How we support research

Research Grants and Assistance

The BDS makes every effort to facilitate, support and learn from deer research being carried out in the UK and tries to spend a percentage of its disposable income each year in support of such research.

Sadly the Society does not have large financial resources so normally has to restrict its efforts to funding small or in-house projects. In the past we have also co-ordinated projects with multi-sponsors, or made a top-up contribution to a project which is largely being funded by another sponsor.

Very occasionally the Society may decide to investigate a topic of special interest to the Society, either by funding a larger research project as a research contract, or by making a grant through a university to sponsor a research student doing a MSc or PhD which focuses on the area concerned.

In addition to the rather limited financial help on offer, the Society is also able to play a useful, practical role by supporting deer research with 'assistance-in-kind'. The Society has many valuable contacts and can often arrange research locations and other facilities. In addition, many of our members are keen to act as volunteer manpower in support of research programmes,  perhaps helping with counts, calf tagging or live-capture operations. Finally, BDS deer stalking members are often very well-placed to provide cull material or any other samples required for some research analysis.

Publication of Research Results in DEER and on the Website

While most professional scientists publish the detailed results of their work in rather more academic journals, many value the opportunity to offer a more readable account of their work to a wider readership. The Society's journal "DEER" offers deer researchers a such an opportunity to reach a wide audience of interested people. Any scientific paper submitted will normally be published in full on this website. In addition, DEER carries other articles deliberately focusing on deer management issues often 'exploring' the results of scientific work  in terms of what the implications might be for species management.