Published on 5th January, the consultation https://consult.gov.scot/environment-forestry/managing-deer-for-climate-and-nature-consultation/
has a closing date of 29th March.
Included are proposals to change female deer seasons and to enable NatureScot to issue Deer Management Nature Restoration Orders across landholdings.
This major additional power, not proposed by the Deer Working Group, will impact landholdings where it has been deemed by the regulator that such an order is appropriate.
This would include penalties for non-compliance and the ability for NatureScot to recover costs, if they, or their agents, have to enter land to carry out activities such as culling or fencing.
These proposals are the beginning of major changes to deer management in Scotland in the wake of the Deer Working Group report and it is important that as many SGA members as possible contribute their thoughts.
The SGA will also be working on a detailed submission over the coming weeks.
The SGA’s Deer Vision, the 10 years ahead, can be found, here: https://www.scottishgamekeepers.co.uk/deer-vision/
