Scottish Gamekeepers Association Gamekeepers Welfare Trust
Water of life
My headline has no bearing on Uisge Beatha (The water of life - whisky), but fresh water is a subject of great concern for all of
Without water, nothing grows, habitats die off and animals suffer, as do we humans too, that much is obvious.
The planet is warming up at an alarming rate, and with recent
to over 50c within the next
– this is scary
Water is a lifeline for all living things and needs
Our reservoir levels are low before the summer heat arrives, and our pipelines are too old and badly maintained.
In Scotland at least, the water is in public hands, and not shareholders.
It sickens me to hear about water companies in the rest of the UK losing £Billions, posting losses, and then paying massive dividends to their self-serving greedy shareholders – instead of investing in better infrastructure.
Water leakage is a massive problem, and not something that should be rewarded by paying out huge bonuses – This is Corporate Theft pure and simple.
Slàinte, Athole.
SCOTLAND: The Big Picture welcomes new CEO
Rewilding charity, SCOTLAND: The Big Picture (SBP), has welcomed a new CEO, as Lisa Chilton joins to head up the 20-strong team working to make rewilding happen across Scotland, in response to the growing climate and biodiversity crises.
With 30 years’ hands-on and leadership experience in ecology, conservation, stakeholder engagement and organisational development, Lisa’s career spans senior roles in charities, government advisory bodies and academia. She brings expertise in marine conservation, environmental policy, public engagement and strategic fundraising.
‘I’m thrilled to be taking on this role at SCOTLAND: The Big Picture, an organisation I’ve long admired for its direct approach to nature recovery and high impact storytelling,’ she explains. ‘Rewilding is one of the most important developments in the environmental sector in recent decades, and I’m particularly inspired by SBP’s collaborative approach to making rewilding happen across Scotland, through partnerships such as the Northwoods Rewilding Network and Loch Abar Mòr.’
As Chief Executive at the National Biodiversity Network Trust, Lisa spent the last four years immersed in the world of biodiversity information and technology, making wildlife data more accessible to support nature’s recovery. ‘It’s been a fascinating journey, and one I intend to continue at SBP, as I champion the value of shared data and citizen science within the rewilding community. It’s a real honour to have been chosen to lead this charity at such a critical time for nature and the climate, and I can’t wait to get started.’
‘We’re delighted to welcome Lisa to SCOTLAND: The Big Picture,’ adds Hayley Gray, SBP’s Head of Operations. ‘With
her experience of leading multisector stakeholder processes, shaping national strategies and advocating for nature at both grassroots and governmental levels, she brings an invaluable blend of scientific rigour and strategic vision. Her passion for biodiversity and thoughtful, collaborative approach make her the ideal candidate to lead SBP through its next phase of impact and influence, and we’re excited to have her on board.’
Lisa takes up the baton from the charity’s founding Executive Director, Peter Cairns, who stepped down from his leadership role to focus on some of SBP’s established and developing rewilding partnerships.
‘Pete’s vision, passion and drive were central to the creation of SBP, and he has played a pivotal role in elevating rewilding from a fringe concept to a widely embraced movement across Scotland and beyond,’ continues Hayley. ‘We’re delighted that Pete continues to work with us as an advisor and consultant, with a specific focus on further growth and development of Loch Abar Mòr, our landscape-scale nature restoration partnership in the West Highlands.’
GWCT winds down Auchnerran
tenancy after a decade of conservation success
After ten years of conservation success the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT) has taken the difficult decision not to renew its lease on Auchnerran Farm in Scotland when it expires later this year.
GWCT took on the lease at Auchnerran Farm, in
Aberdeenshire, in 2014 with the principal aim of demonstrating that a productive hill-edge farm could successfully coexist with a thriving population of breeding waders.
Our goal was to transform a formerly neglected yet biodiverse landscape into a
profitable and sustainable farming operation. Over the last decade this vision has been realised. The farm now supports 1,850 breeding Blackface ewes, alongside a wide range of waders, other ground-nesting birds and wildlife, as well as a small-scale shoot, proving that
Lisa Chilton
productivity and biodiversity can work hand in hand.
However, with continuing uncertainty around future agricultural subsidies in Scotland and a growing need to broaden our research to encompass a wider range of farming systems beyond hill-edge sheep farming, we have taken the decision not to extend the lease beyond 2025.
We are confident that, through our work at Auchnerran, we have been able to show that you can change farming practices over time to increase productivity and sustain a profitmaking farming business, while also keeping measures in place that benefit wildlife and support biodiversity. A productive farm where wildlife has a central place is the legacy we are proud to hand over to our successors.
Oystercatcher, curlew, lapwing and skylark are some of the species that have continued to thrive through the agricultural changes that have taken place at Auchnerran through the past ten years.
Barbet allocated to gundog sub-group
The Kennel Club Board has approved the decision to include the Barbet in the Spaniel subgroup, meaning the breed can compete in Any Variety Spaniel [Excluding Spaniel (Cocker)] field trials and gundog working tests.
This decision was taken following an assessment at the Packington Estate, near Coventry in September 2024, during which dogs from the breed proved their ability to use the wind to hunt and quarter naturally, retrieve dummies, and act responsively to commands given by voice or whistle.
The assessors were of the view that the most suitable sub-group was the Spaniel sub-group as neither the Hunt, Point, Retrieve (HPR) or Retriever groups were considered appropriate. The breed has been allocated to this subgroup for a three-year period after which the position will be reviewed.
The Barbet is a French retriever and water dog whose
origins can be traced back to at least the 1700s. Intelligent and loyal, traditionally the Barbet was used to flush and retrieve waterfowl in the marshes and lakes of France, and it is thought that the breed was used in the development of other breeds like the Poodle and the Curly Coated Retriever.
The Kennel Club Board noted that in previous years two other import breeds - the Lagotto Romagnolo and the Spanish Water Dog - had been added to the Spaniel sub-group and it was agreed that the Barbet would be a competitive addition when entering Any Variety Spaniel except for Spaniel [Cocker] and Spaniel [English Springer] trials, also referred to as the ‘Minor Breeds Spaniel’ field trials.
The classification will take place with immediate effect and Barbets will be eligible to compete in working tests and field trials in the 2025/26 season.
Further information about the allocation of the Barbet can be obtained by emailing gundogs@thekennelclub.org.uk.
Catch and release record- but worries for wild Salmon
A total of 46,978 Salmon were caught by rod in Scotland in 2024, according to new fisheries stats published in May by Scottish Government Marine officials.
While increased catches in some rivers compared to 2023 papered over cracks, the total rod catch was still the 8th lowest since records began in 1952.
To add context, the 2010 rod catch was 111,405; demonstrating a general pattern of decline.
Highlighting the responsibility being taken for the species, by anglers and ghillies, a new record was set for catch and release.
A total of 99% of all Spring fish were returned to the rivers while 98% of all fish were put back, overall.
Would
you like to learn more about practical gamekeeping?
The GWCT’s Part-Time Gamekeepers Course has been running in one form or another for over 40 years, and has adapted in that time to ensure that the most current thinking regarding best practice game and shoot management is always at the forefront; helping keepers across the country improve their practices and get the best out of their birds and the shoot they work on.
Who are the courses open to?
Although called our parttime gamekeepers course, professionals have also come on and benefitted from this course previously and it’s open to all. Whether you’re a part-time keeper, single handed keeper, shoot captain, keen syndicate member or enthusiast wanting to learn more, this course will help you to improve your knowledge,
your shoot and help you get the most out of it.
Testimonial from previous course attendee:
“I greatly enjoyed the Parttime keepers course and I learnt a number of useful things. The advice was excellent, clear to understand and applicable to many shoots.”
What is involved in the training?
The course covers gamebird releasing, woodland management, cover crop placement and establishment, predation management, wildlife conservation and shoot economics. You’ll also benefit from having an experienced GWCT advisor on hand to help with any questions specific to your shoot and you’ll spend the day with like-minded people who share your passion.
Sounds great! How do I take part?
Booking is essential as places are limited. The £160+VAT fee covers the course, refreshments, and lunch.
For more information contact lherring@gwct.org.uk.
Deer Management Groups can be proud of what they continue to achieve
Tom Turnbull, Chair, Association of Deer Management Groups
ADMG has been working hard on behalf of its members to ensure that their voices and concerns are heard as the Natural Environment Bill is discussed by the Rural Affairs and Islands Committee and as it progresses through the Parliamentary process. I gave evidence to the Committee on 30 April having previously participated earlier in the year
as part of a Committee panel discussion, and we continue to liaise with the Committee and MSPs in respect of the Bill. As I have written before we do have some significant concerns around the Bill and in particular the use of restoration and enhancement as triggers for intervention by NatureScot. We have requested that NatureScot provides case
studies, showing how this new trigger might be implemented as well as various scenarios as to how it applies in differing landscapes. It would be easy to have fears about the future, but I am inclined to consider instead some of the positives that we have seen develop over the last few years in deer management. I believe we are already delivering
much of what is being asked of us by Scottish Government. Considerable woodland creation is being undertaken and peatland restoration continues to be carried out all over the Highlands, we are collaborating, delivering culls and monitoring habitat.
Deer Management Groups are working hard to ensure that their members work together to deliver
deer management
sustainable deer management with deer welfare to the fore. Despite a more diverse set of land management objectives DMGs are finding ways to continue to discuss deer management. The Common Ground Forum has continued to grow and has helped difficult discussions, but perhaps most importantly it has helped bring deer managers together. The three stalkers’ events at Glen Quoich, Fealar and Glenfalloch have been particularly helpful, allowing the upland stalkers’ voices to be heard by MSPs and Civil Servants. The CGF Stalkers committee should be commended for all its hard work on these events. I would also like to encourage all DMGs to sign the Common Ground Accord and urge
them to contact Helen MacIntyre who writes an article in this publication and is the new DMG Support Rep for ADMG.
We have held two meetings for DMG Chairs in the last year to discuss the challenges of enabling collaborative deer management and to provide ADMG with feedback on how we can better represent and support our members. We continue to support Scottish Venison which is gaining cross sector support from producers and some processors and continues to raise awareness for venison and represent the venison sector with some significant steps forward.
We have heard from members that they would like
to see us more on the front foot when it comes to messaging, and with this in mind ADMG will be expanding its social media presence to Instagram and LinkedIn. We hope that this will enable us to get some more positive messaging across to our members on the work that we undertake for them and also to a wider audience to promote and educate about the work that deer managers undertake in the public interest. There is so much positive work that is undertaken by DMGs and deer managers that goes unnoticed and we will be engaging with all our member Groups for their positive news and images which we can then promote far and wide.
Despite the discussions and debates that continue at Holyrood around the Natural Environment Bill, it remains absolutely clear to me that we are a forward-thinking sector that has pioneered collaborative land management. We are delivering on targets for Scottish Government whilst not losing sight of the importance of the people and heritage within our deer management community. As a sector, deer managers and in particular Deer Management Groups can be very proud of what they continue to achieve.
This article was first published in the ADMG Newsletter SCOPE Summer 2025
Pipe Up for Pipar’s Nepali Gamebirds
We shoot gamebirds for sport, for the table and with a camera. But how often do we ask ourselves where these ring neck pheasants running around the fields, scrub and woodlands of the British Isles actually originated?
In simple terms the Caucuses, around 1AD and later introductions from China of the ring necked pheasant which then hybridised with initial stock. Added to the melee was the introduction of the Japanese Green and subsequent subspecies (mainly from China). But what are these other game birds in these photos?
Across the globe there are 52 pheasant species (with their various subspecies, as with our game pheasants just referred to) within the family of Galliformes (gamebirds), which extends to include the grouse, francolin, partridge, quail, cracids from South America, megapodes from Australasia and guineafowl from Africa - The World Pheasant Association is working to protect them all. For now this article starts with 5 of the 6 Himalayan Pheasants of Nepal found at Pipar in Northern Central Nepal.
There is a big difference though between Nepal’s pheasants and ours in UK. Ours are hybrid and the Nepali pheasants are pure bred. This means they are important carriers of their gene pool. As mankind continues to breed from the Galliformes (gamebirds) which includes the red junglefowl, (from which all our domestic chickens originate), Guineafowl, Turkeys or Quail for desirable characteristics like an enhanced turkey breast for the table, or egg laying capabilities, we loose other important characteristics.
Such characteristics as the birds ability to be broody and sit on eggs, rear chicks and importantly a resilience to disease.
So protecting your original gene pool so you have the capacity to breed back and start again is vital in a world where Newcastle’s disease or various strains of Bird flu can wipe out whole commercial enterprises.
How are pheasants across the globe protected? Firstly there is a classification of vulnerability by the IUCN red list of the worlds threatened species. 12% of the worlds bird species are threatened
Kalij pheasant
with extinction, and within this group the Galliformes are at 25% threat of extinction. Keeping this up to date with research on pheasant numbers is essential and the World Pheasant Association holds symposia around the world every four years to bring field scientists together. Secondly the recognition that habitat loss is a world wide problem and although most of the planets problems stem from human contact, it is humans that are the stake holders and able to resolve this too.
The World Pheasant Association has worked for 45 years in one of Nepals most incredible and stunning national parks called the Annapurna Conservation Area (ACA), unique because unlike many Game Reserves with a Core Area and buffer zone keeping local villagers out, the Annapurna Conservation Area, about half the size of Northern Ireland, has villages right at its core.
Hunting within the ACA is forbidden, but still happens. At a local level this could be overlooked as not only are these birds a tasty meal, but like us, hunting is also part of tradition in some villages. Being sensitive to this the World Pheasant Association when it first started working in Nepal, suggested only trapping and shooting out of season, like in the UK. This way during the breeding season the population could double itself. Today though poaching has reached epidemic proportions and old traditional traps are a thing of the past. Now there is wire, nylon and lead lines to draw the birds toward the traps, designed either as a neck noose or to catch a leg. These are set up around springs and water holes on the mountain sides and the ‘wild meat’ sold down in the main city of Pokhara or even as far as Kathmandu. The trappers are from outside areas, they stay up in the remote mountains for several days and take basket loads of game out of the park to outside markets. What is being done about this? Within the ACA the World Pheasant Association has been working on community conservation through nine of the local schools, 30 miles north of Pokhara in the stunning Seti Khola valley, which
extends North to Pipar. Pipar in the centre of ACA is a biodiversity hotspot on the shoulder of the sacred mountain, never climbed, called Machhapucharre (fish tail mountain). The habitat extends up through bamboo, into serious Himalayan pheasants country with Rhododendron forests and ‘alpine’ grasslands. Here are found 5 of the 6 Himalayan pheasants, one of which is the Danfe - ‘the bird of nine colours’.- Nepal’s national bird. This (known as the Monal in UK) and along with the Red Monal (known as the Satyr Tragopan in UK) are protected species, (as is the Cheer pheasant, the 6th one, located west of Pipar on the west of the Kali Ghandaki River).
Originally WPA helped the local schools with benches, building projects, posters, games equipment in return for not hunting the pheasants during the breeding season. Today help is a programme of teaching the teachers, nature books in Nepali and English, involving the community in the anti poaching programme, getting help with clearing snares, working with the camera traps (which the children love seeing!) and ensuring everyone in the community can benefit in the long term from protecting the wildlife.
But how is this success of investment in the community evaluated? Back in 1979 when the World Pheasant Association first heard of Pipar, they arranged for a base line vegetation survey and pheasant count to be implemented. This has been continued by Nepali NGO’s and volunteers every 3 or 4 years for the last 45 years making it possibly one of the longest known continuing conservation studies in South Asia funded by WPA. It involves a team ascending up the shoulder of Machhapuchhre to 12,000 ft and camping up at Pipar. At dawn and dusk, team members are at designated stations to listen for the number of pheasants calling. The direction and time they are calling from is noted to avoid duplication. The best time for recording data is done in late March to early April when the male birds are territorial and calling and the females thinking
of nesting. It also happens to be the easiest time to trap birds.
Recent surveys have shown the increased level of trapping is having a detrimental effect. A large hydro-electric project has resulted in a road up to the base of the ascent to Pipar. To drive from the city of Pokhara now takes an hour and a half - it used to be a 3 day walk into the study area and now it is only too easy to get illegal pheasant meat to market.
WPA has linked up with BIOCOS (Biodiversity Conservation Society Nepal) who have been involved with the pheasant counts over the years and they now run the school training programme in community conservation. In the last two years they, working along side the Annapurna Conservation Area authorities have extended the area surveyed to include the whole mountain range between the Seti Khola and Mardi Khola valleys. The anti poaching programme last year cleared 169 snares and the
photo blew is a lucky young male Satyr Tragopan found in time. A SMART system which is a recording tool for where traps are found, along with water holes and routes followed is utilised. Where traps have previously been found, and removed, can then be revisited and checked.
The poachers are the very people in the old adage ‘poacher turned gamekeeper’ who need to be incentivised to help instead of being the problem. It is a delicate dance of carrot and stick which only the Nepalis, villagers and Nepali NGO’s are best placed to navigate.
How can you support this project? Visit it!
We are running bird tours to the study area and also the Terai in the plains famous for Tiger and Rhino. These are run by local tour operator Namaste Manang at cost so that proceeds can go into the anti poaching programme. We are running 10 day tours either as bespoke (if you have a group of
Monal pheasant
10 people who would like to travel together) or if wanting to join a tour we have one in April 2026 so please contact the WPA office if you would like to join this and connect through our website on www.pheasant.org.uk and you will be sent a booking form. By visiting the study area you encourage the villagers to see that an income can be earned from tourism and protecting the birds and animals. These incredible birds, who are just as important a headline species as the snow leopard, carry on doing what they do best, dispersing seeds, grubbing up soil with their spurs digging for tubers, giving dormant seeds light to germinate, and a leopard their dinner, rather than leopards coming to the outskirts of a village and picking off the villagers sheep. A comment made to us by the local Mayor for one of the Wards of the Seti Khola valley was he wants to see the Tragopan and Monal back in the numbers they had 20 years ago. We very much want to facilitate this.
If you would like to get involved with the World Pheasant Association, either this project or any of the other projects we are involved in please get in touch through our website. www.pheasant.org.uk
Danfe school with WPA tour group in October
Spring trap
Moy Country Fair: Celebrating 45 Years of Field Sports and
Highland Country Life
Set against the scenic beauty of Moy Estate near Inverness, the Moy Country Fair returns on Friday 8th and Saturday 9th August 2025, marking 45 years as one of Scotland’s leading events for lovers of field sports, country pursuits, and outdoor family fun.
Field Sports and Angling Front and Centre
Since its beginnings in 1977, the Fair has become a fixture in the Scottish sporting calendar, offering competitions, demonstrations, exhibitors, and entertainment in a relaxed and welcoming Highland setting. Whether you’re a keen shot, an avid angler, or simply enjoy rural life, Moy has something to offer.
This year’s line-up puts field sports where they belong—at the heart of the Fair. The Junior Macnab Challenge, run by BASC, remains a key attraction. This popular triathlon-style competition invites young participants to test their skills in clay pigeon shooting, flycasting, and air rifle shooting, encouraging confidence and sportsmanship in the next generation.
Adding to the family-friendly atmosphere, Strathallan School sponsors a companion event that encourages grandparents and grandchildren to compete together—an ideal way to pass on country traditions and skills. Clay shooting and .22 rifle target competitions will run across both days, with a mix of open entry contests, expert demonstrations, and coaching
opportunities. Whether you’re looking to fine-tune your technique or simply try your hand, there’s a warm welcome for all skill levels.
Gundog displays and competitions are another major draw. The Moray Firth Retrievers will be hosting Gundog Trials, testing obedience and working instincts, while the Black Isle Wildfowlers return with the ever-popular Gundog Scurry—a thrilling mix of speed, control, and teamwork.
Anglers should head for Angling Corner, where local associations will host casting clinics and light-hearted challenges. One of the standout attractions this year is a live demonstration from Andrew Toft, former world champion and internationally respected casting instructor. His insights into technique, form, and
performance will appeal to beginners and seasoned fly fishers alike.
Main Ring Attractions
The Main Ring is always a highlight at Moy, and 2025 promises another packed programme. Elite Falconry returns with a spellbinding aerial display of birds of prey, while the thrilling Savage Skills BMX stunt team keeps adrenaline levels high with their gravitydefying performances.
Other favourites include gundog handling demonstrations, farriery by Sarah Logie, and the lively terrier racing, where competitors range from lightningfast to hilariously distracted. The foxhound parade and performances by the Cheryl Heggie School of Dance bring tradition and community spirit to the fore.
Food, Drink and Quality Retail
Beyond the field, visitors can enjoy a wealth of Scottish food, drink and artisan shopping. The Food Hall is a celebration of local flavour, with everything from Highland cheeses and preserves to small-batch gins, whiskies, and craft beers. Nearby, the Food Theatre—hosted by Bonk & Co.—offers live demonstrations from local chefs. This year, look out for a guest session from Na at AGA, known for her hearty and inventive dishes cooked in traditional AGA ovens.
For those after something more casual, the Highland Food & Drink Trail delivers topnotch street food and live music, bringing a festival atmosphere to the grounds. Expect everything from gourmet burgers and venison wraps to world-inspired dishes, all served up from colourful trucks and trailers.
Shopping at Moy isn’t just for foodies. The expanded Craft Tents feature over 30 artisan makers, offering everything from handmade pottery and jewellery to shepherd’s crooks, pet accessories, and gifts.
Serious shoppers and outdoor enthusiasts will also find highend country clothing, sporting accessories, and equipment from a range of exhibitors. Whether
you’re after a new pair of boots, a top-quality gun slip, or the latest in fly-fishing kit, Moy’s retail offering brings together trusted names from across the UK.
Children’s Activities and Family Fun
Moy has long been a familyfriendly event, and the Children’s Corner offers an inclusive programme of fun. Younger visitors can enjoy live shows from Bubbles the Clown, music sessions with Moo Music Highland, storytelling and circus fun from Trapeze Entertainment, and hands-on activities led by local groups including CALA (Care and Learning Alliance) and Strathdearn Primary School.
Charity and Community
This year’s charity partner is CHAS – Children’s Hospices Across Scotland, which provides essential support for children with life-shortening conditions and their families. Their presence at the Fair will help raise both awareness and funds for this vital cause.
In addition, a number of local charities and organisations will be in attendance, showcasing the Fair’s commitment to community and countryside causes. Maggie’s Highlands will once again provide a handy Shopping Crèche— perfect for dropping off purchases before heading back to the ring or food stalls.
Plan Your Visit
With over 160 exhibitors and a jampacked two-day programme, Moy Country Fair is a true celebration of Scottish country life. It’s a chance
to compete, learn, shop, eat, and enjoy the best of the Highlands in one friendly, accessible location.
Early bird tickets are available now for £17 (+£1 booking fee) per adult online, with under 16s free— making it great value for families and field sports enthusiasts alike. Tickets are available online until Thursday 7th August, with gate tickets priced at £20.
Whether you’re there for the gundogs, the fly-casting, the food, or the thrill of the competitions, Moy Country Fair is where country life comes alive.
Working for Waders and the Nest Camera Project
By Patrick Laurie
Patrick Laurie handles conservation policy for SACS, which has been heavily involved in Working for Waders and the Nest Camera Project.
Everybody’s worried about waders nowadays. Away from their strongholds on grouse moors and land managed for shooting, groundnesting birds like curlews and lapwings have suffered dramatic declines across Scotland over the last thirty
years. Lapwing numbers have halved, and curlews are down by more than two thirds since the mid-1990s.
This trend is obvious to anyone in the countryside, but the drivers of decline are much harder to detect. In some
places, waders suffer because management of grassland means that fields are cut earlier and more often throughout the summer, and eggs are often lost to the mowers. Elsewhere, a massive expansion of commercial forest cover has made vast areas of
countryside unsuitable for waders. There’s no single reason for wader decline, but the actual mechanics of failure are often being driven by predation. We can hardly call that “news”, but it’s clear that generalist predators like crows and foxes are causing real trouble when the birds return to their breeding grounds each spring.
Many of us understand the importance of predator control as part of wader conservation, but it can be hard to win arguments about conservation without data and hard evidence to back it up. That’s why Working for Waders has been focussing on gathering that data over the last seven years. With no formal affiliation or party line, Working for Waders represents the shared interests of everybody involved in wader conservation across Scotland. A meeting-point for a diverse range of individuals and organisations (from NFU Scotland to RSPB and Scottish Association for Country Sports), Working for Waders focuses on collaboration. There is a growing consensus that predator control is an important part of wader conservation – but in gathering data about that specific issue, all kinds of other details have sprung up too.
Working for Waders launched the Nest Camera project in 2022, sending out trail cameras to farmers and gamekeepers who wanted to
monitor the nests of five key species – curlews, lapwings, oystercatchers, redshank and golden plover. The project hoped that this might help people with an interest in wader conservation to make a direct contribution to our understanding of the problems these birds face, and to have confidence in the findings. This trial has now been running for four years and Working for Waders and BTO have just published a report on the 2022 and 2023 seasons.
Hatching success of waders in the project was relatively high, with an average of 59% of nests in 2022 producing at least one chick, and 85% of nests doing so in 2023. This is great for the waders being studied and probably reflects the hard work on the ground of the participants in those areas. On the flip-side, it’s fair to say that if people are willing to help a wader conservation project, they’re probably doing other things to
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WADERS
help waders too. It’s a more realistic picture to imagine that most nests fail and those failures are never even noticed, let alone recorded.
Despite initial concerns that setting cameras at nests would attract predators and thereby increase predation, the Working for Waders project hasn’t seen any evidence to show this. There are even theories that while cameras may increase the risk that certain predators will harm a nest, other predator species might be frightened off by cameras. As much as crows or ravens may be curious about cameras, there is some suggestion that foxes have seen or smelled cameras and actively avoided them.
Of those nests that failed, most were predated. The range of predators recorded was again similar to that reported in research elsewhere (another encouraging finding), with badger, fox, pine marten, hedgehog, raven and sheep all recorded. A surprising finding was the frequency of sheep predation on eggs, with 30% of predated nests across the two years down to sheep. Other studies have suggested this is more often below 1%. It may be that this is more commonly experienced by waders breeding in Scotland (relative to many studies carried out elsewhere), or it may simply reflect the small number of participants in the Nest Camera project to date: five of the seven incidents of sheep predation in the report occurred on just one farm. Hopefully future monitoring will help elucidate this issue, but it’s
certainly important to keep an eye on this without drawing too many short-term conclusions.
It is worth noting that interactions between waders and sheep are usually regarded as negative – and indeed sheep trampling and predation can cause significant problems, but we have to remember that sheep farming systems are also crucial in many cases for providing appropriate habitat for breeding waders. The nuances of sheep management become very important in determining the level of negative impacts they may have on breeding waders (timing of movements, stocking density during nesting periods, etc.).
So, what next for the Nest Camera project? On the back of experience to date with the trial project, Working for Waders will press forward with plans to expand the project. More funding is needed to ensure the project can supply more cameras and provide the appropriate support for participants, as well as continuing the proper analyses of the data so that lessons can be learnt from the findings each year and report to participants and wider audiences. Working for Waders also hopes to reach out to other projects that may also be using trail cameras in the same way, or perhaps encourage like-minded groups to start doing so, all of whom could feed into the central database that BTO maintain to give us a better picture of what breeding waders are experiencing each year over a greater number of sites.
If you have Nest Camera data from this year tucked away somewhere, please share it with us via one of the options available (check out our website: https:// www.workingforwaders.com/nest-cameraproject), and if you would like to get involved next year, please check out our website or get in touch (https://www. workingforwaders.com/contact), we’d love to hear from you to help this impressive project go from strength to strength.
How we can avoid a ‘boorach’
By Kenneth Stephen, The Scottish Gamekeepers Association
Politics can bring about admirable societal change but when it attempts to ‘fix’ a complex land management issue, the consequences can become a guddle, to revert to Scots.
Muirburn is one of those issues.
For months, stakeholders and government have been trying to come to position on a beefed up Muirburn Code that will introduce new sanctions as the spine of a Muirburn licensing approach.
However, all difficulties surrounding whether muirburn legislation was necessary in the first place have resurfaced whilst wildfires have raged on land where no interventions have taken place to reduce combustible surface fuel.
It is as if these fires were a warning to governments on both sides of the border but, when it comes to burning vegetation in a controlled manner, both administrations appear to have fingers permanently in ears.
Yes, there is some sense to the Scottish Government’s thinking: we need peatlands in good conditions because we
have set our Net Zero stall out on peatland restoration and tree planting. If we, therefore, allow people to burn on peatlands, the public will ask questions about whether we are protecting our investment.
There is a logic to this, albeit a highly simplistic take on a subject which requires deeper inquiry, and this has been the crux all along. Too little credence was given to research such as that being conducted by Dr Andreas Heinemeyer. Too few (who knew much less) listened to evidence from the likes of Professor Ian Newton, who told them, succinctly, that cool burning surface vegetation prevented large-scale wildfires that have been damaging our peatlands more.
In the rush to apply a simple political fix, goaded on by NGOs who have always disliked the idea of setting fire to things, parliamentarians have created an even more intractable mess or, to use another Scots word: a boorach.
Sticking plaster policy makers take note. There is a lesson- but only if fingers can be extracted from ears.
www.scottishgamekeepers.co.uk
GUNDOGS
Gundog trials and tribulations
By Stuart Dunn Chairperson Caledonian Retriever Club
So, you’ve decided to get yourself a gundog puppy, what next! A raft of decisions quickly follows, the easy bits done, you’ve now got your pup, very quickly you realise this may take up a huge amount of your time, your money, and your lifestyle.
Owing and training a gundog can be exhilarating, exasperating and excruciating all at the same time. From the time its about 8 weeks old the new family addition brings with it a multitude of emotions, from the cutest looking thing you’ve ever seen, to
something that just wants to ignore you and push every boundary to the maximum
So, what does it take to train and compete with a gundog? For many gundog owners, competitions are not something they may wish to be involved in,
and training a biddable, shooting/ picking up working dog is the desired objective.
Whatever the desired criteria is, either one demands a lot of time, patience, and understanding. Dogs like humans come with a vast array of emotions, from introverted
shy natured animals to almost untrainable dogs that will test your resolve to the limit. So, where do we start?
As soon as you can receive your pup, get it use to its surroundings, weather that’s indoors, if it’s a house dog, or in a kennel if it’s an outdoor dog. Socialising is hugely important both with other dogs around the house or with humans. Try to ensure the new dog is comfortable around both and remember if you’re bringing the new pup into an environment where you have existing pets or gundogs, it can take a long time for older dogs to accept the new addition.
As the days, weeks and months go by introduce the dog to as many new situations, and noises as you can, the more it accepts this the quicker you can introduce “training” situations, whether it be sitting and staying, heel and lead work, etc.
Dogs like humans have various capabilities, and its up to the owner/trainer to help bring the capability to the forefront.
Gundogs require many abilities to carry out its “job” effectively whether it’s a picking up dog or a
competition dog. Here are some of the qualities it must possess, it must be biddable and quiet around your feet, it must be able to “mark” game or “dummies” at distances around 100 yards or longer, it must be able to stop/hunt on command, it must collect its quarry and return it to the handler as quick as possible, in an undamaged condition, and it must enter water freely.
Training your dog can start from the time you get it, now, that obviously doesn’t mean giving it 100-yard retrieves, over a fence, but it does include socialising, house training, getting it use to your nature, your demeanour, your voice etc. All of this helps build trust and will help you when more advanced training starts later in its life.
For those of you who want to try competing with your chosen breed, competitions are basically held over 2 types of events. One is trialling which is held on live game, and one is working tests which is held on “dummies” (canvas bags basically), which simulates “live” game. Either one may not suit everybody, but both can provide great sense of achievement if you and your dog are successful at it.
Working tests are currently attracting a great number of competitors with most events held attracting increased numbers. These events are run generally over 4 of 5 exercises, where your day will be tested and judged on its ability to enter water and retrieve to hand, mark its quarry at distance, find its quarry where it doesn’t know where it is, all of which to the uninitiated can seem a bit daunting, but with a lot of enthusiasm and a lot of hard work, and some good guidance, your dog can be “trained” to do it.
One thing that’s been noticeable over the last few years is the number of female handlers that are now on the competition circuit, in fact at the most recent working test held, at Craigies Farm, Queensferry by the Caledonian Retriever Club, over half the handlers were female, and it’s not that long ago when female handlers were few and far between. So come on, get involved!, there’s never been a better time to do it.
Competition, as I’ve said previously is not for everyone, but does offer a great hobby for young or old, male or female, and does take place in some fantastic locations all around Scotland and further afield. Recently the Caledonian Retriever Club held its latest working test, but this event was a bit different and was based on a “pairs competition” which included one novice dog, and one open dog as a team. As you can see from some of the pictures, the event was a huge success with the overall “team” of Ally. Kennedy and Mark Noble coming out on top, and receiving some fantastic prises from out sponsors Tuffies, Acme Whistles, Lindors Distillery, Essentials Dogfood, Muntjak Trading.
The event was held by kind permission of George Sinclair and his family. And was run in conjunction with “Farmfest Agricultural Show”, now on its second year.
Thanks also go to David Crabb, and John Penny who judged the event, and Caitlynn Neil Photography for some fantastic photos of the event.
So if you have an inkling that you would possibly like to take up the sport, or simply be involved in some way, there are numerous
clubs in Scotland along with the Caledonian Retriever Club who would be only to happy to help and offer advice, which may just set
you on the road to creating some fantastic memories for you and your dog!! Good luck.
Before the turn of the Millennium gun auctions were a different place. There was no Internet. You could not use Google to search for known problems with particular models of guns. You could not price check the last 10 years’ worth of trading to find out what represented good value; and you could not bid online at the touch of a button. All that has changed. There are still pitfalls to
The changing value of guns in modern times
By Simon Reinhold, Head of Operations for Holts Auctioneers; A specialist
game shooting coach, and a former English Open Side by Side Champion
watch out for, but as the public has grown more confident with their free access to knowledge that was previously only the purview of specialists, the makeup of the sale room changed. Where once it was 80% trade buyers and 20% public, it is now completely the reverse. This has not only given the public a broader choice, but with no retail middleman looking for a percentage markup, auctions
have become the place to buy and sell. As buyers bought with more confidence, prices increased for vendors and yet were still under tag price on the retail rack.
Lately the change in habit of the gun-buying public has been mirrored by radical shifts in game shooting in the UK. There appears to be two streams emerging: one that favours fine vintage guns, some of the best guns ever
made, and one favouring much beefier, more modern stock. If you want to shoot high performance steel cartridges at equally high performing pheasants, then you will undoubtedly need a heavyweight steel proofed over and under of modern manufacture. These are the only guns capable of delivering a lighter weight pellet with the necessary velocity to effect a clean kill on such a heavyweight
Lot 1752 sale code A1123 a Alexander Henry 12-bore 3rd Quality boxlock non-ejector (Est £300-£500)
Lot 1758 sale code A1122 a 12-bore Charles Boswell Boxlock non-ejector. (Est £700 – 900)
Simon Reinhold
bird. For those of you still doubting that steel is effective you should know it is vastly improved compared to the offerings we had 20 years ago and now the better, more knowledgeable shots of my acquaintance have no problem using it.
The other (far more gentle) stream developing is one that has always existed but never got much coverage. There is a growing unease amongst the cognoscenti of shooting about standing ankle deep in empty shells at the end of a drive with an ever increasing headache. Instead they prefer vintage side by sides by good makers with all the refined handling characteristics that only best gun making can give you. From both a buyers and sellers perspective at auction, this development is interesting. Simply put, the British retail trade is not interested in your side by side as the conversation over the counter is about high performance steel most of the time.
Much of the concern regarding vintage side by sides and their
continued use has centred around the higher cost of non-lead cartridges suitable for vintage gun barrels, but this is a false narrative. Like the majority of the shooting public I have little interest in big bag days. If I fire 80 cartridges on a day’s game shooting, I’ve had a busy day. If using Bismuth for my Damascus barrelled hammer guns at £1.50 / shot, my total outlay on ammunition is less than the cost of three pheasants on the cart. It is possible that once the wider shooting public wake up to the financial reality of the costs associated with game shooting, the interest in (and therefore value of) good quality vintage guns may well start to tick up. They are currently at an historic low and represent excellent value for money. This is particularly true of good quality boxlock non-ejectors which can be bought for less than £500 at auction. Using a non ejector is considered by many as a backward step, but ask yourself ‘do you really need an ejector on a shoot day’? For walked up game
shooting in pursuit of wild game the answer is most definitely ‘no’. You can pick your spent shells up off the ground and put them in your pocket or you can pick them directly out of the chamber and put them in your pocket; either way, for litter conscious sportsmen and women, the destination for the empty case is the same.
Those vintage guns were some of the best guns ever made. They were designed and built to last a lifetime and in many cases have lasted three. They were built by gun makers who had no understanding of the concept of a warranty. They did not need one: they were made as well as they could make them by men to whom reputation was everything. In stark contrast we are now in the age of the consumable gun. Modern manufacturers have no interest in the longevity of their guns beyond a stated warranty. They do not want you buying a secondhand gun, they want you to buy another new gun as you trade up in your shooting career. Just as your car
THE VALUE OF GUNS
and your washing machine are designed with a shell-life in mind, so modern mass produced guns have a built in obsolescence.
Therefore that side by side at the back of your gun cabinet that you haven’t picked up since you moved to an over and under may still have some appeal in a new era of game shooting. Over and unders are easier to shoot than side by sides, If you doubt that you can perform a simple test - ask a friend or relative when sitting down at the dinner table to pick up a table knife and point with. I would bet all the money in my pocket on the result. A modern over and under may well be the only tool for the job if high-performance steel is required on your day in the field. But I suggest there might be a different path, one less concerned with the ego boost of a high hen falling from the gods, and more concerned with the quality of the overall experience part of which is using what is at its zenith, functional art: a best quality British side by side.
habitat and species protection
GWCT Scottish Auction – a lifeline for Scottish research
The GWCT Scottish Auction raised more than £110,000 for vital research and conservation work aimed at preserving and enhancing the rural way of life in Scotland.
Held at Edinburgh’s prestigious Prestonfield House on 1 May, the GWCT Scottish Auction is now in its 37th year and support and enthusiasm for it remains high.
A firm favourite in Edinburgh’s social diary, the GWCT Scottish Auction gives shooting, game management and conservation enthusiasts a chance to catch up with friends and make new friends, while raising awareness and funds to support the ongoing research that GWCT is carrying out in Scotland.
With generous support from sponsors Saffery, Pentland Land Rover and Invenergy, as well as McInroy & Wood and Bonhams, guests this year feasted on wonderful roe deer loin generously supplied by Highland Game and washed down with fabulous wines from Inverarity Morton.
The Live Auction lots included golf at Muirfield, shooting in the Lammermuirs and Glenrinnes in Speyside, as well as this year’s auction catalogue cover painting of a black grouse by Clare Brownlow. The Silent Auction featured an extensive range of lots, with everything from fishing, holiday houses, stalking, experiences and getaways, wines and more. There was also a raffle
and a lively game of heads or tails enjoyed by all!
Nick Hesford, Director of GWCT Scotland, said: “I must extend a huge thank you to all the donors who supplied auction lots so generously, and to those who spent so enthusiastically.”
Commenting on how important the event is to the continued work of the Trust, he added: “Over the best part of the last century the GWCT has carried out a lot of invaluable research that clearly demonstrates the benefits of game bird releasing and game bird management to biodiversity, but a lot of this has been focused on East Anglia and the south of England.
“We know that through the Wildlife Management and
Muirburn Act there is a very real prospect that the releasing of gamebirds will become licensed.
“To be ready to inform policy makers when the time comes to introduce licencing, we need more research that reflects our unique Scottish landscapes and our unique ecosystems. In other words we need Scottish data or we’ll be on the back foot.
“GWCT Scotland is already in the process of designing and implementing some of the research that’s most desperately needed to answer these questions.
“That is why events like this matter so much. The funds raised at the Scottish Auction will allow us to continue this vital work.”
BASC welcomes government announcement on sound moderators
Following years of lobbying, BASC has welcomed the Government’s decision to remove the licensing requirement for sound moderators.
Dame Diana Johnson MP, the Home Office Minister for Policing and Crime Prevention, this morning made a written ministerial statement to announce the publication of the government response to a Home Office consultation on sound moderators, which took place during the term of the previous government.
The response confirms that the Government has decided to remove sound moderators from firearms licensing controls, although in order to lawfully possess a sound moderator you will still be required to hold a valid firearms certificate.
A sound moderator is a shooting accessory, such as a sling or gun slip, which is fitted to the barrel of a rifle to protect the hearing of the person firing it. Essentially a metal tube containing baffles, they help to reduce noise pollution for anyone else in the area. BASC has been lobbying for the removal of sound moderators from firearms licensing controls for many years.
The Home Office consultation sought views on proposals to amend the definition of a firearm in section 57(1) (d) of the Firearms Act 1968, removing the reference to sound moderators. The wording of the consultation stated that “sound moderators are not dangerous as firearms, and removing them from firearms licensing controls
does not have any implications for public safety”.
The Government’s view is that the change should be made through primary legislation, as soon as Parliamentary time allows.
Christopher Graffius, BASC’s executive director of communications and public affairs, said: “The issue of sound moderators was raised with Dame Diana at a meeting of the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on shooting and conservation last week and at a meeting with BASC and the British Shooting Sports Council (BSSC) earlier this year.
“The announcement comes off the back of years of lobbying work and we are glad the government has listened to the reasoned arguments put forward.
BASC would like to thank the APPG, BSSC and Sir Geoffrey Clifton Brown MP, who is chair of the APPG and BASC vice president, for all of their work on the issue.”
Bill Harriman, BASC’s director of firearms, added: “We welcome the decision to remove sound moderators from firearms licensing controls. This will bring benefits not only for the shooting community, but also reduce the police’s workload in licensing firearms by 32 per cent.
“BASC will seek clarity on the meaning of the sentence ‘….although it will be a requirement for a person to be in possession of a valid certificate in order to lawfully possess a sound moderator.’ to ensure that this does not become licensing by the back door.”
SCOTTISH COUNTRY LIFE
Are animal rights extremists above the law?
By Jake Swindells
When I think of our heritage and our countryside, I picture swathes of heather stretching across open hill. I picture vibrant green arable fields with cattle and sheep grazing. I picture forestry filled with deer, foxes, pine martens and capercaillie, though the latter may soon become just a memory. Activities, such as deer stalking, fishing and game shooting are all such a huge part of what makes Scotland the envy of many countries throughout the world, and the money spent by countryfolk who come to experience these
phenomenal activities quite literally keeps our rural sector afloat. Whilst this remains a crucial part of our economy, it is also part of our broader wildlife management plan to ensure that species that are less common or endangered are given the best chance possible of survival, or even an option to recover. The control of predators, such as foxes, has been conducted for hundreds of years. They are opportunists and will travel great distances just to seek out an easy meal. Should a fox find its way into a chicken coop, instincts
will take over and it will inevitably kill every chicken in there just for fun. The fox will then take two or three chickens and leave the rest for the owner to find the next morning. Foxes will take any free meal, including rabbits, chicks and eggs from ground nesting birds and are also drawn to areas that provide drive-through type newborn lambs in the Spring. They may take a lamb or two per night or even eat the back out of the Ewe following the birth, particularly if there have been complications during the birth and the Ewe is unwell.
Jake Swindells
For these reasons it is imperative that we have options open to us to enable us to protect our red-listed species and our livestock. Many foxes are successfully shot over the course of the year, but many cannot be owing to the inability to see into thick vegetation, or it may be unsafe to discharge a rifle in a particular area. In these scenarios, we need to be able to use dogs to flush the fox out of cover towards waiting guns so it can be dispatched quickly and humanely. Using more than two dogs (which is the current, maximum unlicenced number) can legitimately be utilised under licence in Scotland.
When the licensing process was enabled in 2023, animal rights extremists celebrated and boasted publicly. They had won and had managed to get a crucial and key method of controlling foxes severely restricted. They were ecstatic about this because they have a completely bias and unrealistic view of what actually happens when predators, such as foxes, are controlled humanely. Less than two years later, these same extremists are campaigning for change after already getting precisely what they asked for in 2023. Their lack of understanding of what happens when controlling foxes on the ground often transitions into spurious allegations, anti-
Hounds looking for treats
social behaviour, harassment and violent crime against practitioners. They regularly disrupt licenced activities that have been approved by The Scottish Government’s wildlife authority NatureScot and are more often the ones breaking the law than those undertaking vital and perfectly legal predator control on the ground. It is acknowledged, though, that an extremely small minority of practitioners have crossed legal boundaries, and have quite rightly been prosecuted, but rarely are prosecutions brought against these disruptive protesters, and the ones to suffer are those trying to make a difference by tirelessly protecting our vulnerable species.
One of these extreme organisations recently released a report that was almost entirely based on opinion rather than evidence. In the report it named several practitioner groups and went on to describe how they were acting illegally. In most cases, no official reporting was recorded, no police involvement requested, and there was no evidence published in the report to support the claims. The extent was such that a number of practitioners are now seeking legal advice to put an end to the spreading of misinformation and the disruption of a service that is paramount to the survival of livestock and species at risk of extinction in Scotland. All
the activities that are under fire are conducted under licence, which is extremely difficult to achieve. Many have Inspectors from The Scottish Government in attendance to ensure compliance and all must report back to the Scottish Government on activities undertaken. If the law is broken at any point, a loss of licence and likely prosecution would follow, so it is extremely unlikely that those with licences would stray outside of the bounds set by NatureScot.
Some organisations are just against any kind of wildlife management full stop. These organisations often abuse their connections in certain political parties, and have foundation-free amendments
put forward by sympathetic MSP’s and Ministers when new legislation is being created. Our rural sector, which has stewardship of our land and the wildlife in it, presents evidence-based and sustainable proposals, yet it is often opinion that is accepted over science in parliament. There is little wonder why our biodiversity is decreasing and that some of our iconic species are dying out. In future, give a little thought as to whether you do pop your spare change into that “animal welfare” collection box that’s rattled under your nose at the entrance to the supermarket. A little due diligence as to how your money is spent may just be an eye opener.
Both hill and lowland carry large fox populations
Deer To Me
By Hugh Webster, SCOTLAND: The Big Picture
‘I’d rather forget my knife or binoculars than not have Ruadh with me,’ says Jack. Ruadh, as her name suggests, is a reddish-brown dog; a German short-haired pointer crossed with a border collie. And Jack Ward is one of the deer stalkers working in the Cairngorms Connect landscape. It’s his job to control deer numbers here, to allow forests to expand and restore huge tracts of peatland and woodland across the rugged terrain of Geal Carn, Bynack Mor and the slopes of Beinn Mac Dui.
‘I couldn’t do the job without Ruadh,’ says Jack, explaining that he and his dog work as a
team. ‘At times I may ask her to wait or go in front, and at other times I’m literally just going where she tells me - with looks and body language.’
Ruadh is an expert at finding deer, her sense of smell giving her a ‘sort of superpower.’ This is especially useful in the woodlands springing up here, but she’s a valued companion in the montane environments too. ‘We’re always together,’ says Jack. ‘So, I’m never alone. Sometimes, when it’s cold and you’re sitting tucked into the heather together, it’s just nice to have someone to chat to.’ It’s a reminder that the work of a deer stalker can be uncomfortable,
but for Jack the occasional discomfort is more than made up for by the job’s many perks.
‘We see eagles and all these other things that people are desperate to see, because we’re out at unsociable hours and we’re being discreet, moving quietly through the landscape.’
Often starting at 3am in the summer months, a large part of Jack’s job is simply to monitor the deer. ‘We watch more deer than anyone,’ says Jack, whose job gives him an intimate insight into the lives of the deer in these hills. ‘To see stags rutting and doing their thing is incredible, but I’ve also seen hinds giving birth. How many people have
seen that? And then to be able to sneak out and they never even know you’ve been there; those are the kinds of things that stay with you.’
Jack’s affection for the deer he must occasionally kill might seem incongruous, but the hunter’s affection for his quarry isn’t strange to him. ‘If we’re on holiday somewhere, the first thing I want to do is see what deer they’ve got,’ says Jack. His enthusiasm for deer is born out of a passion for the wider ecology of the landscape. ‘I think deer are some of the most important ecosystem engineers we have,’ says Jack. ‘Almost everything you can see will have been
Jack and Ruadh
shaped by deer; they browse certain trees or open certain glades out, and they move seeds around… they have a really vital impact.’
Understanding all this, Jack knows that it is necessary to manage the deer population. If there are too many deer, or if the deer are in the same place all the time, the habitat can suffer.
‘People talk about ecological restoration,’ he says, ‘And they might mean peatland work, planting trees, or restoring rivers and riparian woodland, but deer management underpins all of that. If you’re in the National Park, you will not get peatland restoration funding if your deer levels are more than 10 deer per square kilometre, because the trampling and grazing pressure will just undo all your hard work.’
I ask Jack about the air of controversy that has accompanied some deer culls. ‘I don’t think anyone can
disagree that it works, because there’s so much evidence,’ says Jack. ‘People might say it feels unfair or it’s not very sporting, like when we’re using lamps to
shoot deer at night, and that’s exactly right, because we’re not doing this for sport. Or they might prefer to have a more open landscape, but that’s not our
objective. It’s just one of those things where we have to work together.’
And what about the suggestion that this model of
DEER TO ME
deer management could threaten traditional deer stalking jobs? ‘I don’t think it’s a threat at all actually,’ says Jack. ‘To fulfil this type of deer management you generally need more deer stalkers on the ground. The objectives might change but the skills of maintaining and using the equipment, getting out on the hill, being safe and being able to drag a deer without exhausting yourself, those skills are all still really key.’
‘It’s never going to be something that we just walk away from. The deer population may come down for a while, and then one day we expect it will come back up, but either way, stalkers will always be important, because we understand the deer and the impacts they can have, both positive and negative.’
Jack firmly believes the deer management he is undertaking is benefiting the deer too. ‘We know our calving and fecundity rates are way above the national average
because the deer are healthier. I think it’s always good to ask the question: are we doing the right thing? And I do think about it, but
we’ve just got so much evidence that our approach is working.’
‘I think people often feel separate from the landscape,’
reflects Jack. ‘But stalking immerses you in all the little details, so that you become part of the environment. You see the
land in a different way. I know where the dry patches are, where I can place my feet to make less noise, which rock will catch the wind and things like that. I think it’s just because you’re out with the deer all the time, you’re using the same elements, it becomes a subconscious thing.’
Jack clearly loves his job. He believes what he is doing is worthwhile and gets to see
the results of his hard work unfolding before him. For him, the future is exciting and full of promise, both for the landscape and the deer. ‘Two nights ago, I was out in the evening and saw three hinds. I got to within 30 metres of them and enjoyed beautiful views of these animals which I wasn’t going to disturb. I was just happy to see three big healthy deer moving through this
regenerating woodland – you can’t really beat that.’
Hugh Webster works for SCOTLAND: The Big Picture and wrote this article as part of their Fiadh project. Inspired by the Gaelic word ‘fiadh’, which refers to both ‘deer’ and ‘the wild’, the Fiadh project seeks to inspire fresh conversations around deer management, celebrating the sector’s growing emphasis on the
recovery of more diverse, more resilient landscapes.
Cairngorms Connect is a partnership of neighbouring land managers (WildLand Limited, Forestry and Land Scotland, RSPB Scotland and NatureScot) working towards a 200-year vision to enhance habitat, species and ecological processes across a vast 600 square kilometre area within the Cairngorms National Park.
The Ghillie
By Bob Whyte Ghillie on Catholes, Pitlochrie, Benchil
and Luncarty on the River Tay
Cold, clean water is what is required due to the influence of Climate change
“Collaboration is the wicked solution for salmon”
By the time you read this article the 2025 Salmon fishing season will have opened everywhere. There has been renewed optimism on the back of last year’s catch. At this time last year everyone was extremely worried, with catch statistics down 25% on the 2023 season throughout Scotland.
returning. It was alarming, to say the least.
In addition, anglers were voting with their feet and not
It was a relatively poor spring in 2023 but, as we entered the summer, a run developed in most rivers and catches soared. On my patch, at Stanley on the Tay, our catches went from 64 in 2023 to exactly 200.
It was simply incredible! Suddenly, you had a reason to spring out of bed in the morning to head to the river, full of confidence.
We had a lot of last minute bookings and I was running about crazy keeping everyone happy - I run 4 beats on the river (Catholes, Pitlochrie, Benchil and Luncarty), so it’s not easy. There were lots of theories as to why the summer was so good but I don’t think anyone really knows the answer.
Something went right in the sea and let’s hope it happens again this coming year as I already have a number of bookings for the July/August window when the fish were running into the river last year, and being caught.
It was a far better summer for fishing as well with cooler weather and good water heights making the fish more vulnerable to being caught on rod and line. That said, one swallow does not make a summer and time will
The Ghillie
tell on that score, later this year.
The optimism has certainly spread. More people have come this spring, so far, plus we have landed one of the first fish off the river - a sparkling 15 pound beauty!
I am hoping for a better spring, the time, which would certainly help.
For my sins, I sit on the Tay Salmon Fishery Board and I am a member of the Tay Rivers Trust. I am busily trying to help transform the Trust into a larger, more meaningful organisation to help protect what we have and possibly help improve the river for future generations.
This is no mean challenge as the Tay Catchment is by far the biggest in Scotland, covering over 5000 square km.
I attended the Missing Salmon Alliance conference in London at Fishmongers Hall recently and learned so much about what others are doing throughout the World. The event brought together organisations from across the Atlantic and Pacific, including the North Atlantic Salmon Fund, Norwegian Salmon Rivers, the Pacific Salmon Foundation, and British Columbia’s First Nation’s Fisheries Council, to share
strategies and strengthen efforts to address the wild salmon crisis.
The event fostered valuable collaborations, policy discussions, and a commitment to continued advocacy. It is no secret that salmon are now an endangered species in the UK but the conference theme was that we have only 10 years left to save this iconic fish and we need to act now. There is no more time to kick this down the road.
Three government Ministers were in attendance who have jurisdiction over the aquaculture industry and/or wild salmon, including from the UK, Scotland and Norway.
During a panel discussion, participants did not miss their opportunity to ask the hard questions.
While we got the same old, same old, responses from most, we were refreshed by what the Norwegian Minister of Climate and Environment had to say, a young and energetic Mr. Andreas Bjelland Eriksen.
Firstly, he acknowledged there was a serious problem, and secondly, he has been exploring solutions to significantly limit the impact of the industry through regulation, which will drive innovation and investment
The work of the Gamekeepers’ Welfare Trust goes on 365 days a year, available at any time for anyone who needs support or a listening ear. Reaching those who may need support is an ongoing challenge, especially in remote areas, with a stoical and independent people who are reluctant to seek support but who are sometimes more vulnerable due to tied housing and the demands of the job which can take its toll on families and health.
It is not all serious though and sometimes there is an opportunity to combine a challenge with either fundraising or raising awareness and this year the latter is our focus during the first weeks of June.
For gamekeepers, stalkers, ghillies (deer and river) and their families it is not always apparent to those whose livelihood is on the rivers that GWT is there for
anyone involved just as it is for keepers and stalkers.
So we are embarking on an adventure on 1st June which incorporates all the major salmon rivers in Scotland, meeting ghillies and boatmen, casting our special GWT fly (a competition was held two years ago and won by Mick Charlton on the Oykel) and explaining the work we do but also listening to what is happening on the water, both fish stocks, at estuary level, the difficulty in protecting the salmon from and spawning to return. During increasing floods or drought periods and many more challenges facing those who live and work in the most beautiful places but whose concerns are very often overlooked.
Anyone who wishes to follow this adventure can access on facebook (Helen’s GWT Scottish River Tour) following the rivers, meeting the ghillies and casting the salmon fly!
The Ghillie
towards new technology and practices like closed containment.
Our Scottish Government should be taking notice of this. It is accepted that a lot of the problems lie in the sea which is out of our control. Therefore, we have to concentrate on our own catchments.
Cold, clean water is what is required due to the influence of Climate change. “Collaboration is the wicked solution for salmon” was a key phrase.
We all need to engage and come together and do catchmentwide projects to sustain our wild Atlantic salmon in our district.
We have been reaching out to others for help and there is a real will to do this. Environmental projects appealing to all is the key and the iconic Salmon will be the main benefactor.
Hopefully, I can update you further in my next column. We can all make a difference.
Scottish Land & Estates welcomes delay to muirburn licensing implementation
A decision to postpone the introduction of muirburn licensing has been welcomed as a ‘pragmatic and necessary step’.
Scottish Land & Estates, the rural business organisation, commented after the Scottish Government confirmed that it would delay the start date for licensing until January, 1, 2026 – just over three months later than the previous intended start date of September 15, 2025.
When commenced, the provisions of the Wildlife Management and Muirburn (Scotland) Act 2024 will require a licence to be in place for all muirburn activity, including on non-peatland. However, the
complexity of mapping peat depth, establishing survey data and preparing licence applications had raised serious concerns among rural stakeholders, who warned that rushing the system into place before the start of the 2025–2026 muirburn season would have created unworkable conditions and significantly increased wildfire risk.
Scottish Land & Estates has worked closely with NFU Scotland, the Scottish Gamekeepers Association, Scotland’s Regional Moorland Groups and BASC to
make the case to Ministers for a more realistic timescale.
Ross Ewing, Director of Moorland at Scottish Land & Estates, said:
“We welcome the Scottish Government’s decision to delay the introduction of muirburn licensing until January 2026. This is a pragmatic and necessary step that reflects the serious technical and logistical challenges raised by stakeholders across the rural sector.
“There is broad consensus that muirburn, when conducted responsibly and in line with
best practice, is an essential land management tool – not least in helping to reduce fuel loads and mitigate the growing threat of wildfires. However, introducing a licensing system without giving land managers sufficient time to comply would have been counterproductive and potentially dangerous.
“We are grateful to government and NatureScot for their engagement on this matter, and to our colleagues across the rural sector for their collaborative efforts in making the case for this postponement.
game cooking with
Don’t tell him Pike!
By Wendy Barrie
If you are of a certain age, this title will make you smile! The other day in Småland, my husband met our neighbour who was off to fish in the nearby lake. With a cheery smile, he said if he caught something he’d drop it in. That evening there was a knock at the door and there he stood holding a 10kg pike. As I was part of the Jury Visit for the evaluation of Central Dalmatia’s candidacy for the title of European Region of Gastronomy 2027, it was left to Bosse to gut the monster and prepare it for the freezer which he valiantly did. Pike is a delicious and under-rated fish – a great catch but quite bony which is why a terrine is the perfect solution.
Pike terrine with lemon hollandaise
300g skinless deboned pike (raw)
2 egg whites
150mls double cream
Isle of Skye sea salt & milled black pepper
Hollandaise sauce:
3 tbsp white wine vinegar
6 peppercorns
1 dried bay leaf
2 egg yolks
100g butter
The juice of half a lemon, salt & pepper to taste
Method:
• Set up processor with the knife blade and feed in the terrine ingredients, starting with the fish, then egg whites, cream and seasoning to create a smooth paste. If you miss a bone, it will be safely ground up in the mixture.
• Generously butter a mould or loaf tin. Pre-heat oven to 180°C and place the mix into the tin. Bake in a bain-marie for 30-40 minutes until set. It will turn out beautifully onto a platter and can be sliced.
• Whilst the terrine is baking, prepare hollandaise and cook any vegetables you wish to serve.
To make hollandaise...
• Place vinegar in a small pan with peppercorns and bay leaf.
• Reduce vinegar until there is only 1tbsp left. Remove peppercorns and bay leaf.
• Place egg yolks in a bowl with the vinegar reduction and whisk together.
• Gently melt butter and allow the butter solids to settle at the bottom of the saucepan.
• Slowly drizzle butter onto the egg yolks, little by little, whisking the yolks all the time with a balloon whisk. Keep going until there are only the butter solids left in pan.
• Season to taste with salt, pepper and lemon juice. Place hollandaise bowl over a pan of hot water and whisk from time to time to keep it gently warmed.
Serves 4. Serving suggestion: buttered new potatoes and asparagus
Wendy is a cook, food writer & campaigner for local sustainable produce & biodiversity. Founder Director of award-winning Scottish Food Guide, Scottish Cheese Trail & Scottish Farm Shops, Wendy is also Leader for Slow Food Ark of Taste & Cooks Alliance in Scotland, IGCAT Global Experts Network member, International Judge & co-founder of Scottish Bread Championship. She has co-written “Meadows: The Swedish Farmer & The Scottish Cook,” with her husband, on regenerative food production, available online & from selected farm shops.
Protect Against Midges: Hoggs of Fife Midgemaster Jacket & Head
As the midge season ramps up, many people are looking at ways of keeping the midges and other insects at bay. The Midgemaster Jacket and Midgemaster Head Cover from Hoggs of Fife are great solutions, offering farmers and outdoor workers practical and comfortable protection against biting insects.
The Midgemaster Jacket (on sale for £17.95 at Wild & Moor) is crafted from 100 % polyester mesh with 620 holes per square inch, delivering excellent breathability while keeping biting insects at bay. It features elasticated cuffs, an adjustable hem, zipped built-in head cover, and a neat storage pocket that stows the entire jacket for compact storage. Practical and easy to pull on over outer layers, it’s becoming a summer staple.
If you’re looking for just head protection, the Midgemaster Head Cover is the one to go for – on sale for just £6.25. This one-size, drawcordadjustable mesh cover fits over hats or hoods, offering protection without compromising visibility.
The Hoggs of Fife Midgemasters provide effective, lightweight protection perfect for farm tasks like livestock checks, fence repairs, or crop inspections - especially during dawn and dusk when midges swarm. As one Wild & Moor customer noted, “Quality seems good and the price reasonable. Certainly better than my last midge smock” (feefo.com).
Both items are available now from Wild & Moor - visit the website or call 01535 611688.
£17.95 www.wildandmoor.co.uk
Irish Setter 882 12 inch Elk Tracker Boots
A best-selling boot from Footwear Country, sold on recommendation, looks the part & does the job!
Full Grain Cowhide Waterproof
Leather
GORE-TEX Waterproof Lining
600 Gram Thinsulate Ultra
Insulation - want a warmer boot
try style 860 - 1000gram
Moisture Wicking Fabric Lining
Comfort Cork EVA with Memory
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ScentBan Odor Inhibitor Footbed
Cork PU Midsole
Bulls-Eye Air Bob Aggressive Dual Density Sole
Premium Leather Flex Welt Construction
£289.90
Telephone: 01460 221720
www.footwearcountry.co.uk
Rigby’s new Cigar Pouch is a cut above for hunters on the move
London gunmaker John Rigby & Co. proudly introduces the Rigby Leather Cigar Pouch, an elegant and practical accessory designed for the discerning cigar enthusiast who enjoys nothing more than unwinding with a fine cigar and good company at the close of a rewarding hunt. It features a secure flip-over tongue embossed with the iconic Rigby ‘double R’ logo, which holds two cigars firmly inside. Designed to fit comfortably in your pocket, it’s ideal for carrying wherever your adventures take you.
Made from 3mm thick bovine leather with a distinctive ostrich leather tongue holder, each pouch is hand-stitched with sera braid waxed string for exceptional strength and resilience. Proudly handcrafted in South Africa by Uvami, a company renowned for its artisanal leatherwork, each pouch is cut and stitched to achieve an antique look and feel. Uvami’s commitment to quality ensures each piece will last for generations.
Rigby Leather Cigar Pouch: £99, plus postage and packaging. www.johnrigbyandco.com
The Country Store Pixfra Launches Volans: A 24/7 4K Digital Day Night Riflescope with LRF
J Boult Designs is delighted to introduce two new additions to its range of handmade leather goods: the FishMhor Salmon Leather Card Wallet and the FishMhor Salmon Leather-Bound Hip Flask Gift Set. Designed for those with a passion for flyfishing and the great outdoors, these distinctive gifts bring together British craftsmanship, rugged elegance, and a deep appreciation for nature.
Each item is handmade in the J Boult Designs workshop using sustainable, dyed-through vegetable-tanned leather from traditional Italian tanneries. The card wallet is hand saddle-stitched for strength and detail, while the hip flask features a leather wrap with a zip edge finish, adding a tactile and stylish touch.
Both pieces are stamped with the signature FishMhor leaping salmon—celebrating the rod, reel, and the joy of being outside. Available in rich shades of tan, olive, and blue, they come beautifully packaged, making them ideal presents for fly fishing enthusiasts and countryside explorers alike.
“We’re excited to launch this new collection of fly-fishing inspired leather goods,” said Jamie Boult, designer and maker at J Boult Designs. “These products blend traditional leatherworking skills with design elements that speak to our love of the wild, making them special pieces for both town and country.”
In keeping with the brand’s ethos of sustainability and slow craftsmanship, these gifts are built to last.
The card wallet is priced at £45, and the hipflask gift set is £65. Both are now available to order via www.jboultdesigns.com, with free UK delivery included.
Pixfra Outdoor has officially released the Volans series, marking the company’s step into all day digital optics that seamlessly shift from daylight to night vision settings.
At its core, the Volans V850 models feature a 4K starlight CMOS sensor delivering ultra high definition 3840×2160 resolution paired with a 50 mm objective lens and 4.9× base magnification. The adjustable aperture (F1.2–F3.0) enables rapid adaptation to changing light—preventing glare in daylight and enhancing clarity after dusk.
Visually, Volans introduces a unique circular 1.25 inch display with a large 70 mm eye relief—offering a viewing experience close to a traditional scope and improved comfort under pressure. Its robust all metal housing is IP67 rated and withstands recoil shocks up to 6000 J, ensuring reliable performance in extreme environments from –30 °C to +65 °C.
For precision, the V850 LRF variant includes an integrated 1000 m laser rangefinder (±1 m accuracy) and smart ballistics computation, enabling data driven long range shots. Built in Wi Fi and the Pixfra Outdoor App support zeroing and control via a smartphone, while on board video/audio recording and a 64 GB gallery allow hunters to capture and review shots in the field.
Volans arrives as a competitively priced alternative to rival scopes, offering thermal like versatility without the high cost.
Volans V850 4K Digital Day & Night Vision Scope: £639.95
Buy from: Night Master, Tel: 01535 611688, www.nightmaster.co.uk
The ATX, STX and BTX objective modules offer you unparalleled modularity and unimagined application possibilities.
Four objective sizes are available for intensive nature observations: 65 mm, 85 mm, 95 mm or 115 mm.
The photo shows the 65mm version.
£820.00 www.swarovskioptik.com
Night Master Stocks
ZEISS Secacam 3, 5 & 7 Trail
Cameras
Night Master, a trusted name in night vision and outdoor imaging technology, is proud to announce it now stocks the full ZEISS Secacam trail camera range — including the Secacam 3, 5, and the latest model, the Secacam 7.
Renowned for their reliability, image quality, and ease of use, ZEISS Secacam trail cameras are ideal for wildlife monitoring, estate security, and remote site surveillance. Each model is designed to deliver sharp images and videos day or night, with seamless 4G connectivity for remote access and instant notifications via the ZEISS Secacam app.
The Secacam 3.offers impressive low-light performance in a compact and affordable format. It features enhanced motion detection, H.265 video compression, and a swivelling screen for fast and easy setup in the field.
The Secacam 5 steps up with 60 invisible black LEDs, delivering crisp IR footage even in total darkness, and is perfect for long-term deployment and high-activity areas.
Now joining the lineup is the Secacam 7 – the flagship model featuring dual SIM 4G connectivity, intuitive menu navigation via a front-facing colour display, and even faster image transmission speeds. Its rugged build and high-spec performance make it ideal for professional-grade wildlife or security applications.
Now available from just £119.95
To browse the full ZEISS Secacam range or get expert advice visit: www.nightmaster.co.uk or call 01535 611688.
Wild & Moor Now Stocking Stoney Creek Clothing for the ladies
Farming and fieldsports retailer
Wild & Moor has increased their stock of Stoney Creek’s premium women’s farming range, which is designed for the demands of life on the land. Built tough and tailored for comfort, this collection is made with female farmers in mind— combining practicality, durability, and smart design.
The Stoney Creek range for women includes popular pieces like the Active Tights, engineered with high-stretch fabric for freedom of movement whether you’re feeding stock or fencing.
The Farm Track Pants offer a rugged alternative with reinforced panels and water-repellent coating, ideal for wet mornings and muddy jobs. For layering up, the Microplus Long Sleeved Top delivers breathable warmth in a lightweight, fast-drying fabric. And when the weather turns a bit nippy, the Hypercore Hoodie has you covered with a cozy fleece lining, and practical pockets.
Wild & Moor specialises in countryside clothing for farming and fieldsports, and the Stoney Creek women’s range reflects their commitment to quality and function. With sizing and fit designed specifically for women, this gear proves that hard work and great kit go hand in hand.
Explore the full range online and get ready for whatever this summer throws at you – rain, wind and maybe a bit of sunshine!
£39.95
10% discount when you use the code: WILD10 www.wildandmoor.co.uk
New Blaser F3 Heritage Game Scene Sporting 12ga. Features factory choke tube 32 inch barrels with flat sporting rib. Side plate game scene engraved receiver featuring Pheasants and Mallards. Highly figured grade 8 right handed Sporting stock with Schnabel forend. Comes in factory leather trim case.
