Deer contracts success for Forestry and Land Scotland

Forestry and Land Scotland have now awarded its five-year, £25-31 million deer management tender for ten major regional contracts.

The contracts will bring direct investment in communities across Scotland through the award of subcontracts, business up-scaling, the provision of training and apprenticeship opportunities.

Being in effect from the end July 2022 will also give contactors time to establish themselves in areas across the summer months in readiness for culling (under NatureScot licence) from September onwards.

Deer management is essential to protect the 150 million young trees that - at any one time on FLS land - are vulnerable to browsing damage from deer. FLS estimate the cost of the damage done is in the region of £3m annually.

The culling (under NatureScot licence) will get underway from September onwards.

Ian Fergusson, FLS’ Head of Wildlife Management, said: “Scotland’s forests and timber industry are fundamental to Climate Emergency mitigation and the prevention of biodiversity loss.

“Our productive forests are additionally becoming increasingly important as a natural resource, particularly as global markets face unprecedented levels of flux and the UK is importing 80% of its annual timber requirement.

“It is vital, therefor that we continue to limit the negative environmental impacts of deer damage on our forests and fragile habitats by helping to reduce deer numbers nationally to a sustainable population level.

“Awarding these contracts will have a significant positive economic impact in rural communities by supporting up to 100 jobs in the deer management sector and, through the supply of around 37,000 carcasses annually, will continue to support jobs in Scotland’s venison processing sector.

“The contracts also underline our commitment to improving and enhancing the sustainable management of Scotland’s National Forests and Land and – in line with our Climate Change Plan – helping Scotland respond to the biodiversity crisis as we reach Net Zero.”

With deer populations having doubled in 30 years and the estimated number of deer being over 1 million across the country, FLS is looking to deliver a professional cull - on the land it manages - of more than 200,000+ deer over the next 5 years. This will be achieved through its dedicated in-house wildlife management staff, its new contracts and by working collaboratively with other land managers.

Deer population concentrations in some areas are so high that they are detrimental to woodland creation, to nature conservation, to the environments and habitats that they and many other species depend on and to the long-term health of the herd.

Maintaining deer numbers at a sustainable level, where they are in balance with the environment, requires the constant gathering of data and evidence to focus the year-round deer management effort of highly trained professional FLS rangers and the hundreds of professional contractors who work with them.

In doing so, and as per existing and previous practices, FLS will maximise the use of all authorisations available to then, subject to approval from NatureScot. This will include the culling of adult female deer in September while fully complying with best practice.