Support for farmers and land managers

The first step is often to carry out a deer impact survey. These record evidence of browsing, tracks, droppings, rest areas, crop damage and more, and can help determine if you need a deer management plan.

The government provides resources to help you write a deer management plan and can also support applications for grants or capital payments.

Deer species management plan (PA7) template.

With this template, you can assess the impact of deer on your land, record control and monitoring methods, and create a map of your holding. It is essential for capital grants payments: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/deer-species-management-plan-pa7-template

WS1 Deer management plan guide.

Specifically for Woodland Supplement WS1 agreements that started before February 2024. If you’re a new applicant, refer to the new deer control and management (CWS1) option.

This guide aids in completing the deer management plan template, ensuring compliance with the UK Forestry Standard and Forestry Commission grant schemes: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/management-requirements-for-woodland-supplement-ws1-deer-control-and-management-operations-note-59/ws1-deer-management-plan-guide

Management requirements for deer control woodland supplement.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/management-requirements-for-woodland-supplement-ws1-deer-control-and-management-operations-note-59/management-requirements-for-woodland-supplement-ws1-deer-control-and-management-operations-note-59

Wild deer don’t stay within property boundaries; effective management often requires a landscape-scale, coordinated approach.

Why collaboration matters

Deer range crosses different areas of land and movement is often seasonal.

Coordinated efforts across neighbouring landowners can increase effectiveness, reduce duplication, and help achieve sustainable deer numbers.

Good collaboration also works to pre-empt issues like poor condition, welfare concerns, impact on habitat, and restricted movements (fencing can bottleneck populations and lead to higher mortality).

Shared resources (e.g. deer larders/chillers, thermal cameras, survey efforts) can make deer management more efficient and cost-effective.

What to do

• Reach out to your neighbours to discuss deer impacts.
• Consider forming a deer management group to coordinate timing and methods of control, share resources and agree on targets for deer numbers.
• Share stalking schedules and notify others of area use (livestock, shooting, forestry, public access) to help avoid conflicts.

Once you’ve assessed the impact deer are having on your land and agreed a plan, you are ready to implement it.

• Appoint a stalker (see next section).
• Apply for relevant grants or funding support.
• Carry out baseline surveys and plan culls or other control methods.
• Keep accurate records before, during and after (location, date species, sex/age of deer culled, carcass disposal or venison production, changes in vegetation/browsing damage over time).

Note: Many woodland and conservation grant schemes require a formal deer management plan (e.g. PA7 / WS1) as a condition for funding (see previous section).

If you decide to appoint a stalker, it’s important to approach this carefully and with clear expectations. (Link to British Deer Society for advice)

• Documentation and qualifications: Request copies of the stalker’s firearms certificate, annual insurance, and any qualifications (e.g. a DSC1 Deer Stalking Certificate). While DSC1 is not legally required for stalking in the UK, many police firearms departments expect it.
• References and track record: Ask where they have previously stalked and whether you may contact previous clients/landowners for references.
• Define team, access and scope: Agree how often stalking will take place, who will be present, whether others (assistants/trainees) can be involved, and under what conditions. If more than one person will stalk or handle carcasses, ensure all relevant parties have insurance and valid certificates.
• Guest/third-party arrangements: If the stalker might bring guests (helpers, trainees, friends), make sure this is agreed in writing and included in the stalking permit/agreement.
• Carcass use/venison agreement: Agree what happens with culled deer: will the stalker retain carcasses, provide venison, or dispose of responsibly? Specify in the stalking agreement.
• Communication and notification: Establish a clear notification system (e.g. WhatsApp, group message) prior to stalking events, especially important if there are other land uses ongoing (livestock, forestry, pheasant shoots, public access).
• Cull targets and record keeping: Set realistic deer management targets (e.g. desired reduction in deer density, sex/age structure, frequency of cull) and require the stalker to maintain detailed records (dates, numbers, species, sex/age, GPS location, disposal/venison use, photos if possible). Annual impact assessments (e.g. damage surveys, browsing impact) are recommended to evaluate effectiveness.
• Use a formal agreement: Even if stalking is informal or occasional, having a written agreement, using a template such as HIGH WEALD TEMPLATE?, is strongly recommended. This should include landholding boundaries (with a map), landowner and stalker details, rights and responsibilities, and any special conditions (parking, high-seats, use of larder/chiller, carcass disposal).

Continued monitoring and reporting are essential to ensure your deer management plan is working.

Use repeated impact surveys (vegetation regeneration, browsing damage, sapling survival, track and droppings, deer sightings) on an annual (or seasonal) basis. This helps you measure whether deer numbers and browsing pressure are falling.

Maintain detailed cull records (species, number, sex/age, date, location, carcass fate / venison use). If using a stalker, ensure these records are shared with landowner / land manager.

Review and, if needed, revise your deer management plan each year or after major changes (e.g. land use change, neighbouring landowners joining or leaving a group).

For larger or coordinated efforts, consider establishing a shared database or collaborative monitoring group. This supports landscape-scale management and helps avoid simply shifting deer from one patch of land to another.

If you are applying for grant support, these records will help demonstrate compliance and effectiveness.