Reply to post: Compunding issues

Oh deer! Scotland needs some tech smarts to help monitor its rampant herbivore populations

Anonymous Coward
Linux

Compunding issues

> solar powered cellular game cameras

The "introduce a predator" kneejerk is fraught with unforeseen issues, but an attractive one. But the problem is, of course, much more layered and complex than simply that there are no more apex predators in Scotland. To give an idea of where the problem lies, it is worth noting that there is generally a higher clustering of deer near railway lines than elsewhere. Why? Because the railways were largely built to bring Sir Spotty Erbert and his Victorian brethren to their estates where they wanted ot prove their manhood by shooting a deer, an animal as frightening ads the average goat. To this day there is a cachet regarding a "magnificent set of antlers" as though an antler will stop a high powered rifle bullet fired via telescopic sights at extreme range.

But the same landowning class who caused the problem in the first place largely want their "sport" to continue, usually at he expense of virtually every other bit of wildlife on their patches. Landowners are supposed to formulate plans among themselves to keep deer numbers at levels at which they won't decimate the place. The result is, in our area, there are several landowners, all with mutually incompatible agenda. One wants hordes of deer he and his chums can easily shoot from the back of an Argo, another wants to re-tree their estate so wants no deer at all, another is reasonable in allowing some high-lucrative stalking but at low levels of deer density while another is pretty much bankrupt and can't afford the Rambos ^h^h^h who make their living culling deer. SO near ius, deer levels are approaching 70 per square kilometre. Some area look like deer farms in the evenings. And driving at dusk is extremely risky

It's an historical mess. And SNH are supposed to be arbitrators and enforcers, while having no teeth at all. I can't blame them for wanting some better stats than the occasional helicopter count.

--> Tux, because at the moment, there's no problem with our penguin population.

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