 

[Bandit Country]

I suspect an organised mass cull will be better than a disorganised one! I think that if the numbers have to come down an organised cull over a wide area is going to be more immediately effective and less labour intensive than trying to up the overall stalking rate. The more rifles you have out at any given time should increase the chances of success.
If it is a personal morality vs managment question then individuals don't have to take part.
As for the reasons why a large cull is required in the first place, well ........

 

[Turfer]

Bradfield Woods is NNR and SSSI site. You only have to look at who owns Bradfield Woods and who manages it and the type of usage that it receives to comprehend the problems involved in culling sufficient deer to maintain a sustainable habitat.

Every local authority owned, wildlife trust managed, publicly accessed site has the same problems.

Reducing the deer numbers significantly in the surrounding landscape reduces the pressure in the WT managed habitat. There by reducing the number of deer they have to actively cull themselves. Always a point of conflict and potential hazard given the type of management decision makers and the open public access they have to deal with.

I have been involved in similar culls in the past, joggers, dog walkers, ramblers, mountain bikers, horse riders all have been encountered even on the earliest of mornings and not always where you would have expected them to be.

 

[Monkey Spanker]

Deerwarden, I live about 3 miles from there!
You have a PM.