What does the harvest data provided by the National Gamebag Census primarily function as in managed UK areas?
Answer
An activity index indicating population removal targets
The data gathered from the National Gamebag Census in the UK, which documents harvested animals, is not intended to provide an exact total population count. Instead, because many deer survive culling or live outside managed estates, these figures serve as an activity index. This index is vital for managers as it tracks how many deer are being removed to maintain population targets or to mitigate impacts on agriculture and forestry, offering a long-term trend indicator rather than an absolute count.

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