Think Deer!

A plea for motorists to slow down on Forest roads

As the days get shorter and the dusk and dawn commute gets busier, Ashdown Forest Rangers and the volunteer Deer Wardens are asking drivers to slow down and think deer! Early Autumn signals a change in deer behaviour, with more animals on the move as they look to establish new territories ahead of the rutting and mating season.

Ash Walmsley, Ashdown Forest’s Countryside Manager said: “Fallow Deer can be active throughout the day and night, but their peak activity is in the twilight and early dawn hours.  As the days become shorter, this peak activity coincides with more of us travelling on the roads to get to work. By slowing down and being more aware of deer, we can cut down on deer impact incidents. Just around Ashdown Forest this year, to date, there have been 70 reported deer collisions to the deer wardens, but we know that many more go unreported”.

In Tudor times Ashdown Forest was a Royal hunting ground. King Henry VIII no less, rode out from his hunting lodge at King’s Standing. Today the Forest is home to three species of deer: Fallow, Roe and Muntjac.  The most recent survey, undertaken by the High Weald Living Landscape Deer Project, estimated that there were 13 fallow deer for every square kilometre of Forest. The number for a sustainable, healthy woodland is estimated to be 5 and under for every square kilometre.

Ash added: “There continues to be an increasing population of Fallow deer across the southeast of England and they are having a significant impact on the woodlands. Our surveys on the Forest look at the habitat impacts, assessing deer numbers by looking at their browsing habits and levels, dung and footprint counts. Without natural predators, keeping their numbers in balance is a challenge, but essential if we are to maintain and enhance Ashdown Forest’s unique biodiversity.” 

Sadly, at this time of year, more motorists are likely to come into contact with the animals. If you hit or come across an injured deer on the road, the advice is to call the police on 999. They, in turn, can alert the deer warden or local animal rescue if it is appropriate. It is not advisable to approach or touch a stunned or injured animal. They can be unpredictable and may cause injury.