Acerca de
Season food and drink company has been founded aligned with the principles of conservation and sustainability. We position ourselves in-between conservation & food consumption. Our islands ancient forests no longer have any wild predators of our wild deer and boar. The wild lynx and wolf were sadly hunted to extinction in victorian times and although there is ongoing discussions on reintroductions, there remains issues.
Consequently, deer populations have reached over 2 million and growing reasonably rapidly. The effect of the expanding population growth is causing damage in numerous ways. The current solution is via controlled selective culling, based around deer management plans. These put in place a structured investigation and assessment of individual woodlands and forests deciding the extent of deer control needed. Despite the hand of intervention, numbers continue to grow exponentially. Why is this an issue?
Leading conservationists, scientists and experienced sectors believe more needs to be done to balance the population. Ignoring this would inevitably lead to a far worse outcome for our ancient tree systems & related Ecology.
Deer populations often reach a size in which the food source cannot sustain them, causing extensive roving herd damage to woodland / forest margins and environs, which house an abundance of flora & fauna, central to the sensitive ecosystem contained within. The terminal knock on effect of over browsing and fraying along with herd dynamics as well as solo behaviour, has detrimental effects that causes that habitat and environment to deteriorate.
The deer initiative (who were dedicated to ensuring the delivery of a sustainable, well managed wild deer population in England & wales, who are now an integral part of the Forestry Commission) believe the population of deer has doubled since 1999.
In crucial world climate changing times, it is of vital importance we are all aware of the need of sustaining these vital pockets of our biosphere and the co2 to oxygen conversion that they do so well. New and old plantations of tree species need protection, along with the established natural ancient systems. Many techniques are employed to deter or protect the woodlands, with varying success, but deer do happen to exploit weaknesses in defence systems in the search for food and can cause a lot of damage in a very short space of time in a lot of cases, when the numbers reach an unsustainable limit.
Deer generally are a healthy species, although the different behaviour displayed by each of the different six uk species of deer, leave some species more vulnerable than others, to the threat of disease, particularly when competition for food is high, while in close proximity. Disease will spread fast through a herd, so it remains an integral part of any management plan to monitor size. Managing wild herds to control impact, not only assists in the species self sustaining, but maintains a healthy species, one that could run in harmony with its environment.
With a roving, fast moving nature, prevalent in certain species more than others, large areas of land can be covered in short times, often causing scattered damage. With this movement, there remains an elevated amount of unpredictable road traffic accidents increasing exponentially year on year. Wild boar remain another threat to our tree systems if left unchecked.
Various research and tests at trying to administer chemical intervention to control numbers has been investigated, but the practicalities of getting close to wild deer remain extremely difficult. Humane, respectful deer management remains the current tried and tested solution, following good practice guidelines, maintaining a level of professionalism at all times. So critical as to how how deer management is viewed by the general public. We have in house qualifications pertaining to the management of deer and work closely with landowners, striving to reach that happy medium of secure forests and healthy deer.
There is not a more beautiful sight in the wild, of deer leaping over fields at dawn, or with their young feeding at dusk. As a nation, to continue to enjoy this beautiful, majestic animal, we have to continue with our responsibility as custodians, to help manage and balance them carefully, sensitively and responsibly. Utilising the bi-product of the culling process and being blessed with being able to turn the negative into a positive food source, means it remains a sustainable food source.
For further information, please visit the british deer society, who we are members of, below, who have a wealth of information should you wish to find out more. Or please do get in touch if you have any questions.
https://www.bds.org.uk/information-advice/issues-with-deer/why-manage-deer/