Deer management methods
Deer management in Scotland is undertaken using the two principal methods of culling and fencing.
Deer management in Scotland is undertaken using the two principal methods of culling and fencing.
Stalking is the act of silently tracking prey – in this case, deer – without the animal being aware of your presence, to kill it humanely.
Stalking became a profession in Scotland in the 19th century. Landowners would employ local people to manage deer populations for the benefit of sporting interests. Deer populations were lower than they are now and stocks were allowed to increase to support lucrative sporting activities. Wealthy people would travel great distances to hunt deer for leisure.
Today, stalkers are employed for much the same purpose, though a crucial part of the role now is to identify unhealthy stock. Deer suffering from disease, malnourishment and injury are stalked before being humanely shot. The aim is to help maintain a healthy population and ensure that numbers meet sporting needs, in a way that is in balance with the natural environment.
Stalkers often work alone when culling deer as part of deer management.
When stalkers work in groups to cull deer more efficiently and effectively, this is known as ‘team culling’.
Team culling is beneficial when deer densities are high and/or deer move regularly over a large area. With team culling, stalkers employed on different landholdings can join together to share resources and the task of culling.
View guidance on team culling on our Best Practice Guides website.
Deer fencing has been – and continues to be – used in Scotland as a tool to manage deer densities and movement.
Fencing can:
But building a deer fence can also have unintended impacts on public safety and other interests such as deer welfare, biodiversity, landscape, cultural heritage and access.
When thinking of using fencing, you must:
View guidance on fencing on our Best Practice Guides website.
Land managers can also use the guidance below to help decide upon the best deer management option for a landholding.
Read the Joint Agency Statement and Guidance on Deer Fencing
Read the Detailed Joint Agency Fencing Guidance