Associate feature: Decision makers urged not to forget people and jobs when delivering deer management changes

ADMG’s member Deer Management Groups (DMGs) cover three million hectares of the Highlands. Through voluntary collaborative working they deliver deer management at little cost to government. Change is happening however, and deer management is now considered in the light of the climate and biodiversity crises and the public interest. The Natural Environment Bill will undoubtedly increase pressure on deer managers to deliver more through new legislation and increased regulation.

In the Highlands reliance is placed on some 50 voluntary DMGs to undertake collaborative deer management, helping to deliver ambitious targets for biodiversity and climate change. Collaboration across landscapes should be nurtured. Care should be taken to ensure that those people tasked with delivering targets are recognised for the work they undertake. 

A recent report from the James Hutton Institute commissioned by Scottish Government, Enabling landscape scale management in Scotland, highlighted the need to incentivise and support DMGs as relevant examples of collaborative working in the Highlands. The importance of collaboration and the need for deer managers to work together is understood in the sector, but many of the men and women tasked with delivering these important targets feel overlooked. 

Deer management is a tough, unrelenting job requiring long hours in often difficult weather and conditions day after day. It’s not a job for everyone, but those doing it are rightly proud of their work and its heritage. These are highly skilled, motivated people dedicated to the task because of the affinity they have with the landscape and the deep understanding they have with deer.

Whilst I am sure that they will continue to deliver, we must not overlook the fears that exist in the sector. As deer numbers are reduced through regulation and increased pressure, many practitioners feel there is a real threat to their jobs in the short to medium term. Income derived through deer management will potentially reduce too but employment and business security for deer management is absolutely vital through this period. Across Scotland 80% of the deer harvest is undertaken by the private sector with very little public financial support. With peatland restoration, and woodland creation and protection all relying on deer management, consideration must be given to incentives and support for the people and jobs critical to delivering this change. 

A ‘just transition’ is something we hear a lot about and it is important to reassure and support our deer managers as they are pushed to reduce deer numbers to ever lower levels. As habitat improves and tree planting targets are reached one thing is certain, in the long term we will need a motivated and inspired deer management sector. Scottish Government support for the next generation of deer managers and remote rural communities is needed now to ensure that we have that resource and capacity in place to deliver deer management in the future.

Venison, the outstanding product of deer management should also be supported.  It should be on the menu in schools and hospitals. As an organic, sustainable and healthy protein it should not be a hard sell, and we have to promote it to a wider audience. Scottish Government has a role to play here too.

With the introduction of the Natural Environment Bill, strong feelings and concerns are coming to the fore in the sector, change should be encouraged and nurtured and those tasked with undertaking deer reductions must be valued. We need to support deer managers and stalkers in their jobs, and incentivise deer management and the venison sector and this will deliver results - for climate change, biodiversity recovery, rural communities and the rural economy.

This article is sponsored by Association of Deer Management Groups.

www.deer-management.co.uk