Branch information and events Photo by: Azahara Perez

THE BDS NORTH EAST BRANCH

Information on the British Deer Society (BDS) North East England branch including events, news, and contacts.

BRANCH AREA AND COMMITTEE

BRANCH CONTACTS

Chair	David Stewart	d.stewart@bdsbranches.org.uk
Treasurer	Andrew Collinson
RCO	Jonathan Spencer
Muntjac coordinator	Ian Smales

BRANCH COMMITTEE MEMBERS

David Adams
David Boyson
Andrew Collinson
Jeremy Feggetter (co-opted)
Steve Horner
Stephen Hyde
Stuart Jones
Ian Smales (co-opted)
Jonathan Spencer
David Stewart

BRANCH AREAS

Postcode	Area
DH	Durham
DL	Darlington
NE	Newcastle-upon-Tyne
SR	Sunderland
TS	Cleveland

EVENTS

Please note that branch events may not be going ahead due to Covid-19 pandemic.

Date

EVENT

11th May 6:00PM

Support organisations for mental health and well-being (Online)

Next Event

Mental health and well-being - NE England Branch Zoom Event

11/05/2021 6:00 PM

Support organisations for mental health and well-being

This event is being hosted by the BDS North East England Branch and will be held via Zoom on the 11th of May 2021 from 6 pm.

For further details and to book a place contact d.stewart@bdsbranches.org.uk

NEWS

This last year has been overshadowed by Covid-19, which has been particularly tough for those living and working in the North East England region.

Obviously, Covid has prevented branch member activity for the Autumn quarter as it did during the spring and summer. As a consequence, the branch committee is concerned that it is losing touch with the members for whom we work and to whom we are accountable.

Please ensure we have your up-to-date contact information so we can keep in touch.

The committee has been meeting regularly via Zoom and is starting to try out activities for members through this medium.

Branch members are not renowned for voicing their opinions (except when something is amiss!) so in these unusual times, the branch committee is inviting feedback from members to help us provide the service they want.

Please email, phone or text us on what you want from us, or better still post to the branch Facebook page.

Facebook – North East Branch BDS

The branch Facebook page was set up to give both members and non-members alike a place to share north east deer-related matters.

For the first year (2019) membership was open to almost anyone and although there were about 150 registered users there was no interaction, and most postings were dependent on Al Gabriel who set up the page.

Jamie Tranter took over from Al in summer 2020 when Al joined BASC Council. Jamie changed the group to be what it is now, a place for North East BDS members to share information and discuss issues.

With Jamie moving away Glen Graham is coming back to help and between us all, we hope we can make the page the first port of call for branch members wanting information ideas and opinions.

Have Sika settled in the south of the region?

There is solid evidence of sika deer arriving in the south of the region with a Manchurian sika pricket being shot recently having turned up with the reds and fallow inside Raby Park.

The nearest known sika population is about 50 miles away. So how did it get there and where has it come from?

Finding a Range

Finding a rifle range remains a priority for the committee. Covid has halted David Boyson’s efforts to find a suitable site, but hopefully, we will be back on with the task in spring.

Northumbria Police Rural Crime Volunteers

As reported in the last issue of Deer, half a dozen branch members have been helping Northumbria Police reduce rural crime through their Rural Crime Volunteer (RCV) initiative.

The initiative is to train and utilise a significant network of ‘eyes and ears’ to support the police rural crime team.

For most North East BDS branch members who volunteer, the motivation is to help reduce poaching which seems to have been achieved over this last year. The volunteers can also be proud of their contribution to help the police with solving many other rural crimes.

Muntjac Monitoring Group

The muntjac monitoring group is now established and operating within the constraints of Covid. The group’s purpose is to monitor the progress of the species through the branch area by investigating and validating reports of sightings of muntjac deer in the branch area.

The group is led by Ian Smales, supported by branch members Stuart Jones, Neil Baker and David Stewart. The group has had to defer its training programme hosted by local Natural England staff until Covid allows.

Despite this, the group has been actively following up reports of muntjac being seen in Tyne and Wear, Northumberland and Durham. So far none of the sightings have been proven to be correct.

STAY IN TOUCH

If your contact information has changed please make sure to let us know. To update your details simply email membership@bds.org.uk or call 01425 655434.

LATEST NEWS

The BDS’s Statement on the Scottish Government’s Response to The Deer Working Group’ Report

Statement from deer and countryside groups in Scotland on the Scottish Government’s response to the Deer Working Group Report

The BDS is concerned over several aspects of the Scottish Government’s response to the Deer Working Group’s recommendations regarding the management of wild deer.

BDS Statement on the Scottish Government’s Response to The Deer Working Group’s Report

The BDS is concerned over several aspects of the Scottish Government’s response to the Deer Working Group’s recommendations regarding the management of wild deer.