UK Government Launches UK Deer Management Strategy Consultation

[wytonpjs]

Yesterday, the UK Government published a consultation (survey) on issues affecting the future legislation of deer management in the UK. The announcement is here:

Deer management strategy

We're seeking views in this consultation on key proposals for a new deer management strategy.

www.gov.uk

I urge all deer stalkers, be they deer managers, recreational stalkers or those professionally involved in deer management operations to respond to the consultation as this may have significant impact upon the future of deer in the UK and will impact upon all of those involved. The short survey (approx 10 minutes - depends upon the length of your responses) can be found here:

Consultation on proposals for the deer management strategy (consultation now closed) - Defra - Citizen Space

This site contains consultations that are run by Defra.

consult.defra.gov.uk

 

[Jgray]

Done

 

[Sampo]

Does have some sensible suggestions. Hopefully something positive will come out of this consultation.

 

[finnbear270]

Does have some sensible suggestions. Hopefully something positive will come out of this consultation.

Agreed.

 

[mudman]

Prefer the status quo.

Among other things they propose to :

remove close season for males

allow night shooting

hammer non natives

Mandatory training / qualifications for stalkers.

 

[IBD]

Prefer the status quo.

Among other things they propose to :

remove close season for males

allow night shooting

hammer non natives

Mandatory training / qualifications for stalkers.

They won’t need to worry if they allow night shooting as every one will hammer them sadly .
Be worst thing they can do allowing night shooting and shooting of males during closed season.

If people where educated more on management and how to reduce populations that would help

 

[User00053]

Very sensible and long overdue in some areas, situation needs to be gripped and long overdue in some locations.

 

[bottletopbill]

Should all be done on a local level . Mandatory training NO older stalkers have hands on experience.
Stalking guides would be better signing to say yes they can shoot rather than a class room setting.
Some shooters will only shoot a couple of species of deer.
Night shooting not sure (sorry in the middle)

 

[Firefly]

Done

 

[angusb1]

Thanks for posting this. Just filled it out. Sounds like a load of measures designed to bring the Scottish situation to England really

 

[enfieldspares]

2 Would you like your response to be confidential?
Yes. I do not wish my details to be made public as being a recreational stalker not only do I kill animals but I also possess firearms to do it. Making my name public is bad security.

8 We propose to review existing legislation to either reduce or remove the licencing process to permit shooting of deer at night to enable appropriate, proportionate, and effective control. To what extent do you support this proposal?
Strongly Agree. I would also amend the legislation to once more allow the use of classic "park deer" calibres such as the .300 Sherwood aka .300 BSA Extra Long OR OTHER cartridges producing less than 2,450 ft/sec muzzle velocity. There is no reason that a "carbine" firing .357 Magnum of a 140 grains weight bullet at 1,400 ft/sec should not be lawful. The laws that banned these in 1960s were promoted by the British Deer Society a body that had the opinion that nobody should be allowed to kill deer with any sort of weapon that its then Chairman and Executive Committee members didn't themselves possess.

14 We propose that everyone who culls deer in England has to reach the same standard.
Strongly Disagree. And who would set this standard? The British Deer Society? Or the British Association for Shooting and Conservation? With their DSC 1 or DSC 2 tests? This is allowing the creating of unregulated, by Government, private "empires". The ONLY requirement should be adequate mandatory insurance to protect third parties from injury caused by the culling operative.

19 Do you believe any of the proposed actions will have any positive or negative financial implications for the woodland/land management sector?
Yes. It may reduce the value of stalking rights in owned (but leased out) woodlands if legislation similar to the Ground Game Act of 1880 is put in place to give an occupier and inalienable right to kill deer. The price paid by the game dealer of venison is already low. A glut of culled deer will but further depress that price.

21 Do you believe any of the proposed actions will have any positive or negative financial implications for wild venison production?
Yes. The price paid by the game dealer for venison is already low. A glut of culled deer will but further depress that price.

 

[User00040]

I wrote this: The price paid by the game dealer of venison is already low. A glut of culled deer will but further depress that price.

I think that's the plan though...

 

[sikamalc]

Well I have filled it in and made remarks. One would hope that as many stalkers possible respond. Perhaps for once they might take note of people who are at the coal face.
I have my doubts though.
I also mentioned that the time it is taking to allow renewals and new applications for a stalking rifle is now beyond a joke with many constabularies. If they want more deer culled it makes sense to make sure FAC renewals etc are dealt with in a timley manner. Also extending the stag and buck season is not going to solve the issue. Its the doe population that needs taking care of.
It hasn't helped with the pandemic having stopped a considerable amount of stalking for recreational stalkers. Some 6 months of culling was lost. Making up for it now is not going to be as easy as they think.

 

[bottletopbill]

Glad to see some one agrees with me on question 2/14/19/21

What is the opinion of professional stalkers about night shooting with clients as i was not sure

 

[sikamalc]

Glad to see some one agrees with me on question 2/14/19/21

What is the opinion of professional stalkers about night shooting with clients as i was not sure

You cant. ANY night licence or out of season licence only has the named people allowed to undertake it on the paperwork.

 

[bottletopbill]

Cheers sikamalc for clearing that up.
Thought they might change the ruling for a limited time.

 

[Discopete]

You cant. ANY night licence or out of season licence only has the named people allowed to undertake it on the paperwork.

That’s at the minute though, I would say they are proposing to do away with night licences and make it legal for culling to be carried out at night by anybody.

 

[User00038]

Strongly agree to all.

(Happy for the moderators to move this to the Unpopular Opinion thread...)

 

[BLUEROLL]

Would legal night shooting lead to more poaching ?
If its already going on in Fred`s permission would his legitimate night time presence/culling put the poachers off ?

 

[Klenchblaize]

It may be worth reflecting that those who are against the killing of any animal are at liberty to submit their view and quite possibly with an allied agenda to make things more restrictive (difficult) for anyone other than truly full-time professional wildlife managers, with ‘qualifications’, to engage in the challenge that is a significant reduction in the UK deer population.

So make sure you register your thoughts and don’t rely on the likes of BASC and the BDS to get it right.

K