'Safety implications are scary': Fears over switch from lead to copper bullets for Scottish deer culling

The Health and Safety Executive gave its ruling that lead ammunition should be phased out in a three year transition period

More than half of deer managers interviewed for a survey have said they are concerned about using copper ammunition as a replacement to lead bullets.

The study, carried out by the Scottish Gamekeepers Association (SGA), heard from about 200 deer managers. The survey focused on stalkers who manage deer at night.

Almost 60 per cent of the respondents said they were concerned about copper ammunition when it comes to public safety and animal welfare.

Some deer managers have claimed shots fired at deer using copper bullets are more prone to ricochets than lead | SGA

In December last year, the Health and Safety Executive gave its ruling that lead ammunition should be phased out in a three-year transition period. There are concerns that lead bullets could lead to contamination in wildlife and the food chain for both humans and animals.

Forestry and Land Scotland wildlife rangers and contracted deer controllers are obliged to use non-lead ammunition if carrying out deer control in state-owned woodlands. The vast majority of wildlife managers have now switched to copper due to availability and venison standards groups increasingly demanding lead-free carcasses to protect consumer health.

However, the anonymous survey showed public safety was the most cited concern when using the alternative, with fears the increased propensity for shot ricochets with copper, compared to when firing lead, could lead to a human fatality.

This is a particular concern with the increase in people spending time in the countryside since lockdown, the SGA said.

Deer managers responding to the survey said they were anxious that members of the public walking or cycling in woods close to residential areas at night were in danger. One deer manager recounted occasions when copper bullets he had projected had rebounded past his own head, unexpectedly.

Another reported in the study that a bullet exiting a target animal at a 90-degree angle wounded another non-target deer, about half a football pitch away. The anonymous survey, advertised on popular deer stalking platforms, ran for 17 days and was open to SGA members and non-members.

Other answers in the survey revealed 73 per cent of respondents said they were using copper ammunition in woods through obligation rather than choice, to service the requirements of government agency contracts. Sixty two per cent said they believed that lead was better for animal welfare than copper while 68 per cent said lead performed better when it came to safety.

When shooting in woodland at night, 67 per cent said there remained an argument to retain lead ammunition in these specific circumstances.

“Clear heads are needed around this issue,” said SGA chairman Alex Hogg. “Environmental care is, of course, important, as is human health. But ignoring the very real concerns from practitioners at the sharp end, who are using this ammunition regularly, could have fatal consequences.

“The last thing anyone wants to see is the loss of someone, through accident. There are deer managers working at night, sometimes around built-up areas. Since lockdown, more people are walking or cycling through the woods at night time, for exercise and well-being.

“These are real issues for wildlife rangers and self-employed contractors who care about the animals and the public and the vast majority have been very clear in this survey that they want to retain the choice of lead, in these circumstances.”

Whilst some respondents said they had adjusted to using copper, a number of this group still acknowledged that copper was less predictable and more prone to rebound when compared to lead.

One respondent wrote: "Safety implications are scary. Deflections after passing through a deer, or catching bone in the deer, are carrying lethal amounts of energy. I feel it's only a matter of time before an accident or worse happens.”

The principal issue cited was that copper bullets did not expand on impact in the same way as lead, leading to deer often running on or requiring follow-up shots to finally fell them.

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “The use of lead in ammunition continues to pose risks to both human health and the environment. We set minimum requirements for ammunition used to shoot deer in Scotland and both lead and non-lead ammunition is legal to use, though we encourage land managers to use non-lead alternatives wherever possible.

“NatureScot commissioned independent research to review alternatives to lead ammunition, including copper bullets. The report concluded that amending the minimum bullet weight to make non-lead ammunition more accessible would have no welfare implications for deer. Independent research on ricochet potential was also considered. Changes to the permitted ammunition weight for deer management were subsequently introduced by the Scottish Parliament in 2023.

“It is in all cases the responsibility of the person using firearms to cull deer to ensure they are complying with the law, operating in a safe way and taking full account of deer welfare and any associated risks. Undertaking the necessary risk assessment is a prerequisite for all deer control. If there is any doubt about safety or any other welfare concern, then no shot should be taken.

“The Natural Environment Bill, which was published today, includes changes to enable the introduction of a minimum standard of competence for those shooting deer in Scotland. This is to ensure the highest standards of both public safety and animal welfare.”