BASC is a founder member of the Deer Initiative (DI) and is proud to help ensure the delivery of a sustainable, well-managed wild deer population in England and Wales. The DI is a partnership comprising a wide range of statutory, private and voluntary organisations and individuals with an interest in wild deer and their management.
Signatories to the Accord have agreed to the fundamental principles stated below and to encourage others likewise to make such a commitment as an integral part of their deer management approach and priorities.
We will work to ensure that populations of wild deer are in sustainable balance with the natural resources available to feed and shelter them throughout the year.
We will work to prevent deer populations growing to exceed a sustainable balance with the environment and natural resources by planning the delivery of active deer management programmes, which will often include culling. Such management will always be undertaken legally and in a humane, responsible and sensitive manner.
Achievement of best practice knowledge and skills is a prerequisite of deer management. We will encourage and promote the development and delivery of accredited training for all those with deer management remits and interests.
The presence of deer in an area can add greatly to people’s enjoyment but deer can also cause various problems. Their management may therefore pose a dilemma. Information needs to be provided to extend the understanding of the general public of the nature, role, contributions and impact of wild deer populations throughout England. In educating the public about wild deer management, the benefits of planned and humanely carried out deer management may be explained. We will work to improve knowledge and encourage and promote better public understanding as an integral and essential component of deer management.
The full benefits and objectives of the management of wild deer in England will require the active contribution to a nationwide deer management programme by all public, private and voluntary organisations associated with wild deer populations. We will achieve this through the provision of financial, in-kind and operational support to the Deer Initiative and the Deer Initiative Limited (DI Ltd), and a commitment to the Accord objectives and principles.
The DI has produced a series of best practice guides which replace all of their previous advice notes.
African Swine Fever What is African Swine Fever? African Swine Fever (ASF) is an infectious and usually fatal disease that afflicts members of the pig family including domestic pigs and wild/feral boar. While it does not affect humans, we can quite easily transmit the disease and need to take care.
Head Measuring Getting a head start Although British deer stalkers have little time for trophy hunting, it is a valuable management tool to record particularly good heads and BASC will be offering a head measuring service to members at some game fairs. Here Dominic Griffith explains how it’s done: A head
Humane Dispatch Insurance All BASC members, regardless of the level of membership (excluding supporters), are covered under the association’s group liability insurance policy as part of their membership for the humane dispatch of animals, within the normal course of their recreational shooting. In addition, members who are approved by authorities
