Scottish Government launches managing deer for nature consultation

by Hamish Hope, Surveyor

On 5^th January 2024, the Scottish Government launched a consultation on major proposals to change the law around deer management in Scotland.

The proposals outlined in the consultation, Managing Deer for Climate and Nature, are designed to ensure that legislation aligns with challenges posed by the biodiversity and climate crises. 

Surveyor Hamish Hope, from Bell Ingram’s Beauly office, says: “It is widely understood that deer management is a required and effective tool to manage forestry and land. With increasing concerns regarding climate change and the biodiversity crisis, we welcome the opportunity to respond to the consultation and will be encouraging our estate clients to upload their feedback to ensure that any decisions are made with a sound understanding of the issues and implications.”

With no natural predators, people have long been the managers of deer to protect forestry and biodiversity loss while providing much needed employment in rural communities. 

The consultation is seeking views set out within six themes: enhancing the natural environment, compliance, wild deer welfare, changes to close seasons, venison and kept and farmed deer. The purpose of the consultation is to update legislation regarding how deer is managed to ensure the law is fit for purpose to tackle the biodiversity and climate crises.

The new proposals include:

Granting NatureScot additional powers through the creation of Deer Management Nature Restoration Orders. This would allow NatureScot to enter land to carry out deer management activities where it sees fit.

Welfare of wild and kept deer. This includes the recommendations that the use of a shotgun to kill wild deer should be subject to authorisation by NatureScot; the taking of live deer should be authorised by NatureScot; and a code of practice should be produced for the taking or live capture of deer.

Changes to close seasons, recommending the removal of the close season for male deer and to introduce a new order to alter the close season for females to 15^th April to 15^th.

There are further proposals and recommendations in the consultation for consideration including venison licensing and kept and farmed deer. The full consultation can be read and responded to here and is open for response until 29^th March 2024.