Norfolk Deer Strategy

The Norfolk Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group’s (NFWAG) Norfolk Deer Strategy has, since its inception in July 2025 built a collaborative landowner base of over 84,000 hectares (207,500 acres) which is collectively working towards better outcomes. And this total continues to grow.

The strategy identifies the areas that are crucial to building successful working partnerships that can deliver the multiple benefits of structured and coordinated local and landscape deer management.

By identifying who is doing what and where, and recognising areas that have become sanctuary habitats, or where ineffective deer control is taking place, the strategy is helping bring about the required changes. Advising on, and helping to implement farm focussed plans is helping landowners to reduce impacts to crops, forestry and nature recovery efforts, all of which have wider ecosystem benefits.

The strategy’s objectives, which were informed by research I did at Harper Adams, highlight key aspects that restrict the efficacy of deer management in the UK. Taking this research and ground truthing it in Norfolk has led to the high levels of stakeholder engagement required to get things done.

Although this is, in part due to my farming background and knowledge of both deer and agricultural practices which gives me a foot in the door where many may not succeed to get through the farm gate. This, coupled with the trust shown in NFWAG’s professional advisory services, offering expertise across many aspects of the agri-environmental sector ensure a complete package to complement all farming situations.

Alliances built with farming, forestry and nature organisations, local and national governmental bodies, and deer management organisations have created conduits to cascade information in all directions. This inclusive, open-arms approach builds trust and paves the way for people to want to be part of the movement being created.

From the outset the clear objectives were to bring stakeholders together, to identify common problems, to promote awareness of the issues and seek acceptance of the need for effective control measures. Creating a provable evidence base that shows clear and understandable statistics of growth in population and range.

Encouraging, training, and helping to mentor new and young people into an aging sector of essential work is paramount to ongoing success. All of these goals, once implemented, start to reduce the growing pressures that wild deer are causing to UK food and timber security, nature recovery, and social issues such as deer vehicle collisions.

Each collaborating landowner undertakes to supply annual cull data, share landholding details with SBI numbers built into the Deer Strategy overview mapping system, and work with neighbouring landowners and their deer managers, towards local and landscape deer management objectives. All culling data is anonymised when presented externally.

And the venison, yes, one of the most important aspects of the strategy. NFWAG is building networks of suppliers/producers, processors, direct sales and retail outlets. This network is growing, and venison from Norfolk farms is appearing in Norfolk farm shops, butchers, wholesalers, and on the menus of Norfolk schools and colleges. Everybody in Norfolk is starting to recognise the wide ranging benefits of being part of a successful movement that is delivering for farming, forestry, nature, and society.

There is a growing awareness of the problem and thankfully the national press is starting to give positive views about the need for effective controls. There is a new Deer Strategy for England which will hopefully, over time, start to make a difference; words, talking, and meetings are fine, but when it comes to implementation that’s a different matter. In Norfolk and the surrounding counties we are in front of the issues, we are on the ground solving the problems, sleeves rolled-up and getting on with the job! Positive actions for positive outcomes.

If you are interested in becoming part of this growing success in Eastern England please visit the Norfolk FWAG website Deer Strategy pages.

Michael Anker, project lead for the Norfolk Deer & Wild Venison Strategy.