About
Deer management done properly, by someone who takes it seriously
Donaldson Deer Service is run by Chris Donaldson, a passionate, qualified deer manager and stalker, offering free, evidence-led deer and wildlife management to landowners and farmers across North Yorkshire, East Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, North Lincolnshire, East Lancashire, South Durham, Teesside. See towns and villages covered.
Qualifications & training
Trained, tested, and accountable
DMQ
DMQ (Deer Management Qualifications) is the independent body that sets the standards for deer management training and qualifications in the UK, backed by organisations including BASC and the British Deer Society.
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The Deer Stalking Certificate Level 1 covers safe, legal, and humane deer stalking, the foundation of precise, welfare-led culling.
Trained Person status
This recognised status allows a full initial inspection of culled deer, meaning the venison can safely and legally enter the food chain.
Our approach
Survey-led, not assumption-led
Every decision starts with evidence, not guesswork.
Deer management is only ever recommended where it's actually needed. That starts with an honest survey of your land: species present, rough numbers, movement patterns, and the real impact they're having, before any talk of culling.
Where action is needed, it's built around a simple plan agreed with you, carried out with precision rather than volume, and always in line with close seasons, firearms law, and current welfare best practice.
Safety and consideration for neighbouring land, public access, and your own farming operation are non-negotiable. Every visit is planned to fit around your land and your schedule, not the other way round.
The venison story
Nothing about this process is wasteful
When a cull does go ahead, the deer doesn't just disappear from your land, it becomes something useful. Trained Person status means every culled deer is properly inspected on site, so the resulting venison can safely enter the food chain under UK food hygiene requirements.
Where there's venison to spare, some of it often goes back to you, the landowner: free-range, organic, and about as local and traceable as meat gets. It's a small way of making sure responsible management benefits the land, the animals, and the people looking after both.
Or call Chris on 07397 942663. He'll call you back the same day.
Organic Venison