Wildlife charity urges cull of starving deer to stop suffering

The Scottish Wildlife Trust (SWT) said culling animals that were starving during the long, harsh winter would prevent suffering and help stop further damage to the environment.

The trust wants an extension to the stalking season of female deer, which ended on 15 February, to tackle the situation. Deer numbers in Scotland are now up to about 350,000, around twice the population of half a century ago.

Simon Milne, SWT chief executive, said: "We are a wildlife protection charity calling for more deer to be culled. I understand that this might surprise some people, but our reasoning is sound.

"Red deer numbers have been steadily increasing in recent decades to the point where, in some areas, they are causing damage to the natural environment. The most obvious impact is on young trees that have little chance of growing into the forests of the future when large numbers of deer are browsing for food."

He said as the severe weather continues, some wildlife species are struggling to cope: "Red deer are facing a double whammy. They were already stressed because too many animals were competing for limited food resources and now they are being subjected to a long and cold winter.

"Our deer are ill-equipped to deal with prolonged winters … Red deer are really a woodland species and the now-treeless environment of many parts of Scotland simply does not satisfy their basic need for shelter, particularly in bad weather. Too many deer and not enough food is resulting in starvation."

Scotland has two native deer species, red deer and roe deer. Populations of the animal have reached an unsustainably high level due to the absence of any natural predators.

Mr Milne added: "Extending the culling season means that stalkers can continue to shoot any deer that are suffering or too weak to survive until the spring.

"There is no quick fix to this problem, in fact it will take decades to achieve a balanced deer population. Deer numbers must be reduced in many areas to a sustainable level which is a difficult, time-consuming and expensive business."

He added that the SWT hopes the problems will be addressed in the forthcoming Wildlife and Natural Environment Bill.

The Deer Commission Scotland is responsible for the conservation and management of the country's wild deer. A spokeswoman for the organisation said: "SWT is right to highlight the suffering which many deer are experiencing this winter; this is something we are very concerned about as well.

"Because of the harsh conditions this winter, some deer are in considerable distress, weak and starving, but some deer in areas where conditions haven't been as severe or where woodland is available for them are still healthy. Extending the open season would affect both healthy and unhealthy deer. The issue now is how to deal with those individual animals which are suffering."

The law currently allows for deer that are suffering from disease to be killed at any time of year.

A TOURIST ATTRACTION – AND A PEST

DEER in Scotland are not owned by anyone, but are managed by various organisations and individuals to meet a variety of different aims.

For many landowners they are a hunting asset, with parties paying to shoot the animals during the season. Deer are also regarded as a tourist attraction.

However, they can also be seen as a pest by farmers and crofters as they can graze or trample crops. In these circumstances, the farmer or crofter may shoot the deer to reduce the risk of damage.

The Deer Commission for Scotland is responsible for the conservation and management of wild deer in Scotland.