A decision to refuse out-of-season deer culling on a Highland estate has been welcomed by a Perth-based organisation.
The Scottish Gamekeepers’ Association had hit out at plans by the John Muir Trust to double the number of deer culled in a bid to protect native woodland on the Quinag Estate in Sutherland.
It argued an overall reduction in deer numbers would put rural jobs in danger, as local residents heavily rely on income from stalking and wildlife tourism.
Praising the decision by Scottish Natural Heritage to turn down the application, SGA committee member George MacDonald revealed there were “genuine socio-economic concerns” over the proposals.
“In our view, the licence was applied for unnecessarily, as the John Muir Trust were very close to their agreed cull target anyway, without having to shoot females out of season,” he said.
“Their proposed target of 45 stags was way out of line with neighbouring landowners, who were talking about culls of nine or 10 stags to preserve the health of the herd across the age spectrum.”
The trust, which has its headquarters in Pitlochry, bought the Quinag for £600,000 in 2005 and culls 45 stags each year as part of efforts to promote woodland regeneration.
Over the last 50 years, however, deer numbers have soared to “unsustainable” levels, forcing the organisation to seek a licence to shoot female deer out of season.