Picking up antlers? (Scotland)

Heather Hugger

Well-Known Member
Hi All

What is the law with people picking up antlers in Scotland?

I know nobody owns deer until they are dead, is that the case when the antler is cast. Does it then belong to the landowner?

HH
 
I think it does, but do not think you will get done if you pick some up. If stopped and asked for it back, just hand it over.
 
I would be surprised if any landowner would be upset with you picking up cast antlers.

I doubt the law would even cover this
 
as I understand it when the antler is still atached to the animal it is classed as venison!! not sure of the technicalities once cast though.

Dave
 
Hi All

What is the law with people picking up antlers in Scotland?

I know nobody owns deer until they are dead, is that the case when the antler is cast. Does it then belong to the landowner?

HH

Why would an antler (cast or otherwise) be any different from any other item one might "pick up"?

If you are on someone else's property why would you think you have the right to pick up and keep anything you see without the owner's permission?

Or do you think there might be "laws" which give you dispensation to do so?

I'm always intrigued to see how people try and justify theft. Mushroom pickers are the most inventive in this department, in my experience and firewood thieves are among the nastiest, after scrappies and poachers.

My suggestion is, ask for the owner's permission... and ask nicely... you might be pleasantly surprised.

Public land is another matter... though many imagine it covers most of Scotland... but it certainly doesn't.
 
Antlers are part of the stalkers perks and can be worth a few £100,s annually, approx £6-£7/Kg.
Climbing into inbye fields to get antlers or lifting them of the green haugh lands at the bottom of a glen where the stags winter would not be appreciated as it is almost certainly where the stalker/shepherd is collecting his.
Picking up an odd antler while out on the open hill is unlikely to bother anyone but the best and most courteious approach is to ask permission from the people on the ground.
 
Mushroom pickers are the most inventive in this department, in my experience and firewood thieves are among the nastiest, after scrappies and poachers.

My suggestion is, ask for the owner's permission... and ask nicely... you might be pleasantly surprised.

Public land is another matter... though many imagine it covers most of Scotland... but it certainly doesn't.
Mushrooms are a funny thing , if they cut them you cant do anything , if they pick them you can do them for tresspass
 
Mushrooms are a funny thing , if they cut them you cant do anything , if they pick them you can do them for tresspass

The Theft Act 1968 (I hope I've titled it correctly) appears to specifically permit anyone to indulge in wild berry picking, wild flower picking and wild mushroom picking (provided it's not done for profit and providing the growing organisms are not uprooted).... but only in England and Wales..... unfortunately, convincing people that said Act is not a Scottish Instrument and does not apply here is often like banging your head of a brick wall. Even SNH seem to have adopted it, North of the border... :rolleyes:

Fortunately the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003, for all the confusion and disruption it is causing, does have, as one of it's few sensible benefits, the advantage of clearly stipulating many areas to which access rights do not extend and therefore to areas where "mushroom pickers" et al have no right to be. Unfortunately, again, few people bother to learn just how many areas are off limits and even the "Access Code" does tend to "interpret" the law here... Heck... I've even had an access Ranger try arguing with me (quite erroneously) about a private road through my own farm buildings, which is most certainly NOT a public right of way and is therefore land to which access rights definitely do not extend, but now I digress.

As stated before, just show a bit of respect and courtesy to the landowner and ask nicely. I know it's not fashionable to do these days but, in my experience, it nearly always helps you get what you want and saves anyone from getting steamed up. There's one guy I always allow on to pick mushrooms in cropping fields here because he gives me a share of my own mushrooms in return (usually just Horse mushrooms and common Field mushrooms)... :D ....But he did once find some Morels that I had never noticed or known about before, though he'll be a very lucky boy indeed if he ever beats me to the Oyster Mushrooms, Chanterelles or young Puffballs.

No-one's ever asked me about looking for Antlers but I could point someone in the right direction for those too.
 
The Theft Act 1968 (I hope I've titled it correctly) appears to specifically permit anyone to indulge in wild berry picking, wild flower picking and wild mushroom picking (provided it's not done for profit and providing the growing organisms are not uprooted).... but only in England and Wales..... unfortunately, convincing people that said Act is not a Scottish Instrument and does not apply here is often like banging your head of a brick wall. Even SNH seem to have adopted it, North of the border... :rolleyes:



Fortunately the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003, for all the confusion and disruption it is causing, does have, as one of it's few sensible benefits, the advantage of clearly stipulating many areas to which access rights do not extend and therefore to areas where "mushroom pickers" et al have no right to be. Unfortunately, again, few people bother to learn just how many areas are off limits and even the "Access Code" does tend to "interpret" the law here... Heck... I've even had an access Ranger try arguing with me (quite erroneously) about a private road through my own farm buildings, which is most certainly NOT a public right of way and is therefore land to which access rights definitely do not extend, but now I digress.

As stated before, just show a bit of respect and courtesy to the landowner and ask nicely. I know it's not fashionable to do these days but, in my experience, it nearly always helps you get what you want and saves anyone from getting steamed up. There's one guy I always allow on to pick mushrooms in cropping fields here because he gives me a share of my own mushrooms in return (usually just Horse mushrooms and common Field mushrooms)... :D ....But he did once find some Morels that I had never noticed or known about before, though he'll be a very lucky boy indeed if he ever beats me to the Oyster Mushrooms, Chanterelles or young Puffballs.

No-one's ever asked me about looking for Antlers but I could point someone in the right direction for those too.

So after all of the above your actually saying fill your boots .

Remember 90% of the landowners in Scotland are absent .
I've seen loads of people coming off the hill with cast antlers I wouldn't think twice of saying a thing to them .
 
So after all of the above your actually saying fill your boots .

Remember 90% of the landowners in Scotland are absent .
I've seen loads of people coming off the hill with cast antlers I wouldn't think twice of saying a thing to them .

The question was... "what's the law?"

I'm guessing it's not your hill or maybe you would think twice about saying something to them, if they had just helped themselves to stuff that didn't belong to them.

I once had a guy ask if he could pick mushrooms off a turnip field of mine. I even said yes to him.... then he nicked a sack full of turnips too. I saw him do it, jumped in my car and he sped off. So, I followed him till he got back to his house (8miles away), he couldn't believe I was that bothered about a few turnips and he seemed to think I was completely nuts for wasting time and petrol money on following him and clearly he did not understand at all when I said I wasn't actually bothered about a few turnips but I was seriously ****ed off at him for stealing from me and I took my neeps back. He hasn't been back here, in daylight hours, since. Was that you?
 
I know antlers are not the same as mushrroms, turnips or anything else you cultivate yourself, but what value are old cast antlers to you?

In Scotland you cant stop them walking the ground with the public right to roam, so i cant see the harm in allowing them to take the antlers.
Avoids confrontation in a situation that you have little or no control over anyway.
 
I took my neeps back. He hasn't been back here, in daylight hours, since. Was that you?

I think you're quite safe, I'm very confident widow's son isn't a turnip thief! :lol:

As for cast antlers, I don't seem to find any. Maybe somebody's been away with them.
 
I know antlers are not the same as mushrroms, turnips or anything else you cultivate yourself, but what value are old cast antlers to you?

In Scotland you cant stop them walking the ground with the public right to roam, so i cant see the harm in allowing them to take the antlers.
Avoids confrontation in a situation that you have little or no control over anyway.


Now, there's a red-rag, if ever I saw one.. :D and I've already indicated I wouldn't have an issue with someone asking about antlers too..:rolleyes:

However, you are right, insofar as I wouldn't likely ever bother about antlers......... but, where would you draw the line with that sort of attitude?

There's some nice daffies growing in my neighbours garden still... is it ok if I just nick a bunch of those before they die back?... They can't be worth much and they'll be past by next week anyway...
 
Now, there's a red-rag, if ever I saw one.. :D and I've already indicated I wouldn't have an issue with someone asking about antlers too..:rolleyes:

However, you are right, insofar as I wouldn't likely ever bother about antlers......... but, where would you draw the line with that sort of attitude?

There's some nice daffies growing in my neighbours garden still... is it ok if I just nick a bunch of those before they die back?... They can't be worth much and they'll be past by next week anyway...

NO, access rights do not apply to private gardens. I thought YOU of all people would know that.:stir:
 
I was always taught to leave cast antlers where they lay as they are an important form of calcium to the deer as they 'munch' on them....or is this just an old wives tale ??
 
They don't apply to woods either but an awful lot of folk don't seem to know that, or don't care. So, many do come into our woodland and nick our daffies.

It's an unjust world.... init? View attachment 15110

Under what circumstance to access right not apply to woodland? Unless it is a very small woodland which is classed as part of a private residence and/or a health and safety issue.

Pages 11-13 of the access code do not state that access is restricted to woodland. But as you put it, picking up antlers could be classed as theft and therefore you are not exercising you access rights responsibly.


So, you should not pick up antlers as it is theft and access rights DO apply to woodland (unless it is restricted for any of the reasons stated in section 2.11 of the SOAC):thumb:

HH

 
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