Why do we shoot the animals and not leave it to nature itself?
The policy used to be that we let nature take its course in Oostvaardersplassen. As a result, sometimes many animals walked in the area. But in cold winters there was too little food for all the animals, and many large grazers died. This happened, for example, in the winter of 2017 and 2018.
The situation in the nature reserve kept people busy that season. Visible animal suffering played an important role in this. This led to, among other things, feeding the animals. After that winter, the province of Flevoland decided in 2018 that there should be a maximum number of animals in the Oostvaardersplassen.
Are there no solutions other than shooting?
The province of Flevoland has investigated various alternatives to reduce the number of red deer. One was moving the animals to another area. This was not chosen because transporting the deer would lead to too much stress for the animals. They may even die as a result.
Researchers were also commissioned by the province to look at the administration of birth control for the large grazers. In theory it could be, but in practice it was seen as impractical. Furthermore, the substance to be used is prohibited in the Netherlands.
What happens to the animals when they are shot?
Deer meat is made available to the consumer as far as possible. A game meat wholesaler markets red deer meat. It goes to restaurants and heck, but people can also buy it at home. A small portion of the deer shoot remains in the area. They serve as food for, among other things, foxes and ravens.
Why can’t the animals be shot all year round?
Oostvaardersplassen is a nature reserve and there are all kinds of laws and regulations attached to it. For example, wildlife managers are not allowed to shoot birds during the spring breeding season. Shooting was also temporarily halted during the estrous period in September and October. Outside that period, shooting is permitted from 1 August to 15 March. Staatsbosbeheer has asked whether the period can be extended to May 1, but is still waiting for permission.
Ook te veel heckrunderen en konikpaarden
- In de Oostvaardersplassen lopen ook ongeveer vierhonderd heckrunderen. Daarvan moeten er honderd worden afgeschoten.
- Ook van de konikpaarden zijn er te veel. Staatsbosbeheer herplaatst de meeste paarden in andere natuurreservaten in Europa. Enkele tientallen dieren gaan naar het slachthuis.

In previous years, animals also had to be shot. Why is the population still too large?
Shooting the deer is largely dependent on the weather. When it is quite cold, the animals are much less alert than in warmer weather. This allows you to get much closer to the deer and shoot them more easily.
Last winter was relatively warm. Due to the absence of a really cold period, the animals were in very good condition because there was enough feed. Game managers killed only 157 red deer that season. It was much less than expected. Staatsbosbeheer expects that it will not reach the target again if we have another mild winter.
Can the wolf be a solution to reduce the population of red deer in Oostvaardersplassen?
That could be a possibility, according to Staatsbosbeheer. But the wolf is not yet in Oostvaardersplassen. The animal can enter the nature reserve and is also welcome there. But then the question is what the effect of the wolf will be on the population of red deer, Heck cattle and Konik horses. According to Staatsbosbeheer, it is still coffee grounds.
