Why we need deer management (part 2)
Between species who thrive beyond natural numbers (such as foxes, corvids, pigeons, rabbits…) and those who have a hard time adapting in the modern sculpture of our landscape (like ground nesting birds, pollinators, red squirrels, butterflies…) (see our previous article), deer are somewhere in the middle for the most part. They tend to thrive in most of our countryside and the estimated deer population of the UK is the highest it has ever been at any point before, as it is in many other countries and continents.
How can this be while deer are hunted species ?
Hunters / deer stalkers / game shooters have a great deal of empathy for all species especially those which we hunt and kill. Deer are no exception. We have specific seasons and largely followed best practices to avoid orphaning dependent offspring, to allow new antler formation, to allow any (moderately rare occurring) hunting / disturbance stresses to taper off to relaxed levels, and we have a unique sense of understanding, sorrow and humble respect for all our ‘harvested’ quarry. Deer have a great potential for rapid reproduction, annual fecundity rates as much as 1.8 per year for some, but usually a bit less.
What if we just reintroduced apex predators to regulate instead ?
In theory this is possible, but it is un ethical and short sighted. Apex predators in most of the UK would have an unnaturally easy time predating on vulnerable, exposed wildlife and livestock.
The British countryside is not the same landscape it was when those predators still roamed freely. And if we were to go down that route ethically, we would have to firstly start the “re-wilding” process with the reinstallations of absent habitats, which would take many decades if not centuries to establish and mature. Only then, could we expect the reintroduction of top predators to be a level playing field for other fragile wildlife species.
Even then, who’s land would we use? Who’s money? Who’s resources?
There is also another point worthy of mention here, wild predators do not select only the weak or the elderly. There comes a point where there should be very few wild individuals with illnesses predated on and healthy animals are the only ones available. The predators also do not differentiate between heavily pregnant prey, or new mothers who have young completely depended on her milk and who would starve a long prolonged death without her.
Top predators would also adapt and turn towards easier prey such as domestic livestock a ‘a farmyard drive thru’, this would put meat production and associated insurances up. The end consumer or tax payer will pick up this bill, and not to mention the untold stress on the enclosed livestock themselves as well as their guardians.
To make the best of harvested animals
There is also revenue to be obtained from deer as a bi-product of their management, in the way of sporting outlets and venison sales. When we give animals hunting/sporting value, we force a desire to defend them from poaching and to maintain sustainable numbers for future revenue. Whether it’s in Africa or in Europe, the principals of ecology are the similar : balancing the quarry’s impact with population thresholds and poaching prevention. We can absolutely reach a structured population, with a harvest-able surplus sustained indefinitely, thus assuring healthy animals and cash flow, take either away and they both suffer.
The venison is far leaner than farmed red meats, also free from antibiotics and medications, few environmental toxins (usually), completely free range (usually), high welfare with a low carbon footprint. Many farms nowadays rely on diversification of revenue streams and deer value offers a completely self renewing, independent option, employment is also created for those who take on professional management, and taxes are paid each time any money changes hands, between clients, guides, equipment suppliers and farms/ hunting estates.
