Rural Payments and Services

Land managers will be given more powers to help control Scotland’s rapidly growing deer population after updated rules were introduced to Parliament this week. The changes to existing laws will make it easier to reduce unsustainable deer numbers in order to protect plant life and boost rewilding efforts.

The refreshed regulations will allow authorised land managers to:

• cull male deer across a longer period of the year
• use specialist scopes known as ‘night sights’ to cull deer at night
• use ammunition which is less damaging to venison products

Background

Managing Scotland’s deer numbers - full press release (gov.scot)