6.1 This section presents the main themes identified in letters which were submitted in response to the consultation. Many respondents chose to submit letters rather than fill in the consultation questionnaire. This section of the report identifies themes that were not covered by the previous sections. Where appropriate, themes that corresponded to the various sections of the questionnaire form were incorporated into the analysis of the previous sections.
Themes | Examples of corresponding statements |
|---|
Acknowledgement of Previous Work | "Moreover it gives no credit to the very substantial work that has already been done." |
Adoption of voluntary principals | "We feel that in many cases correct and sustainable deer management can be achieved under the existing voluntary principal and thus private landowners may retain some degree of control over the way in which their land is managed." |
Community involvement | "We feel that involving the community in deer management issues in some cases is the correct way forward especially where deer management issues relate to UK and European designated areas." |
Complexity of the draft strategy | "The draft consultation is full of jargon." "some parts of the draft consultation doc and the subsequent consultation is difficult to understand." |
Culling | "Culling should be done selectively and not necessarily by numbers." |
Data on deer numbers | "The distribution map of red deer is inaccurate as it relates to the Isle of Lewis. Red deer occur throughout Lewis as far north as the Butt of Lewis as DCS' own count of 2000 revealed. I presume you have verified this! but are there really roe deer in Orkney now?" |
Data on Socio-economics | "We recommend that the (economic) model is reviewed by a respected wildlife economist and that any recommendations are taken forward in the new strategy." "The figures used on the scale of economic value of deer management should either be removed from the document or treated clearly with the caution their doubtful reliability justifies." |
DCS' role in the welfare of deer and deer managers | I would like the DCS to fight the corner of our deer and deer managers more often. |
Deer 'ownership' and government intervention | "Most of the deer range in Scotland is not owned by government. We are therefore surprised that the Scottish Government expects to implement their management of this resource through government agencies such as Deer Commission for Scotland, Forestry Commission Scotland and Scottish Natural Heritage..." "I think this is a waste of time and money and constitutes more interference by government and the three quangos…" |
Deer Stalking vs Public Access | "Members have realised that we need to inform members of the public about deer stalking activity reflecting the requirements of the access code." "Continual disturbance by ever increasing numbers of hill walkers during the summer months, has, over the years, changed the behavioural movements of red deer." "The unintended tensions between access takers and deer stalking needs to be de-conflicted especially in the autumn." |
Deer welfare | "….main concern is that any strategy planned for deer is carried out without any persecution of deer because of population densities." |
Develop new markets for venison | "The estate would welcome the development of new markets associated with wild deer and products, particularly venison and the new initiative to brand and market venison as a quality sustainable product." |
Education and public awareness | "Need to overcome 'Bambi' syndrome, [the public] needs to be educated in benefits of venison." |
Environmental enhancement | RSPB Scotland would emphasise the increasing role of the environment, both in its own right ad as a foundation of the rural economy. The vision needs a more holistic and positive approach aimed at enhancing the environment and the role of deer within it. We recommend an alternative wording , which would also be more consistent with the strategy's ecosystem approach….'enhancing the value of nature and natural systems and the role of deer within them'." |
Financial accessibility of deer stalking | "Deer stalking is …one of the cheaper of the hunting and fishing sports." "Stalking is not an elite activity." |
Identify rural development initiatives | "[Priority]should be [given to] identification of wider rural development initiatives involving deer" |
Impact assessment on land uses and vegetation | "The Forestry Policy is critical of failure to acknowledge the extent of the 'deer problem' particularly in relation to existing forest and woodland damage and the potential for future expansion by both planting and natural regeneration." "Establish clear targets for deer population reduction lined to impact on vegetation cover and integrated land-use." |
Links to other Strategies | "The strategy does not sufficiently integrate its message with that of the Scottish Forestry Strategy." 'A lack of integration with SFS and SCCP objectives in terms of woodland expansion.' |
National Parks and deer management | "The NPA would like to see reference in the Strategy to the role that National Parks could play as areas for trialling new approaches to deer management." |
The Deer Act | "We encourage an early review of the Deer Act." "They should consider the current legislation on legal out of season shooting of deer." "Landowner responsibilities implicit in the Act need to be emphasised within the delivery framework outlined in Strategy 5." |
The focus of the strategy | "Please try to keep focused on day to day deer management issues and not to become over distracted by the wider issues of social welfare, climate change etc." |
The Role of Deer Management Groups | "stress the importance of DMGs. ADMG is a very important agency for liaison." "should be reassurance that management will remain with the landowners, stalkers etc and DMGs" "The strategy must acknowledge the level and skill of existing management and the positive role of ADMG elements of existing management practice must be shown to be successful examples of sustainable deer management." "commitment to a review of the effectiveness of deer management groups." "need to establish a network of working deer management groups that have public and private sector buy-in." "the strengthening of deer management structures should be accompanied by greater definition in issues such as habitat condition, damage and management objectives." |
The Role of Deer Management Plans | "As DMPs become established we feel confident that we can meet any challenge as to how we are conducting the management of deer." "We would like to see an agreed standard for deer management plans." |
Tourism promotion | "Scottish Country Sports Tourism Group ( SCSTG) Welcomes reference to widening participation in deer stalking and the importance of tourists…and of not restricting entry to stalking..." "VisitScotland welcomes the strategy for wild deer. We would also welcome measures that provide greater opportunities to broaden visitors' enjoyment of wild deer." "Red deer in particular are one of six iconic species we promote at VisitScotland…They are central to many visitors' image of Scotland and as such a significant asset to Scottish tourism." |
Understanding of herbivore impacts | "Better understanding of the herbivore carrying capacity of habitats and the interaction between different herbivores is required." |