20
more intensive operations than parks and
perhaps there will be less scope for escapes
but I am sure there will be some.
Shooting/Poaching
Both of these can cause deer to disperse
over a wider range. There certainly
appears to be an increase in the number of
people who own stalking rifles and want
to stalk, and my feeling is that there is
more stalking carried out than ten years ago.
However, deer management still seems
unfashionable in Essex and is conducted on
a piecemeal basis. Poaching, thankfully,
does not appear to be a major problem, but
we must remain watchful.
Dogs
There have been spates of deer being killed
by dogs. It was very bad in the Harlow
area a few years ago with several pregnant
fallow does being killed by dogs in a little
over a week. It was not clear if they were
stray dogs in a pack, dogs let out for
exercise, or dogs deliberately run on deer.
It is important that dogs be kept firmly under
close control in deer areas in May and June.
Cars
Road traffic accidents still take their reg-
ular toll, mainly of fallow, but also
muntjac are becoming more common casualties.
Most accidents involving deer are not
reported as there is no legal requirement
and so the full toll will never be known.
From the records obtained most accidents
occur in west Essex, from Epping to Saffron