AGM 2024 Announcement of a new survey.
WITH A SECOND SURVEY LINK. The first survey failed as Google has removed support, the new survey is a Survey Monkey Survey, see the link below.
A Survey of the current privately owned & managed deer carcass chillers and preparation facilities across the Lowlands of Scotland.
There is much interest in increasing the cull of deer across the lowlands of Scotland to reduce the levels of damage sustained in agriculture, regenerating woodlands, planted woodlands, Priority Sites and private land.
There is support for the theory that a shortage of availability and geographic spread of existing larders with intake facilities, chillers and with processing status creates a bottle neck to the cull due to the general lack of chillers and of processors.
We have generic maps depicting the locations of known Venison Dealers who are registered but we don’t know their current capacity or potential capacity to increase throughput and services offered. Within the matrix of VDL there are gaps created by the landscape or an absence of data, we can see gaps in Ayrshire, Dumfriesshire, the greater Tweed valley, East & Mid Lothian, Stirling, Lanark, Renfrew, Angus and Aberdeenshire, if you have either an existing interest or a need for premises in these areas this survey is particularly important for you.
Many lowland stalkers seek to provide meat for themselves and their families, as well as selling entire un-processed carcasses to Venison Dealers or Approved Game Handlers Establishments, (AGHE).
A Poll of stalkers suggested that a 30-minute detour on the way home from stalking would be acceptable suggests that a number of units will be required.
There is demand for a reduction in food miles, in carbon released, in local produce and for venison, this is met and provided for by regional Chilling & Processing Centres near to the routes home of the many stalkers living across the lowlands, especially the Strathclyde area where there are many deer and many deer stalkers.
Ideally a site provides water, drainage, electricity, insulated fridges as a basic chill for entire carcasses, to be collected by AGHE or with additional space for the skinning & processing and preparation of joints & minced venison for return to the stalker, (at a price / cost), or for retail to a legitimate outlet.
To discover what is available we can refer to the registered Venison Dealers Licenses, VDL as kept by Local Authorities and look at the map to recognize the gaps, this won’t however reveal where chillers are which either remain simply chillers as collection points or what potential there is to improve these sites to register them as formal larders and Processing Centres.
A survey has been devised asking for information which will be maintained anonymously attempting to establish what exists and what potential there may be, please engage in the survey to assist in the development of Chillers & Processing Centres across the Lowlands to make handling of carcasses straight forward, hopefully enabling stalkers to cull a few more deer each year.
Follow this link to engage in the survey: it is anonymous, but you will be asked to give us a password or contacts if you wish to take part in future in more detail. Copy and paste into your URL.
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/73R8RCR
This is the second survey posted as the first, a Google survey, is no longer supported.
Previous work.
This page shows projects in which LDNS is engaged or that are taking place within the LDNS lowland deer management area
Flanders Moss
The Deer Management Plan for the Flanders Moss Deer Management Forum is located on this page and is updated as appropriate. It consists of a series of documents and maps, and there are also a series of information notes than can be downloaded. The plan is being updated at the moment (autumn 2021), taking in to account changes within the area since 2016. Any comments on the development of the plan or the Forum more generally can be referred to Chair Victor Clements on: victor@nativewoods.co.uk
Nature Scot (formerly Scottish Natural Heritage) are providing the secretariat for the Forum and can be contacted via Paul Roberts at Paul. Roberts@nature.scot.
Essential background information and policies can be found using the links below:
FMDMF Background Information- Updated October 2021
FMDMF Working Plan 2021 – 2026- Updated October 2021
A series of maps are referred to in the text of the main document:
1. FM Location map
2. FM Members map
3. FM Reporting Units map
4. FM Deer impacts map
5. FM Community councils map
6. FM Designated sites map
7. FM Deer-vehicle collisions map
Appendices included as part of the deer plan:
Appendix 2 FMDMF Contacts List – this document is confidential to Group members and Nature Scot only
Appendix 3 FMDMF Designated sites
Appendix 4 FMDMF- Deer cull information
Appendix 6 FMDMF Monitoring of Designated features
Summary of count & cull information from 2014.
Recommended cull sheets for males and females can be downloaded from the links below:
A number of basic information notes have been developed for the group, and these are listed here below:
Flanders Moss Press Information Note
Information Note 1 Deer Seasons
Information Note 2 Authorizations
Information Note 3 Group requirements for reporting culls & sporting rates
Information Note 4 Selecting an appropriate stalker.
In addition, the following information may be of use to members:
SNH General Authorization to cover culls to 31st March 2022
Generic lease document, which can be amended to provide a lease document between any stalker and land owner, and should be accompanied by a map showing property boundaries.