A Short History of the British Deer Society

In the years following the Second World War it became clear that wild deer of several species were much more numerous and widespread than was generally thought.  The drive to maximise food production in the years of ration cards and shortage meant that the undoubted crop damage caused by the foraging deer was not tolerated by farmers and landowners. As a result deer were controlled in several ways including being flushed to shotguns, snaring and trapping as well as by recognised stalking activity.  Many of these methods would now rightly be thought of as inhumane, many deer were injured and the fact was that they were often killed regardless of species, sex or age. There were of course no close seasons to protect nursing females of any species and so this often left orphaned fawns to die of starvation.

The Mammal Society was formed in 1950 as an academic group with a wide interest in all species of British mammals and members of the Society with a particular interest in deer first formed a "Deer Group" in 1953.  The group all shared a particular interest in deer related matters and produced a "Field Guide to British Deer" in 1957. As the membership of deer group grew so did the ambitions of its members to stretch their wings on a wider range of issues, with conservation heading the list. Scotland provided the impetus to lobby within England and Wales when, in 1959, the Deer (Scotland) Act reached the statute book affording a degree of protection for deer north of the border.  Unfortunately the activities of the deer group put it into conflict with the leadership of the Mammal Society which saw itself as a purely academic and research body and was shy of involvement in political lobbying activity.  Thus in 1963 the Deer Group of the Mammal Society broke away to form the British Deer Society.

1963 saw the adoption of the Deer Act in England and Wales bringing in close seasons and other measures designed to allow the humane management of deer without neglecting the welfare issues which had previously been ignored.  Members of the new British Deer Society were instrumental in influencing the wording of the Act and subsequently over the years it has maintained its influence having been involved in helping draft several new bills leading up to the Deer Act 1991.  Most recently the society has responded to government consultations on issues varying as widely as a Regulatory Review Order of the Deer Act 1991 to European directives on Game Meat handling and hygiene.

The aims of the society have changed little over the years, developing its charitable remit to promote conservation in balance with the environment, through a programme of education, research, lobbying, deer management training and publishing the Society journal "Deer".  This has earned it wide respect and recognition across government, the "Deer Industry" and with the public at large.  It attends shows and organizes events across the country seeking to fulfill that remit and raise funds to pursue whose aims.

If you would like to learn more then a more detailed history of the Society, written by Peter Carne, is available as a CD/Rom in the online shop.