An Introduction to Deer Stalking in the UK by Chris Gower
Chris Gower leads a busy and successful professional life as co-founder and CEO of the global executive search company Lawbrook Partners. Lawbrook Partners and Chris Gower online videos offer more details about the professional recruitment capacity of the company. A firm believer in both working hard and enjoying leisure time, Chris enjoys a variety of activities outside of the office including deer stalking reflecting a passion for the countryside. While deer stalking is an extremely common activity throughout the UK as a countryside management and sustainability measure, most of the general public never come across it as it usually takes place in the first and last two daylight hours for stealth purposes. Deer stalking can take place for any one of three reasons – sport, food or numerical/environmental control. In the Scottish highlands in particular deer stalking is a necessary aspect of land management to protect many indigenous species of flora and fauna from becoming extinct due to the almost chronic over-population of both Red and Roe Deer in the area which can cause longer term suffering to the general population.
There are six species of wild deer to be found in the UK – Red, Roe, Sika, Muntjac, Fallow and Chinese Water Deer. Of the six only the first two are indigenous, with the other four having been introduced throughout history through a variety of reasons. Deliberate releases or escapes from parks, farms and ornamental collections have resulted in both an increase in the populations of feral Red and Roe deer and the introduction of wild herds of the other four species. Fallow deer in particular, while not native to the UK, have been at large for over a thousand years.
Deer stalking, especially in Scotland, is not solely about the kill, but about the effective management of the land for the protection of other species of animal and plant which would otherwise be threatened with extinction. Organisers of deer stalking in Scotland have the aim of promoting responsible and sustainable activity which maintains a healthy population of deer without becoming too over-populated. As carnivorous predators which would naturally hunt deer have become extinct in the UK there is a need to cull the deer population in order to prevent it becoming chronic. Organised deer stalking takes place in order to maintain a healthy and stable deer population and each year a census is carried out. This census provides an age / sex profile of those deer which need to be culled, with priority given to injured or sick animals.
