Roe Deer

EDM number 2401 in 1992-93, proposed by Nick Harvey on 22/07/1993.

That this House notes that Schedule 1 to the Deer Act 1991 provides a close season for roe deer, from 1st November to 31st March, inclusive, for the buck, and from 1st March to 31st October inclusive for the doe; further notes that the deer rut takes place in July and August, with kids being born in the following May; further notes that bucks are strongly territorial over the period May to August, during which time family units are built up and thus concludes that this Act affords no protection to the buck roe deer, allowing stress, injury and possible death to whole family units; notes the conclusions of the Forestry Commission Bulletin 105, Roe Deer Biology and Management, by P. R. Ratcliffe and B. A. Mayle, (HMSO 1992), that culling levels aimed at preventing population increases have been set mistakenly high and the levels of juvenile mortality under-estimated; and calls upon Her Majesty's Government to review the relevant provisions of the Deer Act 1991 as soon as possible.

This motion has been signed by a total of 49 MPs.