Supplemental feeding of red deer as a measure to prevent damages on agricultural areas and forests

Jelenjad številčno vseskozi narašča. Posledično se veča škoda, ki jo jelenjad povzroča na gozdnem rastju in kmetijskih površinah. Krmljenje jelenjadi je v svetu in pri nas široko uporabljan lovski ukrep. Za namen preprečevanja oziroma zmanjševanja škode, ki jo povzroči jelenjad se izvaja vrsta različnih lovskih ukrepov. Mehanski so na primer suhi ovoj, zeleni ovoj, različne ograje okoli dreves, poznamo pa tudi razne kemične pripravke za preprečevanje objedanja dreves. Namen diplomskega dela je opisati problematiko preprečevanja škode na kmetijskih površinah in gozdnem rastju, ki jo povzroča jelenjad z vidika dopolnilnega krmljenja. Opisali smo načine preprečevanja škode, ki jo povzroča jelenjad v gozdovih in na kmetijskih površinah, ter poskušali ugotoviti ali je dopolnilno krmljenje pri tem uspešno. Ugotovili smo, da je dopolnilo krmljenje učinkovito, če je pravilno izvedeno. Krmišča morajo biti postavljena na območjih, ki niso blizu kmetijskih površin, prav tako pa območja krmišč ne smejo biti poškodovana. Krmišča je potrebno prestavljati vsakih 10 let, saj drugače lahko pride do preobremenjenosti okolja. Dokrmljevana jelenjad se namreč večinoma zadržuje okoli krmišč ter tam lupi in objeda drevje in grmovje.The number of red deer is constantly increasing which leads to a corresponding rise of damage to agricultural areas and forests caused by the red deer. Supplemental feeding is a common solution used by hunters across the world and in our territory as well. A wide variety of measures is used to prevent and lessen the damage. For example physical measures such as dry wrap, green wrap and various fences around trees or chemical solutions which stop the red deer from biting trees. The aim of Bs. C. thesis is to describe the problem of damage caused by red deer in relation to supplemental feeding. We described the ways to prevent damage and tried to find out if supplemental feeding is a successful preventive method. We have discovered that supplemental feeding is only beneficial if it is done in the right way. Feeding points should be positioned in places that are far from agricultural areas and haven’t been previously damaged by red deer. Because the red deer who feed on the feeding points remain in the near vicinity of those and bite the trees there, the feeding points should be relocated every 10 years