Excessive culling threatens Scotland’s deer hunting industry

Shooting experts have warned that Scotland’s reputation as one of the world’s most popular hunting destinations is in danger of being irreparably damaged because of excessive deer culling. 

Over 70,000 red deer are slaughtered every year in line with the Deer Commission for Scotland’s (DCS) environmental policy, yet the shortage of stags that the culling has created has resulted in some hunters turning their backs on the country. 

The Scottish Gamekeepers Association (SGA) has revealed how it has been swamped by complaints from hunting enthusiasts who have spent large amounts of money on shooting trips but have failed to bag even a single animal. 

They say that many Highland estates are now threatening to withdraw from deer stalking because they are unable to offer their clients a guaranteed kill.  There have also been reports of hunting parties receiving refunds because there are so few deer to be found. 

The SGA are now insisting that if the culling isn’t reduced, hunting in Scotland will be ruined beyond repair.  It is not only the country’s reputation that is at stake, however, as wealthy hunters from abroad splash huge amounts of cash whilst visiting the Highlands. 

Up to £800 a day is often spent by a deer hunter on accommodation, food, travel and the shooting itself, while a party of four along, with their wives, often spend as much as £15,000 over the course of a week. 

The industry also supports more than 3,000 full-time jobs and the SGA has warned that livelihoods are under threat if the culling continues. 

The cull was introduced to stop the escalating red deer population damaging the vegetation and young trees that other wildlife depends on for survival, and the Deer Commission for Scotland insist it is still necessary. 

A DCS board member, Dr Colin Shedden, told reporters, “Large culls may make stalking slightly more challenging in some parts of Scotland but deer have been identified as a component of the damage being caused to the natural heritage.” 

The SGA chairman argued that the cull was being carried out in the wrong way, saying, “Far too many deer are being killed too quickly. 

“We were told reducing deer numbers would improve the quality of stags, but too many young deer are being killed, so there are fewer mature stags for shooting clients. 

“The result is we have a shortage for sport tourism.” 

The hunters that Scotland relies on so heavily for much-needed income have become disenchanted with the current situation and the threat of permanent damage is very real. 

One shooting enthusiast told the BBC, “It was very noticeable this year, people were very disillusioned. 

“People were coming off the hill without seeing a deer.  The sporting economy in Scotland will suffer terribly over this sort of thing.” 

There is no doubt that there is a need to safeguard the environment and natural habitat of Scotland, yet the vitally important and much-threatened deer hunting industry must also be protected. 

As Lars Kraft, a Norwegian hunter who has stalked deer in the Highlands for more than 15 years, says, “To massacre the red deer population in order to plant trees cannot be the answer. 

“There must be room for both trees and animals in Scotland.”