Wild ungulate populations such as roe and red deer have in recent decades increased in numerous regions of the Northern Hemisphere, including France. An increasing number of studies report severe impacts on forest dynamics and biodiversity, where high browsing pressures have led to biotic impoverishment and homogenization of understory plant communities. With rising ungulate population densities, forest managers face increasing difficulties in regenerating the forest. Consequently, local conflicts are common among foresters, farmers, hunters and nature conservationists that prioritize different management objectives. In France, adaptive wildlife management is seen as a way of improving the management of wild ungulate populations and their socio-economic impacts. Here, I present a French case study of adaptive forest-deer management, and discuss their successes and failures in trying to reconcile forest production and hunting. Further, I present some tools that were developed in collaboration with foresters and hunters. Finally, I conclude by giving some perspectives related to the implementation of the new legislative framework on forest management in France.