Wild deer in the UK face welfare challenges from overpopulation, habitat fragmentation, and road mortality. Evidence-based management improves welfare outcomes.
Wild deer welfare is inseparable from population management. Unmanaged populations experience poor per-individual welfare through starvation, disease, and road mortality. Humane culling by trained stalkers, conducted with appropriate equipment and skills, is currently the primary tool for maintaining deer welfare in the absence of natural predators.