Just stopped to say hello to a group of guys out walking and enjoying the un-seasonal warm weather we are having just now. I think they were rather taken aback when I thanked the two dog owners among them for keeping their dogs on a lead. One had a border terrier and the other had a golden retriever and we started up a conversation on why all the wildlife can benefit in the countryside if dogs are kept on leads.
I have seen so many occasions where ducks or pheasants are put off the nest because dogs are raking about, not to mention fawns being killed or, worse, the mothers getting into difficulty and the fawn lying starving. It is a matter of education more than anything and if you take a few minutes to stop and talk about it to people who take access to our beautiful countryside, it certainly helps get the message across. It may even be a good idea, in areas where there is a lot of wildlife, to have designated places where owners can let the dogs off the lead for a good run.
Last week, I attended the first Lowland Deer Conference in Peebles and I was really pleased to see so many people in one room with an interest in deer. Obviously, the training aspects for people who have deer on their land, and how they manage this, will be important and I made a point of telling Environment Minister Stewart Stevenson that The Scottish Gamekeepers Association will be happy to provide training and guidance on best practice in this regard and that our wealth of knowledge could be beneficial to the group going forward.
When you read this blog, we will have a new team in place doing our press, magazine and political lobbying. Nancy Nicolson was a great asset to the SGA and she moved us on leaps and bounds but sadly she has decided to step down. Kenneth Stephen will be taking over Nancy’s duties on the press and communications side, with Victoria Greening representing our interests in the political arena. Kenneth is an experienced PR strategist and, raised in a rural background in the Angus Glens, is a national magazine writer on Outdoors subjects. Victoria brings a wealth of expertise in legal and political matters and is also a keen stalker, attending shoots in East Lothian and the Borders. We wish them both well as they begin their work on our behalf.