Deer Stalking in Essex

Britain’s deer population has surged to around two million. These iconic animals are well-loved, but their growing numbers are putting real pressure on the countryside - stripping young hedges and woodlands, damaging crops, preventing natural restoration and harming other native wildlife. To control the population, hundreds of thousands of deer are shot each year. Critics argue hunting in the name of conservation is inhumane, and a short-term fix. Others baulk at eating ‘Bambi’. Supporters argue that it’s the most sustainable, environmentally-friendly meat you can get. Mary-Ann Ochota heads into the field with a professional stalker to see what deer management really involves, from woodland to wild meat. Produced and presented by Mary-Ann Ochota

You can listen to Deer Stalking in Essex online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

Deer Stalking in Essex is an episode from Open Country by BBC.

This episode is 24:08 long.

This episode was published on Apr 16, 2026.

Yes. Use the heart button on the episode page to add it to your favorite episodes list.

Yes. This page shows related episodes from Open Country when more episodes are available from the podcast feed.