Controlling deer in standing crops

Time Well Spent June 15, 2022

How can I manage my fallow deer population without damaging the standing crops? I don’t have highseats, what are my options? Dom Holtam replies…

Q: I have a lot of fallow deer damaging standing crops and want to get after them ASAP. I can’t afford to site a load of high seats everywhere but can’t see them from the ground. What’s my best bet?

Dom Holtam replies: In some cases, where the deer are travelling in and out of the crop, perhaps from an adjacent block of woodland, you can wait in ambush and intercept them as they come or go.

However, often the deer will take up residence where they have sufficient cover and abundant food. Portable high seats are a great idea for situations like this. If you are a single-handed stalker, a lightweight folding seat is a really useful addition to your kit. It will allow you to site a vantage point where the deer are causing trouble. Some feature backpack straps and telescopic ladders, making them truly portable.

Another consideration is a free-standing high seat. Sometimes, where the deer are causing havoc in large fields, there are no suitable trees to use as a support for a traditional lean-to seat and in this instance a freestanding seat is ideal.