Gamekeepers to run Scotland’s first urban roe deer pilot

Trained deer managers accredited to the Scottish Gamekeepers Association (SGA) will begin culling roe deer around East Kilbride this month, in the first scheme of its kind in Scotland. The Central Belt Roe Deer Pilot Scheme, backed by the Scottish Government and NatureScot, aims to cut deer-vehicle collisions on the motorway network while repairing browsed amenity woodland and greenspace.

Why are roe deer a problem in the Central Belt?

Roe are Scotland’s most widely distributed deer, and the highest proportion of collisions between deer and cars occurs on roads in the country’s most populated areas. An animal straying onto a motorway is a danger to drivers and to itself, and heavy browsing damages habitats and public sites.

Parts of the industrial Central Belt now hold 30 – 40 roe deer per sq km, more than three times the density recommended by the Deer Working Group, which reported to the Scottish Government.

How will the pilot work?

NatureScot has loaned a mobile larder for the duration of the scheme, and trained deer managers, accredited to the SGA, will be incentivised for safe and humane population control. A registered game dealer will handle food standards and distribution, and participants will log every deer taken on a wildlife management app developed by NatureScot, keeping the cull transparent and compliant.

David Quarrell of the SGA deer group said: “This is a project we have been developing for some time. To receive the backing from Scottish Government and NatureScot to deliver it is really pleasing and shows the need to control deer safely and humanely around our cities, towns and the lowlands in general.

“Starting to get on top of that is really important and we hope the pilot can be rolled out further, if successful.”

Scheme deer manager Craig O’Hare said the pilot was designed around the obstacles that have long frustrated urban deer control. “Currently there are barriers to effective deer management around towns and cities, such as a lack of processing facilities and lots of different types and scales of land ownership, making collaborative management difficult,” he said. “With this scheme, we looked at those barriers, one by one, and set out to fix them.”

Where will the venison go?

Venison from the scheme will be used to develop untapped markets, and participants are committed to supplying local foodbanks and charitable causes. “Our aspiration is to get one of our healthiest and most sustainable meats in front of more consumers in areas where venison has not traditionally been eaten,” said Mr O’Hare.

Agriculture minister Jim Fairlie said: “This pilot will help preserve our biodiversity while giving more people access to high-quality, sustainable venison – a healthy, low-carbon protein that deserves a bigger place on Scottish plates and in Scottish kitchens.”

James Hammond, NatureScot’s regional deer operations manager, said sustainable deer management was “vital to bring populations back into balance with the rest of nature, allowing woodland and other habitats to regenerate”, and that the pilot “gives extra support to those working hard on the ground to tackle high deer numbers in the East Kilbride area, while helping to improve public safety and provide a local supply of healthy venison”.

What happens next

Culling under the pilot begins in October within set project boundaries, chosen so the work benefits public safety and woodland condition, prevents agricultural damage and helps protect designated and peatland sites. The project will be evaluated annually and has the potential to grow each year. The SGA, which has trained more than 1,000 deer managers, hopes a successful pilot will be rolled out to other towns and cities across the lowlands.