Open — no fixed deadlineCountryside Stewardship Higher Tier

CWS1: Deer control and management

Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs · paid by Rural Payments Agency

Dates: No fixed application deadline
Where: England

View on the official site

What you must do to get paid for this CSHT action and advice on how to do it.

About this grant

This action is part of Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier ( CSHT ). You must read the CSHT guidance before you apply.

Duration

10 years

How much you’ll be paid

£105 per hectare ( ha ) per year

Action’s aim

This action’s aim is to reduce the harm deer are causing to priority species and habitats.

The purpose is to support priority species and habitats by allowing them to thrive.

Where you can do this action

You can only do this action on eligible land where:

native or naturalised deer (European roe deer, red deer and fallow deer) are causing harm to priority habitats and species

invasive non-native deer species (Chinese water deer, Reeves muntjac or sika) are present

You should do this action on the same land as a habitat creation or management action. You must get approval from your Natural England adviser or Forestry Commission woodland officer to do this action if you’re not doing another habitat creation or management action on site.

Eligible land

You can do this action on land that’s:

an eligible land type

registered with an eligible land cover on your digital maps

declared with a land use code which is compatible with the eligible land cover

Eligible land type Eligible land cover Compatible land use code

Arable land used to grow crops Arable land Land use codes for arable crops or leguminous and nitrogen-fixing crops

Temporary grassland Arable land TG01

Land lying fallow Arable land FA01

Permanent crops other than nursery crops and short rotation coppice Permanent crops TC01

Short rotation coppice Permanent crops SR01

Nursery crops Permanent crops NU01

Permanent grassland Permanent grassland PG01

Cliff Coastal features CF01

Vegetated shingle Coastal features CF02

Sand dunes Coastal features CF03

Bracken, heather and heathland Heath land and bracken HE02

Heap Heaps – permanent HE03

Watercourse – river or stream (Rivers and Streams Type 2) Inland water IW02

Watercourse – river or stream (Rivers and Streams Type 3) Inland water IW03

Shingle Inland wetland IW05

Fen, marsh and swamp Inland wetland IW06

Bog Inland wetland IW07

Salt marsh Marine wetland MW01

Tidal areas Marine wetland MW02

Reed bed Marine wetland MW03

Intertidal habitats Marine wetland MW04

Saline habitats Marine wetland MW05

Non-agricultural area or feature which is temporary and likely to change over time (ineligible area) Non-agricultural area NA02

Scattered rock Notional features NF01

Scattered bracken or heather Notional features NF02

Scattered scrub Notional features NF03

Scattered water features Notional features NF05

Scattered natural features Notional features NF06

Scattered manmade features Notional features NF07

Scattered features – mixed Notional features NF08

Gallop Natural transport – tracks and gallops NT01

Track – natural surface Natural transport – tracks and gallops NT03

Sports and recreation Recreational land RL03

Golf course Recreational land RL04

Scree Rock RO02

Boulders Rock RO03

Rocky outcrop Rock RO04

Storage area Storage areas SA02

Watercourse – ditch, drain or dyke Water/irrigation features WF01

Pond Water/irrigation features WF03

Woodland Natural woodland WO12

Residential garden Natural woodland WO17

Scrub Natural woodland WO25

Available area you can enter into this action

Total or part of the available area in the land parcel.

Rotational or static action

This action is static. This means you must do it at the same location each year of this action’s duration.

What to do

Your Natural England adviser or Forestry Commission woodland manager will assess your land. They’ll work with you to adapt and agree the activities you must do to achieve this action’s aim. All mandatory activities will be set out in your agreement document.

To get paid for this action, you must:

put up an agreed number of deer monitoring structures (‘exclosures’) in year 1 of your agreement

carry out the agreed level of culling set out in your species management plan

carry out habitat impact assessments in years 1, 5 and 10 of your agreement

When to do it

You must do this action each year of its duration.

Evidence to keep

You must keep evidence to show what you have done to complete this action. If it’s not clear that you have done this action in a way that could reasonably be expected to achieve its aim, the Rural Payments Agency ( RPA ) may ask for this evidence.

You must supply the evidence if they ask for it, including:

habitat impact assessment reports

evidence of culling activity and cull numbers supported by photographs, when requested

any bank statements, receipted invoices, consents, or permissions connected with the work

Other actions or options you can do on the same area as this action

You can do the following actions or options on the same area in a land parcel as this action.

Some actions or options can only be done on the same area if they’re done at a different time of year to this action.

Scheme Action or option code

SFI 2024 actions CSAM1, CSAM2, CSAM3, SOH1, SOH2, SOH3, SOH4, AGF1, AGF2, CAHL4, CIGL3, BFS1, BFS2, BFS3, BFS4, BFS5, WBD3, WBD4, WBD5, WBD6, WBD7, WBD8, OFC1, OFC2, OFC3, OFC4, OFC5, OFM1, OFM2, OFM3, OFM4, OFM5, OFM6, OFA1, OFA6, CAHL1, CAHL2, CAHL3, AHW1, AHW3, AHW5, AHW6, AHW7, AHW8, AHW9, AHW10, AHW11, AHW12, CMOR1, UPL1, UPL2, UPL3, UPL7, UPL8, UPL9, UPL10, PRF1, PRF2, PRF3, PRF4, CIGL1, CIGL2, CLIG3, GRH1, GRH6, SCR1, SCR2, HEF5, HEF6, HEF8, CIPM1, CIPM2, CIPM3, CIPM4, CNUM1, CNUM2, CNUM3, GRH2, GRH3, GRH4, HEF4, WOD1, ORH1, COH1

SFI 2023 actions SAM1, SAM2, SAM3, MOR1, IPM1, IPM2, IPM3, IPM4, NUM1, NUM2, NUM3, AHL1, AHL2, AHL3, IGL1, IGL2, AHL4, IGL3, LIG1, LIG2

CSHT actions CGS20, CGS19, CGS18, CGS22, CGS21, CHS2, CGS4, CGS25, CGS26, CUP2, CUP3, CUP8, CUP9, CUP10, CUP11, CUP12, CUP13, CUP14, CWD1, CWD2, CSP13, CSP14, CSP15, CWS3, CSP21, CSP20, CSW24, CSW23, CSW15, CSW16, CSW22, CSW12, CSW25, CSW21, CPAC1, CSW7, CSW8, CSW13, CWD20, CWD22, CWD21, CWD8, CWD7, CSW17, CSW19, CSW18, CSW20, CWT10, CWT14, CWT13, CAGF1, CAGF3, CAGF2, CAGF4, CBE4, CBE5, CCT8, CCT9, CCT2, CCT10, CCT3, CCT4, CCT7, CCT5, CLH1, CLH2, CLH3, CHS3, CHS4, CHS5, CHS6, CHS9, CHS7, CAB18, CAB19, CWT1, CWT2, CAB16, CAB17, CAB5, CAB2, CAB6, CAB7, CAB10, CAB14, CAB11, CWD3

CS options AB1, AB10, AB11, AB14, AB15, AB16, AB2, AB3, AB4, AB5, AB6, AB7, AB8, AB9, BE1, BE2, BE4, BE5, CT1, CT2, CT3, CT4, CT5, CT7, GS1, GS10, GS11, GS12, GS13, GS14, GS2, GS3, GS4, GS5, GS6, GS7, GS8, GS9, HS2 , HS3, HS4, HS5, HS6, HS7, HS9, LH1, LH2, LH3, OP1, OP2, OP4, OP5, OR1, OR2, OR3, OR4, OR5, OT1, OT2, OT3, OT4, OT5, OT6, SW1, SW10, SW11, SW12, SW13, SW15, SW16, SW17, SW18, SW2, SW3, SW4, SW5, SW6, SW7, SW8, SW9, UP1, UP2, UP3, WD1, WD10, WD11, WD12, WD2, WD3, WD4, WD5, WD6, WD7, WD8, WT1, WT10, WT2, WT6, WT7, WT8, WT9

ES options N/A

You can do the following actions or options on the eligible boundaries of a land parcel entered into this action:

CSHT actions: CWT3, CHRW4

SFI 2024 actions: CHRW1, CHRW2, CHRW3, BND1, BND2, WBD2

SFI 2023 actions: HRW1, HRW2, HRW3

CS option BE3 (management of hedgerows)

Consents, permissions and licensing requirements

To apply for this action, you’ll need:

a species management plan agreed with the Forestry Commission and Natural England (if your application includes non-woodland habitats)

Scheduled Monument Consent from Historic England for any work on scheduled monuments

consent from Natural England for any activity on land designated as a site of special scientific interest ( SSSI )

licence A16: to shoot deer during the closed season or at night if you intend to do this as part of your management plan

You may need to:

get advice from your Forestry Commission woodland officer or Natural England adviser if you have other archaeological or historic features on your agreement land

get any other wildlife licence from Natural England if your activities affect a protected species or their habitat

All archaeological and historic features (including scheduled monuments) are identified in your Historic Environment Farm Environment Record ( HEFER ).

If you’re a tenant, it’s your responsibility to check whether your tenancy agreement allows you to complete what’s required in the actions you choose. You may need your landlord’s consent.

Capital grants to support this action

If you need to complete an implementation plan, species management plan or a feasibility study before you apply, you can apply for funding through capital grants plans funding .

You can also apply for capital items to help you achieve the action’s aims. Your Natural England adviser will discuss eligible capital items with you.

Advice to help you do this action

The following optional advice may help you to do this action. Your agreement document will set out all the activities you must do.

About wild deer

All species of deer are mostly found in woodland settings. Read the Forestry Commission’s operations note 59: management requirements for woodland supplement CWS1 Deer control and management .

Managing deer impacts

Your species management plan will give details of the management actions you’ve agreed with your Natural England adviser or Forestry Commission deer officer or woodland officer.

Manage impacts by shooting

You can only use lethal control by shooting to control deer when they are:

causing damage

invasive non-native species

Your Natural England adviser or Forestry Commission deer officer or woodland officer may invite you to a deer management awareness course.

Deer are protected and may not be shot during their close seasons. If you require a licence to shoot them during the close season or at night read Natural England’s guidance on capturing and shooting deer to make sure you have the correct licence to carry out this activity.

Have regard to legislation and good practice relevant to the actions you carry out, such as:

the Deer Act 1991

UK Firearms legislation

relevant food regulations in respect of handling of carcases to enter the food chain, or disposal of carcases in an approved manner when contaminated and not suitable for human consumption

the Deer Initiative best practice guides

Eligibility

Eligibility shown as published by the source. Treat it as a guide and confirm the details on the official page before applying.