Sustainable Deer Management

One of the CNPA's priorities for action is to support sustainable deer management in the National Park.

Deer are an essential part of the Park's biodiversity. Due to the significant impacts deer can have on natural heritage qualities, there is a particular need to address the complex issues facing deer management. In collaboration with Deer Management Groups, communities and public agencies, the Park Authority's aim is to achieve the following:

  • A patchwork of deer densities allowing different deer management objectives to be achieved in different parts of the Park;

  • A deer management planning process which seeks agreement from all interested parties on what deer densities should be;

  • Good communications between all involved in deer management;

  • Deer recognised as a valuable asset throughout the Park;

  • Deer impacts viewed as being in balance with habitats, and

  • Deer management carried out to high professional standards and respected by all.

In order to achieve this the CNPA, in collaborations with the Cairngorms Deer Advisory Group (CDAG) has prepared a Deer Framework.

Deer Commission for Scotland - Deer Count Report

In January and March 2010, the Deer Commission for Scotland (DCS) carried out extensive helicopter counts of the red deer in and around the Cairngorms National Park. The count, which covers a very large area, is invaluable to deer managers because it allows them to assess the overall deer population and to set cull targets. Generally, cull targets are based on both the land managers’ objectives and the carrying capacity of the land.

It is important to note that the count is just a ‘snapshot’ in time and that deer move around a great deal. The counts might show high concentrations of deer in one area, but this can change overnight. The data is however extremely useful for getting an overview of the state of the red deer population in the Cairngorms National Park.

Summary

The count indicated that across the National Park as a whole, deer numbers have been reduced since the last count, but there are significant local differences with numbers remaining relatively high in some areas and significantly dropping in others, for example where estate owners have firm objectives to exclude deer in order to reduce tick burdens and promote successful grouse moors.

In some areas of Perthshire, for example between Pitlochry and Braemar, the populations have remained relatively high; perhaps in part due to movements caused by weather patterns. There have been pronounced reductions in some key areas where the management focus has been on habitat restoration. There continues to be substantial and relatively stable populations in other areas.

Click on the link to the right to read the DSC deer count report.

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