Deer at Chasewater

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The Red Deer at Chasewater
and Cuckoo Bank

Photographs of Red Deer

See Diary Notes for early December 2004 as a few were subsequently culled

PROPOSED DEER CULL

Graham Evans has received the following information regarding the cull of Red Deer in the area.

No cull has yet been undertaken.

There is no intention to exterminate the herds

The main concern of the landowners is to bring the population back into health

The deer population under consideration (which does not include the small herd which frequent Chasewater) has been increasing unchecked over the past ten years. Counts indicate that there are about 100 animals across the area studied, and these are split between three herds each of which usually frequent their own 'patch'.
With no prior management the health of the population has deteriorated, and there are now individual animals which are in very poor condition. If a cull is agreed it will be these individuals which are culled and will represent only a very small proportion of the whole herd.

My thanks go to Ade Turner for investigating the situation and providing us with the above information.

An additional point was made at our last meeting regarding the need to manage deer populations at a level where there is a minimal amount of dispersal, therefore minimal risk of road accidents and the resultant cries for a major cull.
G Evans (6 November 2004)

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© H Carter	© H Carter (note the Stonechat appearing to be perched on the deer's head)
© P K Dedicoat 2004

Graham Evans says he first encountered Red Deer in the Chase area when the Two-barred Crossbill was at Beaudesert from 16 Dec 1979 – April 1st 1980. He remembers seeing up to 20 at the foot of Castle Ring hill. There were reports of them soon after in the Gentleshaw Common area.

They had arrived at Cuckoo Bank/Bleak House when the CWG were campaigning against the Open-cast mine. There was a letter in one of the local free papers saying there were no deer but Graham would regularly see 3-4. The first sighting at Chasewater was, he believes, around the early 1980’s.

We are still trying to discover where they originated from and any information would be welcome. They probably escaped from a local farm where the farmer was trying to rear them but failed to put up appropriately high fences!

By the late 80’s they were on Brownhills Common. You could then find tracks leading from the west shore of Chasewater, down along the old railway line and onto the Common. These were possibly hinds moving into areas of greater cover to drop their young in May. This was referred to by Graham Evans in his evidence against the BNRR which he wrote on behalf of the Chasewater Action Group. The Inspector at the BNRR Public Enquiry said there was no evidence of any movement of Red Deer in the area and that there was, however, a slight chance of Muntjac, for which fences would be put up along the course of the Motorway. Soon after the Inspector’s comments, road signs were put up along the A5, Chester Road and Parade warning motorists about Deer!

Red Deer used the motorway corridor during construction to feed, loaf and generally prove they didn't exist! They have since been seen at Hammerwich, Pelsall, Great Wyrley, Georges Hayes and Kingswood (they spread along the coal access road between Bleak House and Kingswood).

Up to 56 have been seen on Cuckoo Bank/Bleak House recently. They are also seen on No Man’s Bank, around Chasewater itself, on Brownhills Common, and unknown numbers on Wyrley Common and elsewhere.