AN ALTERNATIVE vision for Scotland’s deer population has been proposed by the Scottish Gamekeepers Association’s Deer Group – which has recommended treating deer as a 'national asset', capable of delivering new jobs, low carbon food, better welfare standards and robust environments.

Drawing on the 'centuries of practical knowledge' within its membership, the SGA strategy document outlines ambitions for greater domestic consumption of venison, alongside practical tips for greenspace and forest development which deter deer, as well as road and verge design to reduce accidents with deer on roads.

The deer group also warned decision-makers that Scotland's new environmental goals will not be achieved if the people who manage the species on the ground are not consulted and bought into the process.

“There is a lot of talk about deer in Scotland, usually whether numbers are too high or too low, and there can be a lack of nuance in such a narrow national narrative," said SGA chairman Alex Hogg.

“Deer are often present because of government policies, not in spite of them. There is much we can do and hopefully this vision adds a practical perspective, moving into an era of increasing environmental awareness.

“The men and women who have put it together are the people getting their hands dirty, managing deer over seven million hectares, from hilltops to the coasts and close to our big city centres.

“If Scotland is to meet its habitat goals, these skilled individuals require to be consulted. They are part of the journey towards positive outcomes,” he said.

The vision, which has been sent to MSPs, outlines ways to utilise the ‘untapped resource’ of recreational deer managers in supervised culls, lessening costs to the tax-payer. It also encourages investment in community deer larders to grow new local venison markets, create butchery opportunities and to incentivise management to protect habitats.

However, the vision also warns that increased targets for tree planting and habitat restoration will make short-term fencing more of a necessity, not less, and seeks a proper evaluation of fencing, including new technologies, claiming that rejecting fencing as a tool will mean deer having to be culled in darkness and all year round, with serious consequences for animal welfare and venison quality.

SGA vice chairman, Peter Fraser, said: “Habitat restoration and tree establishment can take much longer without fencing, which is essentially a short term mitigation measure. The rejection of fencing will cut costs but how far can you compromise the welfare of the species if you are becoming overly reliant on licences from SNH to cull deer all year round and in darkness; something which would otherwise be illegal for welfare reasons?”

West Highlands Stalker Lea MacNally added: “These licences can be necessary, of course. But they must be granted, by law, on condition of ‘last resort’, when all other mitigation measures have been tried and have failed. So, if fencing is to go, it opens the licensing authority up to potential legal challenge. Has fencing been tried? This is something that will have to be considered carefully.”