Interesting article with pics showing the changes in Glen Feshie, both natural as the river shifts course, and man made as grazing pressure from deer was drastically reduced.
IBB.CO
The pic above is from the link. For anyone familiar with the current landscape around the bothy here is one of my pics from circa 1981.
As far as deer numbers go - I first visited the bothy with my dad around 1972. In the autumn the glen was hoaching with deer. Recently I visited the bothy and spoke to another user who claimed he had asked the keeper how many deer were in the glen now. I don't know what answer he expected but he says the keeper said "7".
All the regrowth in the glen was achieved without fencing. Just cutting deer numbers down. Across most of the highlands they are many times to high.
Not sure how they can work out an exact number for deer as the area is not fenced off. There is no doubt there’s a lot less now, which has been great for the young trees getting established. I have seen a big herd of deer in that area in the past few years.
I do notice that on the other side of the A9 in the Monadhliath you see a lot more deer.
I think that’s the case. With it being in private hands, they can effectively do what they want, so have been culling deer pretty severely, and the landscape has benefitted.
In a similar fashion, Mar Lodge estate has been trying to re-wild, whilst still having to remain a sporting estate by the terms of their ownership agreement (from when the estate was given to the National Trust). They have culled deer there, but came under severe pressure from neighbouring shooting estates as all “their” deer headed to Mar Lodge estate as there was lots more food, due to the lower deer numbers.
“Regeneration” by Andrew Painting is well worth a read if you’re interested in the process. He’s the chief ecologist at Mar Lodge.
Just cutting deer numbers down
Am I right in thinking it's been done with aggressive culling?
Yes it was. Which was needed. By reducing the numbers of one species the slow death of this Scots Pine forest has been reversed and the habitat improved for numerous other plant and animal species.
Pity it takes a foreign billionaire owner to do it while the estates owned by our supposedly green minded king are still barren deserts by comparison.
Wildland Scotland (who own Glens Feshie and Tromie) have a pretty much zero tolerance approach to red deer. They are also taking out lots of non-native trees and allowing natural regeneration where possible. It's quite the story. Part of the work has involved substantial new forest roads to permit logging. If you're into gravel riding the opportunities are mega.
At one point the aim of the estate was to reduce deer numbers to 1050.
“Arrangements are in place to assess progress towards a total estate population of
1050 deer.”
If there are only 7 now I can only assume they just got carried away.
Maybe they buggered off elsewhere after seeing all their pals get turned into sossijes and hammered into lawns.
Just imagine what it would be like with some wolves and lynx about.
(Would a lynx be able to take a fawn? Anyway, they'd have a go at the rabbits)
Wolves aren't stupid. Why would they run about chasing deer up and down hills and through heather and bog when they could enjoy an all-you-can-eat buffet in a nearby field of sheep?
I'm sure the wolves were originally there well before all the sheep were introduced, so perhaps they should just take their chances?
The interesting thing about Glen Feshie/Tromie is that it has proved regeneration happens with reduced deer numbers. The experts used to say it was impossible. I read an article in THe Scotsman magazine years ago which stated regeneration of native forest could only happen in fenced enclosures. This sort of thing.
"However, Ronnie Rose, from the Scottish Gamekeepers Association, is opposed to the planned cull.
He said the estate should be using fencing to reduce damage to trees and that other deer would simply move onto the estate to replace those animals that are shot."
Just imagine what it would be like with some wolves and lynx about.
(Would a lynx be able to take a fawn? Anyway, they'd have a go at the rabbits)
Lynx would not be able to take red deer at all I think. According to the pro reintroduction stuff I have seen its Roe and Fallow deer they would take ( actually sheep really I bet)
Deer management is essential - there are far more deer now on the hills than there used to be and the deer are in poor condition because of lack of forage - basically eating the countryside bare
Again IIRC Feshie estate killed ALL the deer on their land. It took a while for them to return over the hills from surrounding estates
