Man has created the necessity for deer management by eradicating the natural predators of deer - the wolf, bear and lynx.  Escapees from deer parks introduced several non-indigenous varieties into the wild.  During the two World Wars, when manpower was limited, deer parks were left in disrepair and escapee deer spread.  With the formation of the Forestry Commission, land owners were encouraged to plant trees.  The aim was to create a national reserve of timber against future conflicts, but also created an ideal habitat for deer.  Improvement in farming practices provided more food. Deer Damage Deer are responsible for forestry and crop damage and, as they increase in number and range, more damage is now seen in gardens in urban areas. The damage they do to trees and plants are as follows: Fraying is damage done by territorial behaviour when deer rub and trash antlers on trees and shrubs. Browsing this is caused by the deer’s natural feeding and can kill or inhibit the growth of trees (note in the image below, small trees are the same age as the larger ones).  Has the effect of creating 'bonsai'. Control Measures There are numerous so called effective deterrents i.e. lion dung, sweaty socks, chemical agents and mechanical worriers, these are all short term solutions.  The only effective control is proper deer fencing put in by qualified persons, bearing in mind that roe deer can get under an 8” gap. Proper fencing is expensive and is not cost effective on large woodland areas therefore most areas have deer culling taking place in some form or another. [caption id="attachment_34415" align="aligncenter" width="700"] Remnants of birch woodland near Loch Muick are subject to browsing by red deer (especially in the winter), so temporary fences have been out in place to allow for regeneration.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_40967" align="aligncenter" width="675"] Fencing in place[/caption]   Culling This is done these days more and more by trained personnel who have obtained qualifications like DSC Level 1 and 2 from Deer Management Qualification.  These qualifications mean that all culling should take place in a professional, safe and humane manner enabling  field post-mortem to be carried out to confirm the health of the deer and its fitness for human consumption and carried out under strict hygiene  procedures The gralloch (Scottish word for evisceration i.e. removal of internal organs) must take place within 30 minutes maximum or less in the summer, after being culled the carcass must be bled immediately to stop the carcass becoming unfit for human consumption, by law. This generally has to be done in the field depending on how far one has to travel and disposal of the head, feet and gralloch should be by burial in the field (ensuring it is not near a water course).  Thus, taking other countryside users into consideration. Venison  Venison is one of the best meats to eat (recommended by the heart foundation) it is free-range meat with approximately 60% less cholesterol. The purchasing and eating of venison helps promote good deer management as they are looked at as a natural renewable resource,  instead of a pest. All six species of deer in the uk produce good quality venison,  although there is a slight difference in taste between them depending on what the deer have been eating and this can produce quite a unique taste.  It is recommended that a carcass be hung for at least three days to help venison mature, hanging for longer would produce a stronger taste (this should always be in a fly and vermin proof area and at 7 degrees C). Deer Species in the UK Red Deer                        One of our indigenous / native deer and the largest Sika Deer                        Introduced by the Victorians into deer parks and collections, medium sized. Fallow Deer                   Introduced by the Normans for food and hunting. Roe Deer                        The second indigenous / native deer, nearly wiped out in the Middle Ages  Muntjac Deer                Introduced by the Victorians. Chinese Water Deer  Introduced by the Victorians.   [caption id="attachment_557" align="alignleft" width="202"] Fraying[/caption] [caption id="attachment_563" align="alignleft" width="451"] effects of browsing[/caption]

Round turn and 2 half hitches A simple knot for tethering, or attaching a mooring line. Read more...

As a small woodland owner you will inevitably produce a certain amount of timber, even if this is not your main aim for the woodland.  But one of the problems facing a small woodland owner is that the amount of produce created is relatively little and therefore sometimes tricky to sell.  Read more...

The wood mouse (Apodemus sylvaticus) is the UK’s most common wild rodent.  It lives in woodland, but also fields (it’s also known as the long-tailed field mouse), hedgerows and pretty much anywhere that has cover, is not too exposed (they are not found on uplands as a rule) or too wet. Read more...

Everyone knows the role of trees in alleviating carbon dioxide and climate change , but less well known is their ability to clean water and control flooding. The Woodland Trust has just published an interesting new report on the role of woodlands in water management.  They say, “Conserving and restoring native woods, and creating new ones, can improve water quality, reduce localised flooding, and may alleviate the effects of larger floods.”  They estimate that native woodland planted in the right place has the ability to mitigate flooding and reduce pollution by up to 90%!   Read more...

Many people with small woodlands are attracted by the idea of using their wood for charcoal making.  You can either allow a charcoal burner to use your woodland for a season or you can try making it yourself.   Several people who have bought woodlands from us have successfully made their own charcoal and they have been selling it at woodfairs and other rural events. Read more...

A few tips from past purchasers …. Of course, buying your woodland is a very personal decision.  What’s important to you might not be to someone else and vice versa.  However, it’s safe to say there are a couple of constants to bear in mind: Read more...

Any woodland which has remained as woodland for the last 400 years (since 1600) is described as “ancient woodland”. About one fifth of the UK’s woodlands are thought to be ancient woodlands.  However most of Britain’s woodland has been managed for a long period and so there are virtually no woods that are totally undisturbed by man. Ancient woodlands include these types:      -  ASNW, Ancient Semi-Natural Woodlands, which contains native broadleaves;  - PAWS, Planted Ancient Woodland Sites, where planted trees, often coniferous, have replaced the earlier tree species.  Ancient woodlands are of particular interest because they are more likely to contain certain species of plant and archaeological remains (such as earth banks and ditches).  Certain plant species are indeed often used to prove, along with historical records, that a woodland is at least 400 years old.  These “indicator species” have been painstakingly established by taking the flora of woodlands already known to be ancient and analysing patterns to determine which species are most likely to occur in older woodlands.    Typical indicator species for ancient woodland are plants that seldom occur outside woodland, that are capable of growing in shade and are slow to colonise.   Working out which these species are is very specialised work and if you find a single indicator species you shouldn’t take that as proof of anything – these are, after all, only indicator species.  However, some typical examples of ancient woodland indicators are: golden saxifrage, wood-sorrel, wood anemone and wild daffodils.  Ancient woodland has been in steep decline for 80 years and during that time almost half of it is thought to have been lost – partly to plantations and partly to agriculture.  The tragedy of UK woodlands in the 20th century was that so much of the destruction was caused directly by government actions – grants and advice that encouraged converting old woodlands into agricultural use and promoted the coniferisation of ancient woodlands.  Fortunately that has now stopped and the Forestry Commission and other government bodies are actively encouraging the conservation of ancient woodland sites.   Indeed having a site identified as ASNW or PAWS is helpful in getting grants for management and conservation.  Much of the ancient woodland in the UK has been managed by coppicing (see https://www.woodlands.co.uk/blog/conservation/coppicing-an-introduction/ ) and some by pollarding.  What tips would you give for identifying ancient woodland?  Please use our comments section to help others by sharing your experience….