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CWS1

Deer control and management

CS Higher Tier open_in_new View on RPA Website

£105.00

per hectare · yearly

info Summary

This Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier action provides £105 per hectare per year for 10 years to control and manage deer, reducing harm to priority species and habitats and supporting their thriving.

format_list_bulleted What to do

  • Put up an agreed number of deer monitoring structures (‘exclosures’) in year 1
  • Carry out the agreed level of culling as per your species management plan
  • Conduct habitat impact assessments in years 1, 5, and 10 of your agreement

schedule When to do

  • Do this action each year of its 10-year duration

checklist How to do and evidence required

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 using [the cull effort form], supported by photographs, when requested
  • any bank statements, receipted invoices, consents, or permissions connected with the work

tips_and_updates Additional Advice

  • Refer to Forestry Commission’s operations note 59 for woodland management.
  • Lethal control by shooting is only for damaging or invasive non-native deer.
  • Ensure you have the correct licence for shooting deer during close seasons or at night, referring to Natural England’s guidance.
  • Comply with relevant legislation and good practice, including the Deer Act 1991, UK Firearms legislation, food regulations for carcases, and the Deer Initiative best practice guides.

View Official Guidelines

Access detailed information about this action on the RPA website

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info Additional Information

CWS1: Deer control and management

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 using [the cull effort form], 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, WBD10
  • 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:

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

[CSHT]: Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier  [ha]: hectare  [RPA]: Rural Payments Agency  [SFI]: Sustainable Farming Incentive  [CS]: Countryside Stewardship  [HS2]: High Speed 2 (rail project)  [ES]: Environmental Stewardship  [SSSI]: Site of Special Scientific Interest  *[HEFER]: Historic Environment Farm Environment Record 

Questions about CWS1?

Ask Tom anything about this subsidy, eligibility, evidence requirements, or compatibility with other actions.