New Deer Management Plan sets out 30% herd reduction target
The North Uist Estate Trust and the Newton Estate Shooting Syndicate have issued a joint update on future deer management plans in North Uist.
The two estates are working together to produce a new North Uist Deer Management Plan based on the results of a helicopter count of the herd carried out in March this year with assistance from NatureScot.
The March count concluded that the current herd stood at 1145 beasts, substantially higher than the 2002 population figure of 800.
A spokesperson for the North Uist Estates said: “The Estates, having reviewed the 2023 count, along with previous years and the trend displayed, have decided on increasing numbers culled to reduce the population by just over 30% to the 2002 figure of 800.
“This target will aim to be achieved by 2028. To establish the progress towards the target figure, a foot count will be undertaken in March 2025 after two years of the increased level of shooting; required numbers to achieve the target figure will be adjusted either up or down at that stage. Whether the target set for 2028 has been met will be confirmed/or not by a helicopter count March 2028.”
In 2015, an all-Uist Deer Management Group was established with the stated intention of formulating a Uist-wide single deer management plan; eight years and many meetings later, that shared plan is still to be agreed.
During this time, the issue of deer continued to be hotly debated, culminating in the Stòras Uibhist EGM and community vote in March this year.
The Estates spokesperson said the community view of deer in North Uist mirrored feelings in South Uist:
“Having attended a fair number of meetings where the deer population has been a topic of discussion, I think it is reasonable to think that we too on North Uist have a similar spread of opinions and strongly held views regarding the resident deer population. There are some people who consider current numbers as being too high and feel they suffer overly much from damage to grazing and crops. Others see deer as a resource offering sustainable economic activity, a source of healthy natural lean meat and jobs, both directly and indirectly, including benefits to tourism with visitors able to see the UK’s largest deer in its natural habitat. Environmentalists see the island deer population as one of the last remaining populations of genetically pure red deer.”
Given the strength of feeling, the North Uist Estates say they were reluctant to delay further:
“The result of the EGM vote on deer eradication on South Uist was still unknown at the time and with progress largely stalled, it was proposed that we should work towards getting a working plan agreed for North Uist. It was felt a document we could commit to now was preferable to waiting further for the wider plan. It is the intent of the North Uist Estates to continue to contribute and to sign up to the wider area plan if, and when, it is agreed.”
The Estates expect to have the North Uist Deer Management Plan in place for the coming season.
The Estates have asked that issues with marauding deer should be reported to the North Uist Whatsapp group on 07940 177 491, adding that information on time, type, number and location should be included in any message to allow the Estates to respond appropriately in a timely manner.
