A Walk On The Wild Side

A look into the lives and habitats of our wild game in Scotland.

As we learn from the WWF that our planet’s animals are under threat like never before, we thought it would be apt to take a look at the homes of some of our Scottish gems and at how hunting actually contributes to their protection (despite the perceived oxymoron).

Habitats are being lost globally due to deforestation to create grazing land for farmed animals or for monocropping to feed the animals that feed us, or feed us directly. This is having a momentous negative impact on the diversity of both plant and animal life the world over.

Here in Scotland we are incredibly blessed to have a large portion of protected wild lands which mean that our native species have a much better chance of survival. In this article, we will look at those we work with most here at Woodmill, where they live, and why hunting them actually helps them.

At Woodmill we mainly work with Red Deer, Roe Deer, and Fallow Deer. Deer roam miles daily in search of good food and even better mates! Red deer historically lived along the forest line, but have had to adapt to open field, hills, mountains and moorlands. Roe prefer woodlands and bramble. Fallow prefer the shores of a loch, a broadleaf woodland, or agricultural land.

Due to the historic loss of species such as wolves, lynx and bears in Scotland, these animals no longer have a natural predator. This means that their numbers go unchecked as they continue to breed at the same rate as when their chances of survival were much slimmer. An overpopulation of any animal is as environmentally damaging as a species at risk. With nature, it is all about balance, and in Scotland there would be a huge imbalance without human intervention no matter how hard that is for some to palate. We have fantastic and strict deer management regulations to ensure the balance is kept, and critically, that animal welfare is at the centre of policy.

A great example of this is a tale from one of our very own team members who has a notoriously mischievous dog! Hector has many tales, but one day on his walk he caught a whiff of a Roe. The young buck darted, and as a result got stuck in a fence. Hector’s mum did the responsible thing, and called the local hunter. It was decided that instead of simply culling the animal who was clearly in distress, they assessed as a healthy youngster the best thing to do would be to free him. A team spent over an hour releasing the buck, and gave him a good once over before releasing him. What many would have assumed would be an easy meal, was actually an important display of deer management and considered empathy in action. Hector however, was a bit miffed!

These notoriously silly birds can be found almost everywhere. They favour grasslands, farmlands and woodland. At Woodmill, we shoot all wild and nothing farmed, and this is the case for all of our birds too. Part of responsible management of these birds includes breeding programmes where the birds are penned in for protection. Then the birds are released at least three months before the season begins meaning they have led a wild life before being fair game. There are very few truly wild pheasants in Scotland due to the fact that they are not in fact native. They could not survive conditions here alone and after being introduced in the Roman era, it is our job to support their numbers.

The Grey Partridge is a Scotland Native. It is a ground nesting bird that prefers grassland, farmland, and scrubland. They are a critical part of the UK Biodiversity Plan, and therefore with proper management thanks to hunting, means there is a demand for them and their protection. This demand spurs things such as habitat management, the planting of cover crops, and is one of the reasons rewilding is so important. At Woodmill all of our animals are sourced from Fife and Perthshire only, and we work very closely with local estates and organisations to ensure the populations continue to thrive and that our activities contribute to environmental good.