Deer in the High Weald
The High Weald has a long association with wild deer. They thrive in the area’s rich landscape mosaic of small fields, woodlands and hedgerows, and their presence has helped shape the landscape we know and love today.
However, milder temperatures and a lack of natural predators have led to an explosion of deer numbers in some areas of the High Weald, impacting food production, biodiversity and road safety.
The High Weald team are taking a collaborative, landscape-scale approach to deer management. Use the buttons on the right to find out how we can help farmers and landowners, deer stalkers and venison suppliers, or read on below for more information about deer in the High Weald national landscape.
Understanding deer in our landscape
Wild deer are an important species in the High Weald but their numbers have grown significantly in recent decades. Managing deer populations is essential for protecting our woodlands, farmlands and wildlife.
There are five wild deer species found in the High Weald:
- Fallow deer – the most prominent species. Fallow deer are non-native but have become naturalised and they are present in herds across the landscape, particularly in heavily wooded areas such as Ashdown Forest and around Bayham
- Roe deer – our only native deer, they are present throughout the High Weald, although at lower densities due to competition from fallow deer
- Muntjac – these small non-native deer are abundant in dense cover, particularly rhodedendron; a serious threat to woodland diversity.
Small numbers of red deer and sika are also present in places.
Why do we need to manage deer?
Managing deer is essential for a balanced landscape.
Deer browse indiscriminately. They damage woodland and grassland habitats and contribute to the decline of insects and ground-nesting birds, including nightingales. They also consume and trample crops, impacting food production for farmers. Unmanaged deer populations are more susceptible to disease and starvation.
Without careful management, deer populations naturally increase by up to 30% every year, and deer numbers in the High Weald are currently at an all-time high. Drone surveys have revealed an average deer density of 20-25 deer per km2, with up to 50 deer per km2 in some areas. A sustainable deer density is 2-7 deer per km2.
Our goal is not to eradicate deer from the High Weald – far from it. Deer are a valued and cherished part of the landscape. But by working with landowners and with trained, qualified stalkers to manage numbers carefully and humanely, we can protect woodlands and farmlands while ensuring healthy, thriving deer populations.
Click on the accordions below to find out more about the damage that can be caused by unmanaged deer populations.
High deer densities – particularly from fallow deer, which browse indiscriminately in herds – are strongly associated with the decline of woodland flora, and, in turn, insects and birds. Nightingales, for example, depend on a healthy, dense understorey of shrubs and young trees to nest and feed. Where deer numbers are high this understorey can be stripped bare. A woodland with no trees under 1m high, or bramble below 0.5m, is a sign of significant deer pressure.
Deer cause serious damage to crops, with losses that are often visible and quantifiable. Each animal eats approximately 1.8 ton of vegetation per annum. Cereals, brassicas orchards and market gardens are all at risk. In addition, deer cause extensive damage by trampling crops and breaking fences. Without active management, this impact on food production increases year on year, affecting farm viability and food production.
Increasing deer numbers create substantial hazards for drivers. Deer-vehicle collisions are a growing concern across the High Weald, particularly at dawn and dusk.
Deer have no natural predators in Britain. Without management, populations grow until the landscape can no longer support them. Overcrowded herds are more vulnerable to disease, and animals in poor condition can face starvation. Responsible, well-managed culling by trained stalkers is not only good for the landscape; it’s is good for the deer population as a whole, keeping herds healthy and in balance with their surrounding habitats. Unmanaged deer populations are more likely to suffer from disease and starvation
There is evidence that deer may play a role in the transmission of bovine tuberculosis between wildlife and cattle. where their densities are high. Managing deer numbers helps reduce this risk.
What the High Weald team is doing to help manage deer
Deer don’t respect fences and boundaries, so effective deer management can only be undertaken at a landscape level.
The High Weald National Landscape Partnership is leading collaborative, landscape-scale deer management, and supporting landowners, stalkers, and local groups to manage deer populations. Our work includes:
- Bringing landowners and stalkers together to form local deer management groups
- Running annual drone surveys to monitor deer populations on behalf of landowners
- Providing grants for deer management equipment
- Sharing best-practice guidance
- Running free or low-cost training and events
- Supporting stalkers to supply venison locally, including to foodbanks
- Promoting shared infrastructure such as communal carcass hubs and chillers
Farmers and landowners
Deer stalkers and managers
History of deer in the High Weald
Deer are woven into the historical and cultural identity of the High Weald.
During the medieval period a huge part of the Weald was devoted to deer parks and forests. Six great forests existed in the High Weald, of which Ashdown Forest remains the best preserved. Remnants of other former forests are still evident at St Leonards, Worth, Waterdown, Dallington and the Frith, and deer park characteristics are still evident at Asburnham, Heathfield and Buckhurst.
These forests and parks have left a lasting imprint on the landscape: ancient wood‑pasture, veteran trees, and distinctive park pales still mark the areas where fallow and red deer were protected as prized game for the aristocracy. Deer-related emblems and place names are common across the region, and the sight of deer moving through the landscape still evokes a sense of heritage and wildness amongst people.
