Three pilot incentive schemes will launch this autumn to financially support deer managers to control numbers of deer in specific parts of Scotland in response to the climate and nature emergencies.
It is estimated that an increase in the national cull of 25% or 50,000 deer each year across all species will be needed over several years to achieve the ambitious but necessary targets in the Scottish Biodiversity Strategy to halt biodiversity loss by 2030 and restore nature across Scotland by 2045.
In recognition that the majority of Scotland’s deer cull is carried out by private estates and individuals at their own expense, NatureScot will open applications for two incentive schemes that aim to support this essential management in specific areas of the central belt and Highlands.
In this innovative approach, qualified and eligible deer stalkers will receive a payment for additional deer culled over and above the level currently culled in the area. A third scheme is being run by the Cairngorms National Park Authority.
One pilot covers an area of 959 km2 to the north of Glasgow and west of Stirling, where the focus will be on lowland and urban roe deer management, as well as expanding red deer populations. The second will cover an area 527km2 on the south-eastern side of Loch Ness in the Highlands where the focus will be on incentivising control of invasive non-native sika deer in commercial forestry. See maps below.
For both pilot areas deer stalkers will be eligible provided they have the legal right to take or kill deer on the specified land. They will need to have a minimum of Deer Stalking Certificate level one (or equivalent). To ensure that culling is additional to the levels currently recorded in the two pilot scheme areas, the payment would only be made for additional adult female deer and juveniles of any sex culled above a minimum cull rate.
Strict eligibility criteria and compliance checks will be in place. Participants must use the NatureScot Deer App to record and submit data including geolocation and photographic evidence of their cull, as well as information on how carcasses were disposed of. This will help NatureScot in its ongoing work to increase capacity in local supply chains for venison.
The Cairngorms National Park Authority pilot scheme focuses on red deer managed by highland estates. Here, a target will be agreed based on a three-year average hind cull. A payment will be made on an agreed number of carcases if the total cull exceeds 110% of the 3 year average. This pilot scheme will be managed by CNPA staff.
For all three schemes, payment will be for female deer. Juvenile deer will also be subject to payment to avoid any welfare concerns around orphaning dependant young.
The schemes will open in mid-August 2024 run from 1 October 2024 to the end of March 2025 with expectation to repeat in winter 25/26 and 26/27. Lessons learned from these pilots will be used to develop any future incentive schemes.
