The Deer Impacts Policy Statement: What It Means for Woodland Owners

On 20 February 2026 Defra published its Deer Impacts Policy Statement ↗ for England. It's a 10-year policy framework rather than a detailed delivery plan, which is how forestry body Confor described it in its response ↗. Much will depend on how the actions are delivered. Here's what it says that matters to woodland owners.

The headline numbers

Defra says evidence suggests a third (33%) of English woodlands are negatively impacted by deer, up from about a quarter in the early 2000s. The source it cites is the 2024 Bunce report on 50 years of change in British broadleaved woodlands.

Felling licences and woodland management plans

The Forestry Commission will make felling licences consider deer impacts management where appropriate, and licences may be refused if applicants don't plan for excessive deer impacts. It will also seek to ensure woodland management plans include a deer management statement or plan where appropriate, and it will support the UK Forestry Standard's requirement for planned deer impacts management.

Grants

Defra says it will maintain grant support for managing deer impacts in woodland and agri-environment schemes. That includes a Countryside Stewardship grant introduced in 2022 which can cover lethal control approved by a Forestry Commission Deer Officer, and continuing support for high seats, tree shelters, guards, and exclosure plots. It also commits to reviewing grant support for lethal control. See our guides to PA7, CWS1, and the full grants and funding page.

Night shooting licences

Defra plans to streamline licensing to enable more licences for night shooting of both sexes, with Natural England making night and male close season shooting more accessible while keeping welfare and conservation controls. Existing protections for females with dependent young remain. Our own approach doesn't change: a night licence is only applied for where it's absolutely necessary, never as routine.

Wild venison

The statement notes that demand for wild venison is currently low, and points to the British Quality Wild Venison Standard, launched in April 2023, and to support for processing and public procurement. For woodland owners, it's one more reason carcasses from a cull should be handled properly, which is what Trained Person status is for.

What to do now

The practical message is that evidence will matter more. Knowing which deer are on your woodland, roughly how many, and what damage they're doing is the starting point for any deer management plan or statement. A free deer survey and count provides that, and our page on deer management for forestry and woodland owners explains how it works.