protecting coppice from deer, geographic differences

[SimonFisher]

In our woodland near Petersfield, Hampshire we protect cut coppice (hazel and ash) from nibbling by deer with a one kilometre long fence around the entire perimiter of the wood. Without protection the coppice would be very poor as we can see from neighbours who've cut but not protected in any way.

We've recently been looking at woods near Tenterden in Kent comprising mostly chestnut coppice ready for harvesting. Neighbouring woods look to have chestnut coppice which was last cut maybe five years ago. Nothing is protected from deer or anything else.

Is that typical of this part of Kent compared to ourt woods in Hampshire - that deer aren't a serious problem to coppice? Or is it there are difference in attractiveness to deer of hazel and ash shoots compared to those from chestnut?

[Rankinswood]

Can you please provide a photo and advise us of the specification for your deer fence and opinions on how effective this has been in service.

I assume that deer fencing and area of approx 10 - 20 acres (depending on plot shape) must be quite costly ?

Are you proposing that all woodland owners install deer fencing around their land and if yes then where would deer live ?

Rankinswood

[Rich]

Is that typical of this part of Kent compared to ourt woods in Hampshire - that deer aren't a serious problem to coppice? Or is it there are difference in attractiveness to deer of hazel and ash shoots compared to those from chestnut?

My experience is that Chestnut comes fairly well down the menu of favourite shoots for deer. I've cut chestnut in a high deer population area and not had it badly browsed when there are other species around. Right at the bottom of their choice is alder, I can't remember any deer browsing the alder regrowth.

[SimonFisher]

Can you please provide a photo and advise us of the specification for your deer fence and opinions on how effective this has been in service. I assume that deer fencing and area of approx 10 - 20 acres (depending on plot shape) must be quite costly ?

All of the things I've photographed in our woods over the years, the fence isn't one of them! It's a 1.8 metre high wire mesh similar to that in this image with a rabbit mesh fixed to the outside that extends about 500mm up from the ground and at ground level is turned to run horizintally and buried using a scrape and re-cover method to deter burrowing under the fence. It was professionally installed with the posts and strainers being installed first to support support wires under tension. The deer fence I understand is then hung on the support wires. It's an irregularly shaped wood of some 12 acres. The fence runs for about 1 kilometre and with two pairs of metal gates each giving a drive-through width of about 12 feet and one metal pedestrian gate it cost in the region of £15,000 when it was installed in the early part of 2011. It was all part of an agreed schedule of works to restore coppice in the wood and was part funded by a Forestry Commission grant with the remainder covered by the sale of some ash that was felled from within the coppice area and beech that was felled for thinning reasons.

Are you proposing that all woodland owners install deer fencing around their land and if yes then where would deer live ?

The consensus of opinion we received when we set out to restore the coppice (hazel and ash) was that it would be unsuccessful if we didn't protect from deer. In our area of Hampshire, deer population is at high level. The most sensible way for us to protect the cut coppice was the perimiter fence. If other woodland owners in areas of high deer population, are looking to manage coppice which will be grazed by deer, I'd be interested in how they fare if they choose not to fence. The wood we have that was fenced is adjacent to much larger tracts of woodland which don't contain coppice, where deer are less of a concern in that respect and are able to inhabit freely.

The deer fence has been extremely effective. Four years on from our initial cutting, the coppice is thriving. One of our neighbours cutting on a smaller scale protects individual stools with four stakes and a ring of chicken wire. It's not necessarily high enough that a deer couldn't jump over it it, but the area it encloses is so small that deer don't jump into a confined space. Their coppice is regrowing well.

Sadly, we also have see areas where coppice has been cut, left unprotected, and is failing to regrow. Knowing that that is the outcome of failing to protect from grazing deer and not doing anything about it is to my mind vandalism - the coppice will surely die after a few years of continued grazing.

[SimonFisher]

Is that typical of this part of Kent compared to ourt woods in Hampshire - that deer aren't a serious problem to coppice? Or is it there are difference in attractiveness to deer of hazel and ash shoots compared to those from chestnut?

My experience is that Chestnut comes fairly well down the menu of favourite shoots for deer. I've cut chestnut in a high deer population area and not had it badly browsed when there are other species around. Right at the bottom of their choice is alder, I can't remember any deer browsing the alder regrowth.

Thanks Rich, most useful. Any idea what their most favoured nibble is?

[The Barrowers]

I think Hazel is high up the list

[Rich]

Thanks Rich, most useful. Any idea what their most favoured nibble is?

I can't put the top line into any order, they seem to like them equally,the bottom 3 definately not as much

Hazel, oak, holly, ash,hornbeam,willow
chestnut
Birch
Alder

[splodger]

we are in hampshire - and although we do get deer coming into our wood - they don't do a huge amount of damage - but chestnut is really the only young growth they can munch on. they do nibble the hazel but it's not drastic.

[Steve Medlock]

My wood is only 25 mins from Tenterden and I don't have a problem with deer / chestnut. They only seem to like everything else that I plant or am about to plant if its not protected!

Steve.