Wild Deer in Scotland - a 2020 Vision
MANAGEMENT OF WILD DEER IN SCOTLAND
Scottish Native Woods is dedicated to the conservation, restoration and expansion of the native woodland resource in Scotland.
This document arises from the 2007 Joint Agency Strategy for Wild Deer in Scotland, a process which Scottish Native Woods have contributed to through their membership of Scottish Environment LINK, the forum for Scotland’s voluntary environmental organisations.
LINK assists communication between member bodies, Government and its agencies, and other sectors within civic society. Acting at local, national and international levels, LINK aims to ensure that the environment is fully recognised in the development of policy and legislation affecting Scotland.
LINK's Deer Vision
“Sustainable populations of native species of deer, playing positive roles in Scottish ecosystems and contributing to the rural economy.”
Scottish Native Woods support this vision and the intention of the Joint Agencies to promote more integrated land management in general, and more integrated deer management in particular. Going beyond this joint position, this document sets out how Scottish Native Woods consider that the necessary support structures should evolve to deliver this vision within a realistic time scale. Taken in the context of the many uncertainties facing land managers in Scotland in 2008, we believe that this timescale should extend to 2020.
A 2020 Deer Vision
In putting forward this vision, Scottish Native Woods recognise:
• The economic, social and ecological importance of deer stalking in both upland & lowland areas and,
• The progress that has been made by the industry in the last ten years, raising the standards of professionalism, welfare and food hygiene, and creating objective mechanisms whereby progress can be monitored and
• The Non-monetary value of deer, in terms of their symbolic, aesthetic and naturalistic values
Looking forward, Scottish Native Woods suggest the following essential components for a modern Scottish deer management strategy:
1 Good communication with government agencies
2 An effective, progressive and adaptable Deer Management Group structure
3 Inclusive and robust Deer Management Plans
4 A considered and realistic approach to woodland regeneration and regeneration of other habitats, recognising that change requires time and that different strategies will apply in different areas
5 The acceptance of appropriate industry standards
6 Adequate resources to support those standards
7 A stable legislative and policy framework within which to operate
8 Clear and unambiguous targets for which to strive.
Communication with Government
Deer Commission Scotland (DCS) performs a valuable job, and it does this with a high degree of technical skill and experience. It is an accessible organisation with a simple and effective management structure, and is highly regarded in the sector. We remain to be convinced that Scottish Government proposals to abolish DCS will not be to the detriment of deer management in Scotland.
Deer Management Group Structure
By 2020, we would like to see a Deer Management Group structure developed to cover ALL of the Scottish deer range, to include ALL deer species, in ALL localities.
New groups are likely to be a variation of the type of groups that already exist, depending on the local issues, species of deer and degree of participation that can realistically be obtained. Such groups are unlikely to achieve universal support within areas of more fragmented ownership, however, they will provide a source of information and technical support for those who require deer management skills and co-ordination, and should be encouraged to develop over time.
Existing groups will evolve to be able to deal effectively with changing circumstances and demands that are placed upon them. Such evolution may extend to a widening of their boundaries or their remit, possibly to incorporate other local management issues such as grouse moor management, riparian management, fire control, large scale woodland creation or other such factors which require co-ordination at such a level.
All constraints to such a programme of wider development should be identified and addressed in a shorter timescale, 2010-2012.
ALL deer Management Groups will have the capacity to deliver effective, local deer management, in terms of necessary training, equipment, larder facilities and administrative capacity.
Deer Management Plans
By 2010, there should be an agreed standard for comprehensive and inclusive Deer Management Plans, and this standard should be implemented across ALL Deer Management Groups by the end of the period, 2020.
The standard should be agreed by all relevant bodies at a national level.
Individual plans should recognize the inputs from all legitimate local interests, both public and private. For all concerned, that local interest should be defined at the outset.
By 2012, the industry should identify all potential constraints to such a programme, and work with deer managers and others to deal with these constraints.
A Realistic Approach to Regeneration of Habitats
Scottish Native Woods would like to see better guidelines regarding regeneration of native woodlands, with or without fences, based on evidence to date. Regeneration without fences is not a philosophy as such, merely the preferred option wherever local circumstances allow for it.
By 2010 there should be:
• An appraisal of the success or otherwise of a representative sample of woodland regeneration schemes over the past 15 years
• Clear guidelines regarding the combination of factors that allow successful regeneration, both those relating to deer and also factors relating to ground conditions, seed sources and other factors
• A clear acknowledgement by all parties that this is not a black or white scenario, and that different choices will be relevant in different areas according to the combination of local circumstances.
• Grant schemes should reflect a more realistic approach to regeneration schemes, recognising that it is often 8-10 years before significant regeneration arises.
Industry Standards
Appropriate industry standards should be defined, and resources made available to achieve those standards.
1 Woodland support should be dependant on a suitable Forest Plan which takes local biodiversity (including deer management provision) in to account. Certification of timber should be pursued where possible, an assessment of local biodiversity also being required. Such schemes must be simplified and / or combined to ensure widespread uptake.
2 All professional stalkers should be trained to DMQ Level 2 by 2020, appropriate resources being made available to allow grant funding if required.
3 The Scottish Quality Wild Venison (SQWV) accreditation should be the industry standard for deer larders by 2020. Resources should be made available to promote this standard, these resources being dependant on the business being part of an approved Deer Management Group with a certified Deer Management Plan.
4 An approved Code of Practice to be adopted and implemented by all Deer Management Groups by 2020. This Code should be agreed among industry stakeholders by 2012.
5 Deer Management Plans should be independently certified on an annual basis to acknowledge that an individual DMG is operating effectively. This certification process would also ensure that a DMG was following their approved Code of Practice.
6 Scottish Native Woods recognise that such plans will evolve over time, as expertise, information and confidence grows. We would therefore anticipate a graded structure where local groups moved in increments towards an agreed standard.
Resources
If higher standards of integration with other land use sectors are to be achieved, then resources must be made available to allow this to happen.
A vision for management of wild deer in Scotland must define clear targets, and grant mechanisms and funding must be capable of delivering those targets within an agreed timescale. A strategy statement must not be aspirational. It must set out a clear framework by which the desired outcomes can be funded and achieved.
Given the increased demands that are likely to be placed on Deer Management Groups in future, consideration should be given to how they are administered. By 2020, funding should be made available for clusters of DMGs to employ local Project Officers to look after all necessary administration on their behalf, including gathering of information, updating of documentation and communications with appropriate agency staff. Such funding will be dependant on DMGs working to an approved Code of Practice and following a certified Deer Management Plan.
Legislative & Policy Framework
Scottish Native Woods recognise that long term planning for land management requires a stable framework within which to function. In 2008, much is uncertain, and uncertainty will impact on necessary investment for the future.
We recommend that the forthcoming structures associated with the SRDP are given time to work, and that no further significant changes to the legislative and policy framework be considered before 2020.
Clear and Unambiguous Targets
Many targets relating to biodiversity and climate change in particular are very ambiguous and this creates uncertainty over what the future might hold.
We are recommending that all “targets” and “indicators” relating to biodiversity, climate change and deer management should be finalised and agreed with the deer sector within an appropriate timescale (2010), and, if necessary, appropriate training programmes devised to ensure that deer managers are competent in understanding and working with these indicators (2012).
Stag on a hill
Like all grazing animals, deer affect the vegetation on which they graze, and appropriate balances require to be struck between numbers and grazing, the welfare of the animals themselves, and the condition of the habitat. Here, a red stag enjoys the winter sunshine while being able to view all around him.
Roe Deer
Roe deer - Copyright Raymond Whitby
Roe deer are the most widespread deer species in Scotland, and are spreading in to new habitats, including in and around our major cities and towns. This roe buck was photographed in the suburbs if Inverness, in the field below the headquarters of Scottish natural Heritage and the Deer Commission for Scotland.
Lowland Red Deer
Lowland Red Deer - Copyright Stephen Whitby
Red deer are gradually moving in to more lowland locations, taking advantage of better habitat on the fringes of their traditional range, and often doing very well in these locations. These animals are pictured just to the south of Aboyne in Aberdeenshire. Lowland ground red deer are typically very shy, often only seen at dawn or dusk, and quickly disappear in to nearby woods if discovered.
Regeneration within the Red Deer Range
Under certain conditions, native woodlands will quite happily regenerate in the presence of grazing animals. Here we see birch regeneration in a native pinewood at Coille Choire Chuilc near Tyndrum. In an upland location such as this, browsing pressure has to be relatively low. Broadleaved species such as birch and rowan will draw browsing pressure away from the more vulnerable and slower growing native Scots Pine seedlings.
Dense Regeneration
This is a very dense mixture of birch, rowan and Scots Pine regeneration in a more lowland situation in a commercial plantation. Under such conditions, deer numbers can be much higher, and when regeneration starts to become established like this, it is extremely difficult for grazing animals to inflict any lasting damage, although they can still affect the final species composition of the resulting mixture, almost always reducing the broadleaved component. Here, the density of regeneration can withstand a high degree of browsing. Indeed, it will certainly benefit from being thinned out. This degree of regeneration is obtained when seed sources, ground preparations and levels of browsing animals are all at an appropriate level.