Deer Overrun SW England: Crops, Woodlands Decimated

In south-west England, farmers and forestry experts are witnessing "decimation" of crops, saplings, and fences due to a significant surge in deer populations. Tenant farmer Alan Hembrow, near Liskeard, noted a stark contrast from two decades ago, now observing herds of 20 to 30 deer where previously only a few were seen. He attributes £5,000 in annual crop damage and astronomical fencing repair costs to this overpopulation.

The escalating deer numbers are not only impacting agricultural land but also causing extensive damage to woodlands. Chris Mason, a deer officer for the South West, warns of inevitable woodland destruction without intervention, noting the absence of natural predators like wolves and lynx. Natural England's chairman, Tony Juniper, emphasizes the ecological consequences, including the loss of habitat for species like nightingales, due to excessive browsing.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has acknowledged the severity of deer damage, citing evidence that a third of English woodlands are now impacted, up from a quarter in the early 2000s. Defra plans to increase deer culling and deploy more deer officers to advise farmers on management, including firearms licensing. These measures aim to protect trees, support the timber industry, and aid the millions of trees being planted nationwide, ensuring deer management is both effective and humane.

However, animal welfare groups like Peta oppose widespread culling. Elisa Allen of Peta argues that culling offers only temporary solutions and suggests alternatives such as habitat modification and improved fencing. Despite these opposing views, ecologist Elliot Fairs shared success from a Devon farmer cluster group, where culling 432 deer in the first year helped reduce browsing impacts on crops and woodlands, thereby aiding conservation efforts for other species like dormice and butterflies.