Agenda item

Report of the Superintendent.

Members noted that the 2014 day time deer count recorded 505 Fallow and 44 Reeves Muntjac. This showed a 69% increase on the previous year’s Fallow Deer figure of 299. 44 Reeves Muntjac were also recorded as opposed to 43 in 2013. The number of Deer Vehicle Collisions (DVCs) in the Forest locality, an area wider than the count area, also increased from 64 to 123 DVCs, an increase of 92%.

Members noted that year on year populations varied significantly due to variable factors such as weather; patterns of disturbance and the availability of winter food supplies. The more reliable five-year average for 2010-2014 (based on four counts) was 285 Fallow Deer, up 7% on the previous five-year average for 2009-2013 (based on four counts). This equated to an average population density of 5.5 deer per 100 acres. The proposed cull figures for the 2014/15 season recommended to your Committee are 105 Fallow Deer and as many Reeves Muntjac Deer as

possible. The lower cull figures were set using data from the deer count,

recommendations from the DMP and the experience of stalkers during the

2013/14 cull.

In response to a query from Members, Officers clarified that they would investigate the use of incentives to involve the land owners and local community more. Members noted that the number of deer around the forest had risen significantly and this may be due to a healthy diet available to the deer.

Members said that he deer were very beautiful but there were too many. Numbers were very significant so other arrangements for managing them needed to be identified. Officers said for this to be successful cooperation with neighbour landowners and tenants was crucial. Members asked Officers to identify ways to engage land owners, for example by inviting individuals to City Corporation events which may be of interest to them.

Discussions ensued regarding the commerciality of deer culling. Officers said they would seek to manage contracts in a more commercially viable way in future and there was a team of staff in place to investigate this.

Officers informed Members that getting local landowners and stalkers to share their figures did prove difficult at times but was being worked on. The figures included in the report were just our own figures, not independent stalkers or Road Traffic Accidents.

Members queried the zero figures quoted in the report in years that still gave cull details. Officers said these indicated not that there were zero deer found, but that a count was not carried out in those years.

Members queried whether the farming of deer on buffer land was more effective than the cull. Officers said that option had not been considered as it would require a large infrastructure and may not work with the currently large migrant herd.

Resolved: That Members -

· Approved the cull figure of up to 105 Fallow deer and an unlimited cull of

Reeves Muntjac, for the 2014/15 season in line with the Deer

Management Plan.

· Approved a further meeting between the major estate owners for land

within the South West Essex Deer Herd mediated by the Deer Initiative

to encourage increased co-operation on the overall management of the

Deer Herd.