Available: Forestry Commision leases

If anyone is looking to tender for the Recreational Deer Management Permission for Lot 11 - WhiteHaugh and Knockespock Forest block in Moray and Aberdeenshire ForestDistrict, please can you PM me. I am based just a few miles from here and may be interested in a syndicate place if available in the future.
Thanks
Simon
 
If anyone is looking to tender for the Recreational Deer Management Permission for Lot 11 - WhiteHaugh and Knockespock Forest block in Moray and Aberdeenshire ForestDistrict, please can you PM me. I am based just a few miles from here and may be interested in a syndicate place if available in the future.
Thanks
Simon

Likewise, if anyone is putting in for the Lochar moss areas at Dumfries, I'd be interested in being a controller there. I'd be quite a good addition to an application being local too.
 
Word is that FCs are not impressed with those trying to exploit these Recreational Permissions as commercial opportunities.
 
As a public body they should be maximising the return they get. We wouldn't want them selling timber to recreational sawmills at knockdown rates. So why do that with the deer? I think a decent guide should be able to buy a lease and take people out. There are plenty of good guides on there who would probably have jumped at the chance. And probably made more money for the public purse too.
 
As a public body they should be maximising the return they get. We wouldn't want them selling timber to recreational sawmills at knockdown rates. So why do that with the deer? I think a decent guide should be able to buy a lease and take people out. There are plenty of good guides on there who would probably have jumped at the chance. And probably made more money for the public purse too.

How and why was the Foresrty Commission set up???
The Forestry Commission was enabled by an act that was set it up to allow access to forests for all.
You are supposed to be able to get a scavenge licence to pick up uneconomical bits of timber.
Except when you do get a licence, as an individual, you get told there are no areas - because guess what - all the areas have been allocated to commercial businesses?
It's about time the Forestry Commission did, what the the act that set it up said it should do.

Either that or the Act needs changing.

Ed
 
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How and why was the Foresrty Commission set up???
The Forestry Commission was enabled by an act that was set it up to allow access to forests for all.
You are supposed to be able to get a scavenge licence to pick up uneconomical bits of timber.
Except when you do get a licence, as an individual, you get told there are no areas - because guess what - all the areas have been allocated to commercial businesses?
It's about time the Forestry Commission did, what the the act that set it up said it should do.

Either that or the Act needs changing.

Ed

Actually, the Forestry Commission was set up to protect the UKs forested areas and to promote the expansion of woodland area. Selling leases to deer managers would be counter productive and ultimately cost the tax payer money. Forestry Commission Scotland currently have a budget of £38m per year to promote woodland expansion and good forestry practice. Nearly half of the budget is spent on protecting the new planting from deer browsing. Do you know how many deer you can pay contractors to kill with £15m? They could double the annual cull of Scotland before its cost a penny.

Sporting leases in forestry don't make money. They cost money.
 
As a public body they should be maximising the return they get. We wouldn't want them selling timber to recreational sawmills at knockdown rates. So why do that with the deer? I think a decent guide should be able to buy a lease and take people out. There are plenty of good guides on there who would probably have jumped at the chance. And probably made more money for the public purse too.

Return is not just pure financial value of the lease - it is ensuing the successful permission holder meets the cull targets in order to minimise browsing damage and ensuring that that is done in a manner that is safe. This last point is crucial in a public forest where there can be all manner of access
takers.
 
How and why was the Foresrty Commission set up???
The Forestry Commission was enabled by an act that was set it up to allow access to forests for all.
You are supposed to be able to get a scavenge licence to pick up uneconomical bits of timber.
Except when you do get a licence, as an individual, you get told there are no areas - because guess what - all the areas have been allocated to commercial businesses?
It's about time the Forestry Commission did, what the the act that set it up said it should do.

Either that or the Act needs changing.

Ed

Wrong on so many counts the FC was created to create Forestry following WW1 - public access followed that. The reason for the Forestry Commissions existence is to grow trees. Now that public access has expanded it has a duty to do that safely (All landowners have a duty in law to ensure access takers are not unreasonably put in harms way) - therefore all "permissions" must be managed in a safe manner around other operations.

Anyway - if you think it should be changed you now have your chance https://consult.scotland.gov.uk/forestry/future-of-forestry
 
Tom D that will happen FC are at this moment changing policy at the top level to allow business deer stalking on the NFE in Scotland. They have also been instrumental in normalising out of season and night shooting in Scotland. There might not be a big rush for the business side of things deer will now have the same value as foxes and will be treated like vermin officially.
 
Tom D that will happen FC are at this moment changing policy at the top level to allow business deer stalking on the NFE in Scotland. They have also been instrumental in normalising out of season and night shooting in Scotland. There might not be a big rush for the business side of things deer will now have the same value as foxes and will be treated like vermin officially.

Not quite. 25 deer Recreational Permissions recently released for tender. Price is only a small part of the scoring matrix. Rest focused on experience, safety and ability to do the required job.
 
Not to mention the conflict of interest between a land owner that requires a deer density as low as possible and a sporting tennant that would require sustainably high densities of deer.

Personally, I really like the intention behind the control licensing in its current form. I believe the intention is noble and in a perfect, honest world, the deer in these areas can be controlled by well trained, well prepared and well equipped local stalkers at a reasonable cost. It's just a shame that a minority of people try to exploit the rules for personal gain. They'll ruin it for everyone else for the sake of a couple of grand. Doesn't make sense to me. Just get a job like.
 
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