How you can make deer pay

It is estimated that there are more than two million wild deer in the UK, from the red deer of the high ground in Scotland to the fallow deer of lowland England.

In broad terms, the deer population increases by 30% each year through their usual breeding cycles, swelling their numbers by more than 600,000 annually. With no natural predators, the deer population, if left unchecked, would grow exponentially, supported by the vast swathes of rich habitat we have in this country.

Every year, however, a cap on numbers is maintained through the stalking and culling that happens up and down the country.

Deer culling is an essential practice for the protection of vulnerable habitats, prevention of crop and tree damage, the reduction in road traffic accidents and the disruption to ecosystems. If this level of growth were allowed to continue, the amplification of these