FLS welcomes NS trial of deer management incentive

Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS) has welcomed the NatureScot trial of two incentive schemes to support deer management in specific areas of the central belt and Highlands.

FLS says some land managers need to do more to help control deer numbers to reduce damage to forests and the vital contribution they make to Scotland’s response to the Climate and Biodiversity emergency.

The call comes after recent FLS trials of drone-mounted thermal imaging cameras to monitor deer numbers. Surveys carried out to test the usefulness of the technique have gathered evidence showing that despite culling, deer are continually migrating into FLS managed forests from neighbouring land where more could be done to control population levels.

The drone surveys (carried out by BH Wildlife Consultancy between October 2023 and May 2024), combined with cull data, have the potential to significantly improve understanding of deer population dynamics, particularly immigration, on FLS sites.

There are external factors such as seasonality and weather that need to be considered when comparing between surveys but all the data points towards high immigration levels. In one particular forest 87 deer were culled from a population of 198 animals but a repeat survey three months later found the population had only dropped to 192 animals.

Graeme Prest, FLS’ Director of Land Management and Regions, said;

“Woodland creation, native habitat restoration and timber production are vitally important elements in meeting Scotland’s Biodiversity Strategy and Net Zero commitments.

“There are many partners helping to meet these challenges and achieve these ends and all of our forestry activity contributes substantially towards these goals.

“However, recovery of biodiversity at the landscape scale through sustainable forest management can be hampered by inaction in some places when it comes to deer population levels.

“All land managers need to take a similar, strong approach to deer management do more to control deer numbers and the trail of these incentive schemes is to be welcomed.”

FLS manages 9% of Scotland’s land area yet every year carries out one third of Scotland’s national deer cull.

FLS managed woodlands are attractive habitats for deer that move with the seasons, move to avoid cull activity or to seek food and shelter in periods of bad weather.

Ben Harrower, BH Wildlife Consultancy added;

“It has been known for a long time that immigration takes place from open hill environments into woodland due to the food resource availability and the shelter it provides but this project has shown the scale at which it is happening on Scotland's national forests and land.

“Essentially within a calendar year, the detected deer population can replace itself despite high culling efforts. On the back of this project, we are starting a similar project in Germany where we are going to look at the differences of deer and boar populations over a five year period.”

The work provides a framework for analysing how deer move within the wider landscape and FLS sites, highlights the complexities involved, and offers recommendations for future studies and data interpretation.

Graeme Prest, added:

"Not controlling deer numbers to maintain population levels that are in balance with habitats is short sighted and undermines the efforts of those land managers who are working extremely hard to contribute to Scotland’s response to the Climate and Biodiversity emergency.”

Notes to Editor

Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS) manages forests and land owned by Scottish Ministers in a way that supports and enables economically sustainable forestry; conserves and enhances the environment; delivers benefits for people and nature; and supports Scottish Ministers in their stewardship of Scotland's national forests and land.
BH Wildlife Consultancy has been operating since 2016 and provides a nationwide service by being at the forefront of the latest methods and technologies to aid understanding of wildlife within our environment.
BHWC specialises in thermal imagery drone surveys to aid woodland/estate managers and conservationists to establish a baseline of wildlife present.
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Media enquiries to Paul Munro, Media Manager, Forestry and Land Scotland Media Office 07785 527590 or paul.munro@forestryandland.gov.scot