DEER ARE an important part of our natural environment. It is a real pleasure to see the bright orangey-brown of a roe grazing quietly on a forest ride or bounding across the open Ochils. However we do not have large carnivores such as the wolf in Scotland, and deer frequently increase to numbers that cause damage to trees, crops and our semi-natural vegetation. The records of the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments for Scotland refer to an extensive forest in the Ochils between 1143 and 1598. Try and plant trees in the Ochils today, and if the sheep don't get them, the deer certainly will.
Given the presence of the significant deer numbers which occur throughout most of Scotland, the options for establishing larger native woodlands involve fencing with shooting, or shooting alone. The Woodland Trust Scotland looks at each site individually to seek local solutions to what is usually a local issue. This involves consultation with a wide range of interests including neighbours, local access groups, RSPB, the FCS, Scottish Natural Heritage and the Deer Commission Scotland. At the Woodland Trust Scotland site of Glen Sherup in the Ochils, circumstances were such that the favoured option was to erect only a section of "deflection" deer fence, and to rely on management of the population in collaboration with a neighbour with similar objectives, the FCS. At Glen Quey and Geordie's Wood (the land between Glen Quey and Muckhart), taking into account factors such as the objectives of neighbours, public safety, neighbouring habitats, black grouse populations and landscape, in addition to seeking the advice of the Deer Commission Scotland, the decision was taken to erect "temporary" deer fences around the main planting areas. The top half of these fences can be dismantled once the trees are established, likely to be 10 to 15 years from planting.
The reasoning behind these decisions is clearly complex. However, to expand for instance on the subject of public safety, an experienced deer stalker identified the limited number of "safe lines of fire" with regard to shooting deer on the land behind Muckhart. Fencing means that adequate control of deer numbers can be achieved safely, despite this restriction.
Deer fencing is for practical purposes a barrier to access and, in the wrong place, an eyesore. To minimise these impacts, we site the fence carefully and erect gates or stiles to connect with existing or potential access "desire lines" or paths. Ongoing consultation allows for fine-tuning. Public enjoyment of our woodlands is after all central to what we do.
We believe that the changes we are making to the Ochils in terms of bringing back native woodlands and associated wildlife are positive. We believe that by going through an Environmental Impact Assessment and talking and listening to a wide range of people we are doing it in the best way currently possible, and in a way that will bring benefits both locally and globally.
Project manager, Glen Devon sites
Woodland Trust Scotland