Freedom of Information Request - Deer Management
Date: 24 June 2025
Our ref: SIR180359/A5204097
Information Request – Deer Management
Your Request
1) Please provide a table of data equatable to Figure 31 Forestry and Land Scotland deer management costs (2014/15-2018/19) in The Management of Wild Deer in Scotland - Report of the Deer Working Group, with equivalent figures from NatureScot spanning from 2019/20 to 2024/25.
For each of the years spanning from 2019/20 to 2024/25, please also provide:
2) The length in metres of deer fencing installed on NatureScot land, broken down by species and by geographical area.
3) Deer densities as calculated by NatureScot, broken down by species and by geographical area.
4) The number of deer culled on NatureScot land, broken down by species and by geographical area.
5) Any data gathered from assessments of damage caused by deer to trees and habitats. This may include the estimated costs of such damage, a list of areas impacted by trampling/overgrazing, or numbers of trees damaged.
6) Data which details the results of statutory annual cull returns. Please ensure the data is broken down by species and by geographical area.
Our Response
We have discussed your request with our Wildlife and Operations Teams, and we have provided several spreadsheets with most of the information that you have requested.
For Question 6 of your request relating to annual cull returns this information is publicly available - Deer Census Results.
However, as indicted while we always try to provide all the information requested, in this case we have not been able to provide everything:
Question 2 – We do not have any information relating to the length of deer fences installed on NatureScot land. This means as we do not hold this information, exemption 10(4)(a)(Information not held) applies to this part of your request.
Question 3 – The information supplied only refers to red deer and reflects the number of red deer identified within the hectarage counted. This area may not match exactly the total hectarage of the Deer Management Group (DMG), as a DMG may encompass woodland properties not included within the counts.
Question 5 – The only information that we hold relating to damage by deer is on protected areas, and we do not hold information on the cost of the damage or the actual numbers of trees that may have been damaged.
How We Handled Your Request
We believe you have asked for environmental information as defined in the Environmental Information (Scotland Regulations 2004 (‘the EIRs’), so we are dealing with your request under those regulations. To be able to use the EIRs, we must apply an exemption under section 39(2) of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (‘FOISA’). The Scottish Information Commissioner’s guidance recommends that public authorities apply this exemption to environmental information and handle request under the EIRs.
If you would like to find out more about the access to information legislation, there is a guidance booklet available on the Scottish Information Commissioner’s website.
Review and Appeal
I hope this information meets your requirements, but if you are dissatisfied with how we have responded to your information request, please write to us within 40 working days explaining your concerns. You can contact us at Battleby, Redgorton, Perth, PH1 3EW or email us at [email protected]. We will carry out a review of our response and contact you with our findings within 20 working days.
If you are not satisfied following this, you can make an appeal to the Scottish Information Commissioner within 6 months. The Scottish Information Commissioner can be contacted at:
Scottish Information Commissioner
Kinburn Castle
Doubledykes Road
St Andrews
Fife
KY16 9DS
Telephone: 01334 464610
Yours sincerely
FOI Officer,
NatureScot
Document downloads
Due to accessibility issues the attached information, referenced above, is available on request by contacting the FOI team at [email protected]. Please reference the case number (starting with SIR).
