Pest Problem

Deer

When deer gain access to your garden they can cause untold damage to plants, trees and shrubs. We offer high-tech repellers which can deter them using either ultrasound, or even water!

Recommended Products

Humane Products

Pest-Stop Outdoor
Havahart Spray-Away
Havahart Electric Fence Kit - Garden

General Information

There are six species of this mammal living wild in the UK, though only two are truly native to our shores (the other species being introduced at different periods in the past). The two native species are Red and Roe Deer with the introduced species being Sika, Fallow, Muntjac and Chinese Water Deer.

Deer aren’t a common garden pest, as all are relatively shy and secretive. However, in some areas of the UK and in particular in very large and/or secluded gardens in rural areas, some species of Deer can be a huge problem, and the damage they cause considerable. Remember that most species of Deer are great jumpers and species such as the Fallow Deer can leap over very high fences. In addition, Deer will often rest in the daytime (typically in dense vegetation in woodland) to then emerge and feed at night; so it’s the damage that Deer do that may well give away their presence rather than an actual sighting.

Identification and overview of species

	Red Deer By far the largest of our deer, a fully-grown animal can be over 2.5 metres long and 1.5 metres at the shoulder. The size alone makes identification easy, but look out for huge antlers on the male in autumn, and a pale sandy coloured rump on both sexes and at all ages. Red Deer largely occur in Northern Britain, but also in South West England and in and around the New Forest. In these areas, Red Deer can be a problem, and certainly in larger gardens where access is relatively easy for them.
	Silka Deer Much smaller than the Red Deer at around 1.2 metres in length and 85cm at the shoulder, Sika Deer are very local and only occur in and around the New Forest, the Lake District and scattered populations in Scotland. In summer both sexes are pale reddish-brown with white spots with only the male having antlers, and in the winter both sexes are near black with very few spots. The threat posed to gardens where they occur is much like the Red Deer.
	Fallow Deer The most widespread Deer in the UK, Fallow Deer principally occur in lowland areas and even in locations which are fairly intensively farmed – provided there is at least some woodland cover. In the summer both male and female are reddish-brown with white spots, and in the winter a dark brown/grey with no spots. Height is up to 110cm at the shoulder. Typically seen in small groups or pairs, Fallow Deer will enter larger gardens in rural areas.
	Roe Deer The smallest of the widespread deer in the UK (though they favour more upland areas compared to the Fallow Deer), they are reddish brown in the summer (no spots) and greyish brown in the winter. Size is small at 75cm at the shoulder and just 1.2 metres in length. Because of their preference for upland areas, Roe Deer will be an uncommon visitor to gardens but certainly not an impossible one.
	Muntjac Deer Very small at just 50cm high at the shoulder, Muntjacs are now common across South East England and even occur on the edges of suburban areas. The colour is a dark brown throughout the year, with a white rump when the tail is raised. The male has very small antlers. They are shy and secretive, but will readily enter larger and secluded gardens where the damage they cause can be considerable.
	Chinese Water Deer Largely confined to East Anglia, Chinese Water Deer are also very small and just slightly larger than the Muntjac. They are easily identified by their pale sandy colour – both sexes and throughout the year – with the male having no antlers but instead two protruding tusks. Probably an unlikely garden visitor, but might be in large secluded gardens adjacent to their preferred wetland habitat.