Current status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 8 October 2024
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has considered recruiting additional staff to support the completion of deer culling by Christmas 2024, in light of the reported preference of cullers to complete culling within this timeframe and the availability of highly trained recreational deerstalkers to facilitate this.
Approximately 80% of deer culling in Scotland is carried out by the private sector and in these circumstances stalkers are not employed to do so by the Scottish Government, its bodies or agencies
Where deer are culled on publicly owned land this is done by trained stalkers which can include: agency staff, for example those employed by Forestry and Land Scotland; contractors; and recreational stalkers.
It is for those managing the land to decide how and when to shoot deer in line with their responsibilities and their Deer Management Plan, with support from NatureScot
I would also refer the member to the answer to the question S6W-30224 on 8 October 2024 which sets out methods being trialled to support and incentivise individuals to cull more deer in some parts of Scotland.
All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.