66 Deer Management: Are we getting it right? Are the Standards Good Enough? Stalking Show 2025 BDS panel Day one

The question of effective deer management has never been more pressing across the UK landscape. In this special panel discussion recorded at the Stalking Show 2025 for the British Deer Society, we bring together an extraordinary group of experts to tackle the contentious question: are our current deer management strategies fit for purpose, and do our training standards meet modern demands?

Our diverse panel offers fascinating perspectives from different regions and approaches. From the Netherlands, Floris Lassie shares insights from a highly regulated system where training is mandatory and culling permits are government-issued. Louise Farmer from NatureScot discusses Scotland's increasingly aggressive biodiversity-focused approach, contrasting with England's more fragmented, landowner-led system. Meanwhile, Sandy Williams reveals the success of collaborative landscape-scale management through coordination between neighboring estates.

The conversation delves into critical tensions within modern deer management: the balance between voluntary and mandatory training, the economics of culling versus venison prices, and the challenge of maintaining high welfare standards while meeting growing pressure for population control. With fallow deer populations showing a 75% female bias in some areas and "sanctuary" properties complicating management efforts, the panel explores practical solutions like WhatsApp coordination groups and partnerships with food poverty organizations.

Perhaps most compelling is the debate about whether England should adopt a centralized deer management strategy similar to Scotland's. The panel weighs the benefits of coordinated approaches against concerns about one-size-fits-all regulation and the risk of ignoring regional differences in deer populations and their impacts.

Whether you're a professional stalker, landowner, conservationist, or simply interested in wildlife management, this episode offers crucial insights into the complex challenges of maintaining healthy landscapes while ensuring ethical treatment of deer populations. Join us for this thought-provoking discussion that raises as many questions as it answers about the future of deer management in the UK.

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