The devastating of Braemar’s deer
March 2006
by John Duff
All is not well on the Braes. The eminence grise in the mix is Scottish Natural Heritage, that hugely powerful and influential (some would prefix ‘over’ to these adjectives) quango which implements the Scottish Executive’s environmental wishes.
It has decreed that the deer population must be reduced to two or three per hundred hectares to allow the natural regeneration of the native pine forests and alpine plants, and the Deer Commission for Scotland (DCS), acting as its handmaiden, is implementing the policy.
That this could well be achieved by selective deer fencing and traditional culling, with minimal animal suffering, to say nothing of avoiding local protest, is neither here nor there; neither deer nor fencing is politically correct.
It has to be said that, in contrast to the much vilified Glen Feshie slaughter of 2004, which was well documented and recorded on film, the details of this new affront are so far somewhat sketchy. They are sketchy not because there were no witnesses, but because those who know what happened feel that their position is vulnerable to pressure, and are understandably hesitant in speaking out.
Because of this also, there are as yet no witnesses to corroborate the allegation that one of the chairlift operators, in the skiing area on a quad bike on legitimate business, was interrogated as to whether he had a camera, forbidden to take any photographs, ordered to leave immediately and threatened with physical violence when he demurred – although this threat was rapidly retracted when the challenge was accepted with enthusiasm. As it happens, he was not carrying a camera, but if everything was above board, where was the harm in taking photographs?
It is believed that the incident could have been witnessed by hill walkers whose cars were parked in the nearby car park, and steps are being taken to trace them. It is also claimed that farmers in the adjoining Glen Shee area have on a previous occasion or occasions, lodged complaints over deer being driven or chased by a helicopter. This, too, is being investigated.
It should probably be made clear at this stage that to drive deer with a vehicle (and this includes an aircraft of any sort) is a criminal offence. The Deer Commission may in certain circumstances authorize the use of a vehicle to drive deer, but in this case, the use of an aircraft is specifically excluded. The exclusion is on welfare grounds, and the reason for it is that deer, by nature nervous, panic when overflown by an aircraft, and much more when buzzed by a helicopter, which they perhaps associate with a large bird of prey.
Their only defence is in flight, and they can neither outrun nor evade a helicopter, hence their blind panic. It is legitimate to fly carcasses off the hill by this means, but the dividing line between pure logistical support and driving can be a fine one, and some local folk believe it is being systematically and deliberately breached, as it apparently was in Glen Feshie.
On Tuesday, 17 January on Invercauld Estate, close to the Glenshee ski area, the culling operation involved DCS, as well as Invercauld Estate staff (whether DCS was in a managerial or subsidiary role is not known); a helicopter was involved, and a parcel of hinds, panicked by the helicopter, flattened a considerable length of snow fencing, breaking the posts.
Quite apart from certain injury to the deer by violent contact with the fencing (fragments of flesh were subsequently found adhering to the fencing), had any worker or casual hill-walker been in their path, they would have undoubtedly been knocked down, trampled and possibly killed.
Deer are extremely intelligent animals, their intelligence being on a par with that of horses, and if they are tricked and ambushed in a particular set of circumstances today, they will certainly not fall for the same trick tomorrow; they will adopt a different course of action. Their very intelligence sometimes acts against them, as they can become very stressed if repeatedly harassed, in which case they are liable to panic.
Insistence by DCS for huge hind culls to rapidly reduce the deer population has resulted in them being chivvied and harried incessantly ever since the hind culling season started in October, and in recent weeks experienced observers have remarked on bizarre behaviour, even seeing deer fleeing down-wind from a threat, an almost unheard-of occurrence, as they always seek to escape up-wind, to ensure they are not fleeing into further danger.
All the indications are that a long period of stress, without adequate time to rest and recover, has affected their natural reactions to the extent that their behaviour is unpredictable and they panic very easily.
The deer in the Glenshee Chairlift area are perfectly familiar with the layout of the snow fences and can normally negotiate the gaps in the fencing with ease. The fact that they ran straight into the fence on this occasion serves to emphasise the degree of panic they were in. It says very little for the humanity of those responsible that they would have hounded them till they lost their reason in such a manner.
The various animal welfare groups must bear their share of blame for this disgrace in the mountains, because they have been very conspicuous by their absence. Obviously they can not be everywhere, and there was no prior warning of the dates of the culls, but SSPCA was invited to attend a public meeting in Braemar after the Mar Lodge incident, and did not do so. Subsequently, what effort did SSPCA make to investigate? What effort did it make to see that things were tightened up, since it was perfectly obvious something similar would happen again?
We know of none. It all happens away up in the mountains, where nobody much sees what is going on, so it doesn’t really count as cruelty. If any stockman inflicted even a small fraction of that sort of suffering on his stock on the way to slaughter, not only would the meat be immediately condemned for human consumption, but the perpetrator would find himself answering for his actions to the Sheriff next morning.
Then we have DCS, which replaced the old Red Deer Commission. With the change-over, management based on practical knowledge appears to have changed to management by academics. We now have a body whose members have a vast store of knowledge about the bacteria inhabiting a stag’s gut. The value of that stag to a rural community is somewhat different.
DCS is the body charged, among other things, with looking after the welfare of Scotland’s deer stocks. Its actions appear to belie this.DCS sees no need for close seasons for deer; it believes that, “Seasons were originally introduced in Scotland to protect deer as a sporting resource…” Can it really believe that? It wants close seasons dropped in a few year’s time, to be replaced by something else, unspecified.
We should be quite clear about this; if there are no close seasons, then deer are liable to be shot at any time of year. Leaving aside the question of stags, struggling to survive the winter, and entering the spring as mere skin and bone, there is the matter of hinds and their calves in spring. Hinds hide their calves when they are young, and return to them periodically to feed them. If the hind should be shot while away from its calf, then the calf will not be seen, and will inevitably die of starvation.
According to DCS, they will, “Explore how responsibility of care could be applied to deer management” Really?
Just to gild the lily a bit more, they will make, “recommendations to Scottish Ministers which aim to further improve safeguards for deer welfare”. Never mind the talk; watch the actions – they give a much more accurate picture.
DCS of course is merely a quango which, in effect supervised by SNH, carries out the policy of the Scottish Executive, and it is the executive which is responsible for the calamity which is overtaking the deer.Those very MSPs who expended hundreds of man hours agonizing over the need to save foxes from the suffering involved in fox hunting, are quite happy to have deer hounded to their deaths by helicopter-borne riflemen.
Fox hunting, after all, is associated with the pleasures of the upper classes, and many landowners depend on the income from deer-stalking to keep their estates viable. It’s all a distraction really, and of little importance; it’s only something that happens in places like Braemar, and how many votes are there in these benighted places anyhow?
The local opinion is that few of our MSPs would know one end of a deer from the other, and it is no coincidence that one wildlife consultant, when he is talking about the countryside to MSPs, pitches the explanation at a very basic level.
The only body which comes out of the present mess with credit is the Scottish Gamekeepers Association. Stalkers do not usually have the benefit of university degrees, and not very many are at ease as public speakers; they do, however, have the advantage of unsurpassed knowledge of the behaviour and psychology of their charges, and perhaps equally importantly, a genuine respect for them.
They are not members of the bleeding heart tendency, and they are not sentimental; much of their work is connected with killing deer, but they take a professional pride in doing it cleanly, efficiently and without stress for the animal. They have patiently and painstakingly, in their own time after work, put together their well-reasoned case, backed up by scientific research, for a better deal for the deer, and have assiduously lobbied the Executive.
A deputation from SGA recently had a meeting with the Deputy Minister for the Environment & Rural Affairs. Although the meeting had been arranged well in advance, on talking to her, they were taken aback to learn that she had not even taken the trouble to view the DVD of the Glen Feshie cull, although it had been widely circulated to MSPs.
The keepers, who are the real experts on deer, are not being listened to. Why not? Why are the deer being made to suffer for the failures of others?
JOHN DUFF, B.E.M, was a Police Inspector at Banchory, and had a 33-year involvement with mountain rescue in the North-East. Family man, successful writer, and author of A Bobby on Ben Macdhui.
This is an article from the March 2006 edition of Leopard Magazine. To read much more like this every month, see our subscription details.