About the project
The main public and charitable landowners on Cannock Chase National Landscape are working together to co-ordinate the management of the wild deer that live on the Chase.
Staffordshire County Council, the National Trust, Forestry England and Staffordshire Wildlife Trust, together with the Cannock Chase National Landscape have agreed a management framework that promotes the welfare and sound management of wild deer, in balance with their habitat, through a collaborative and co-ordinated approach.
Our local deer herds are an attractive and characteristic feature of the Cannock Chase landscape. Catching glimpses of them can be a wonderful and memorable experience. However, the presence of deer near roads, on farmland, in nature reserves, in woodlands with young trees, and in gardens can bring issues for both deer and people.
In the absence of natural predators, deer populations have expanded rapidly over the past few years, reaching numbers that cannot be sustained to the detriment of the environment and the health of the animals themselves. In large numbers deer have negative impacts on trees, forestry and crops and farming, resulting in damage costing tens of thousands of pounds. Excessive browsing can also reduce the woodland understorey and ground vegetation leading to declines in populations of woodland birds, invertebrates and small mammals. It also prevents the natural regeneration of trees. On heathlands high levels of browsing can suppress the growth of delicate plants such as, bilberry and heather.
Deer are also involved in around 150 traffic accidents on the Chase each year, causing death and injury to the animals, injuries to people and thousands of pounds of vehicle damage.
The management framework will co-ordinate the work of partners to sustain a healthy deer population that is in balance with the environment.
You can find the framework for deer management here.
The British Deer Society
The British Deer Society has lots of information on its website. They are a charity dedicated to educating and inspiring everyone about deer.
Here you can find out more about the deer species and also further information and advice particularly regarding to deer vehicle collisions.
Reporting an injured deer
Vehicle collision with a deer
Stay Safe and Report the Incident
- Pull over at a safe place
- Call the Police if in the road 999, on the side of the road 101
- Giving as precise a location as you can use What3Words
- They will deal with the situation and have access to specialists.
- Do not try to assist or move the deer as this can put you in danger.
If you hit a deer while driving, your priorities, in this order, are:
- Keep yourself and anyone with you as safe as you can
- Park your car in the safest place with hazard lights on.
- Call an ambulance if human injuries warrant it
- Call the Police
If the deer is alive and still visible at roadside:
- It is best not to approach it. Doing so may cause it to run across traffic causing another accident.
- Do not move or handle live deer, this needs a trained specialist.
- Call the Police, if in the road 999, on the side of the road 101.
Giving as precise a location as you can use What3Words
They will deal with the situation and have access to specialists.
The British Deer Society have lots more information on their website available.
Alternatively the RSPCA can be called on Telephone: 0300 1234 999 (call charges may apply).
I have found an injured deer:
- Keep your distance from the animal
- Find your location using What3Words
- Call the RSPCA on 0300 1234 999 and follow their advice