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 Gamekeepers have been
managing the countryside for 200 years, and much of the present Scottish countryside is
the result of their management. The shooting industry is now one of the biggest sources of
income in rural Scotland. The combination of income and wildlife management has created
much of the present way of life in rural Scotland. Much of this is in danger of dying out
as political correctness and protectionist interests take precedence over biodiversity.
Anywhere there are gamekeepers or shooting interests there is an abundance of wildlife.
Gamekeepers are the true conservationists. Most other organisations are protectionist
(only interested in one species or one aspect of wildlife management.)
As is
suggested by the name “gamekeeper” the main aim of a gamekeeper is to keep game
in enough numbers as to produce a shootable surplus. This means producing an environment
that supports enough birds or deer etc. for shooting and in sufficient numbers as to make
it financially viable for someone to retain the gamekeeper on the land. If there is not
sufficient game to allow enough gameshooting days to be let then the keeper’s job is
likely to become redundant (as has happened at Langholm.) One of the main ways that
keepers ensure enough game is available is by maintaining the appropriate environment.
Keepers manage
the countryside in several ways. In upland areas they farm or regenerate the heather
yearly, creating a mosaic of heather pattern and ages uniformly over the moor. This
provides an essential variety of habitat and source of food for the upland wildlife.
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Burning the heather |
To
achieve this keepers will spend many weeks burning or where possible cutting the heather.
If this is not done the heather will end up broken and spindly giving little cover and
less food for the birds and animals that live there. This is a job for professionals, as
heather fires can easily get out of control and burn hundreds of acres of moorland and
possibly forestry if done by amateurs. Currently keepers, at no expense to the taxpayer,
do this. If grouse shooting were to become a thing of the past, who would do this very
important piece of upland conservation? And perhaps equally as important to know is - who
would pay for this?
Another major
task in management is the control of predators. As the Scottish countryside and wildlife
has been controlled by man for hundreds of years to suddenly change this policy would mean
a drastic reduction in non-predator numbers. Predators not only deplete grouse stocks but
also the numbers of other animals and birds. At the moment the gamekeeper is allowed to
control foxes, crows and stoats, etc., all of which are a serious threat to other
wildlife. It is estimated that possibly 20,000 adult foxes are killed annually on the
Scottish hills along with an unrecorded number of crows, which could be as much as or more
then 200,000. Even with this much predator control the ground nesting birds of the uplands
suffer extensive damage, and again without the keepers’ protection they would be
under more threat of unnecessary damage.
 On
lowland areas the keeper is usually closely involved with the planting and protection
of gamecrops and woodland areas. Nowadays they may actually plant the trees themselves and
check continually on their growth. They definitely protect the growing trees and crops
from rabbits, deer and pigeons.
Also on
lowland areas pheasants, partridges and/or duck are reared by keepers from either eggs,
day old chicks or six week old chicks. From June or July until February the major part of
a lowland keepers time is spent feeding and watering and protecting these birds. (This
activity greatly benefits other wild birds.) While these birds are reared for people to
pay to shoot them, it must be emphasized that many more of these birds are released than
are shot, thus making sure that there is always a stock left to take advantage of any
suitable springs and summers that will allow for wild breeding. Unfortunately in Scotland
not many suitable years occur for pheasant and partridge to successfully hatch and rear a
brood of young. Duck on the other hand do seem to be more resilient in the Scottish
weather.
Predator
control is an essential part of successful rearing of young and protection of adult birds
and in maintaining a shootable surplus of stock. As on the moors measures are taken to
reduce the loss due to predation. Gamekeepers estimate, on the lowlands an additional
35,000 adult foxes and 500,000 crows are killed annually. As well as foxes and crows
gamekeepers also control feral cats, mink, stoats, weasels and rats, all of which again
number in the many thousands. Again, if these were not killed all other wildlife would
suffer a vast drop in numbers. No gamekeeper ever reports a significant decline in yearly
predators killed, no matter how many were removed the previous years.
In the past
gamekeepers also controlled raptors to protect their stock. They are no longer legally
entitled to do this part of their job and now must stand by and watch as they lose
hundreds of birds to winged predators. |
