Sika

Tulloch

Well-Known Member
I have been watching a herd of Sika hinds now over the last couple of seasons and have come to the conclusion there is no cull done on them.

Where I stay we have a number of grouse estates surrounding our area but little to no shooting is done by the estates on the lower farm grounds as we are in the foothills of the mountain range behind us. So over the last few seasons I have been interested in the growth of the Sika that is here, Boundaried by forrestry commission ground is the estate farms prodominantly sheep, The Sika cause a lot of problem to motorists myself included over the years not to mention the countless damage they must be doing to woodland,

The herd I have been watching is only one of the small herds around here as on the way home at nights in different sections of the 27 mile journey from Inverness to mine along the one road in South Lochness I come accross countless other groups.

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That was last year about this time,

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a morning or two ago .

I have more pics but you can see how big that one herd is getting . Just to add these pics are taken within rage of the main road at no particular time of the day.
 
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Don't know exactly where you are but there used to be considerable number of Sika culled in that area and would imagine there still is.

Have seen quite a lot by the roadside in the past between Fort Augustus and Foyers.
 
Don't know exactly where you are but there used to be considerable number of Sika culled in that area and would imagine there still is.

Have seen quite a lot by the roadside in the past between Fort Augustus and Foyers.

Am in Whitebridge mate , and that field showing is just as Boleskine manse just below where they are putting the windfarm
 
Wallace, That particular herd seem to float between that moorland field to the woodland between there and Foyers, I think it Corriegarth that has that field not sure though as I kind of stay out of the local politics around here and I don't and have not asked for any shooting in this area.

Between here (whitebridge) and Inverness there is generally a huge population of Sika/Sika Hybrids, I have noticed also a decline in Roe in the Torness area but obviously Gledoe is still mainly Red, do like taking pics of the stags at the feeding station on Glen Doe it is easy for just anyone to see the stags in different seasons.

When I come home at all hours of the morning I usually try and count how many I see along the Loch road between Dores and Foyers, One night I counted 127 including calves.

I understand it must be now a nightmare to keep up with them.
 
I got to stalk there over a few seasons along with my brother, I've never seen so many sika anywhere else. I know the FC were very hard on them ( no surprise there) in that area. Bonnie area and I never had a blank outing. I also know they wanted them thinned out to reduce tick so the grouse could flourish. Didn't understand that one as they were fenced off the open hill anyway. As you say a lot of politics in that area.
 
I got to stalk there over a few seasons along with my brother, I've never seen so many sika anywhere else. I know the FC were very hard on them ( no surprise there) in that area. Bonnie area and I never had a blank outing. I also know they wanted them thinned out to reduce tick so the grouse could flourish. Didn't understand that one as they were fenced off the open hill anyway. As you say a lot of politics in that area.

Too much politics to start going asking questions, I do gather there are 8 keepers on one of the estates but from what I have heard (might be wrong) they do very little on the lower levels off the moor, as I said I really could be wrong and it just being local gripes
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I don't understand why they be bothered about Sika and Ticks I been up the hills here (obviously just walking not working) and I have never seen a Sika past the lower levels all reds out on the hill here and obviously you can see how commercial the grouse is here as the Butts are low maintenance permanent ones all numbered and organised.
 
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