Oh, deer–are they out of control?

CONSIDERING the poor press that deer attract among foresters, it is ironic that of the 23 most important sites for ancient oaks in England, 20 were deer parks, 16 of which were medieval. Despite the presence of the animals, native trees found protection within the park boundaries of ditch, earthwork and cleft-oak paling fence, because felling for firewood and building was prohibited and deer numbers would have been strictly controlled. Today, it is the descendants of those fallow deer brought over by the Normans—to join the native red and roe deer in populating those parks—that are the greatest cervine problem for landowners.

In counties such as Norfolk and Northamptonshire, huge herds of up to 300 beasts infest safe areas where they find sanctuary from being