Deer Impact Assessment

Decision making without all the facts is setting up for failure.

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A detailed deer impact survey is the first point of call when making an effective deer management plan and sets the tone for landowners to work with us when setting out a culling plan. Deer impact assessment is an annual process where we measure the effect deer are having on the habitat they reside in. Deer impact effects all other organisms in an environment and it is why we take it so seriously. 

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Our process is generally as follows. Firstly we will discuss with the landowner their own observations and historic plans that have been in place. We are interested to find out if there has been a recent surge in activity and what human activites, if any,  have worked in the past. We then perform an preliminary on site inspection noting obvious impact such as browse lines, fewmets, racks and vegetation. We then produce detailed anaylsis, normally in the form of GIS mapping which illustrates findings in an easy to understand format. These findings are useful to articulae and strengthen deer management grant applications. We then produce a detailed report setting out our findings and recommendations. The document outlines timelines, problem areas and any potential issues. Once agreed we use this document as guidance to conduct culling operations.