Gamekeepers protest against red deer cull

GAMEKEEPERS from across Scotland last night staged a major demonstration on a Highland estate in protest at a controversial deer cull.

More than 100 keepers from about 60 estates converged on the Glenfeshie Estate, in Strathspey, and called for a cull of red deer to be stopped.

They claim the cull is excessive and being done out of season. It is also claimed that a severe reduction in deer numbers is affecting their livelihoods.

The Deer Commission for Scotland had carried out an emergency cull of about 80 animals on the estate last month to protect the regeneration of native Caledonian pine trees.

Since then, the commission has helped the estate owners to cull about another 460 animals to reduce a population that was greater than expected. However, the gamekeepers involved in the protest claim that the cull has so far involved nearly 1,000 animals.

The protest was kept secret until the last moment. It began with gamekeepers arriving from as far away as Aberdeenshire and the north-west coast in a car park outside Aviemore.

They then drove in a convoy of about 40 vehicles along 11 miles of narrow road to the estate to coincide with the arrival of a helicopter taking 20 deer carcases off a hill.

The protesters gathered around workers as they cut the animals up ready for processing. They waved placards with the messages: "Regenerate jobs not just trees", "Stop wasting taxpayers’ money" and "Fences not bullets", referring to calls for more fences to be erected to keep deer away from the growing trees.

Tony Taylor, the brother of one of the Glenfeshie stalkers, told the demonstration: "We are here today to demonstrate to the government, to our representatives in the Scottish Gamekeepers’ Association [SGA] and to the public at large, our heartfelt feelings of revulsion and frustration. Feelings entirely generated by the nine-week massacre at Glenfeshie.

"The ongoing carnage we are witnessing goes against our way of life, our morals, our beliefs and our professionalism, and, above all, against our respect for the deer. It is totally unacceptable and must be stopped now.

"Does the Deer Commission not realise that my brother, his colleagues and their families are as traumatised by this bloodshed as the deer have been? Their homes and futures are uncertain, their lives are in tatters and they are unable to sleep in their beds at night because of the slaughters forced upon them by government agencies."

He said this "epidemic creeping through our glens" resembled the horrors faced by farmers during the foot-and-mouth crisis.

Dave Thomson, the vice-chairman of the SGA, who attended the protest, told the protesters: "We are meeting with politicians on a regular basis to address the concerns you are expressing today.

But we urge you to keep calm and trust us to sort this out on your behalf for the benefit of all who live and work in rural communities where livelihoods and homes depend on the red deer population.

"We know how distraught you all are and we assure you we are working hard with the Scottish Parliament on your behalf in order to put a stop to incidents such as this one."

David Balharry, the Deer Commission’s technical director, said he was surprised by the protest. He said the estate is attempting to reduce the deer population to 1,200 but currently has 600 too many.

"This cull is being carried out by the estate and they asked us to assist them. The estate is just doing its business."

He said 78 deer were culled under emergency powers in February and an estimated further 540 have been killed since.

"Perception and prejudice are rife. It’s the normal work of the commission to try to assist if we are asked. The commission is clearly acting within the law," Mr Balharry said. "If this type of demonstration is held when a sporting estate decides it wants to catch up on its management cull I’d be really surprised."

No-one from the estate was available for comment.