‘New Forest’, or ‘Nova Foresta’, was created by William the Conqueror as a royal hunting ground, and forest laws were enforced to protect the hunted animals and their habitats. These strict laws ensured that the hunting of deer and wild boar remained the closely guarded privilege of the King and his followers.
Over the centuries, deer hunting became less important, and by the 17th and 18th centuries timber production was the primary economic use of the New Forest. The New Forest Acts came into force, and areas were fenced off to protect young saplings from the grazing animals. It wasn’t until the Act of 1877 that two thirds of the forest were set aside for commoners to exercise their traditional rights.
Deer populations were left unmanaged until the 19th century when they reached levels that threatened the timber crops and competed with the commoners’ stock for food. The Deer Removal Act was established in 1851 and it was resolved that all deer were to be removed. Although total removal was not achieved, the numbers did reduce dramatically, and the Forestry Commission's keepers continue to keep these numbers under control today.
