Scotland Central Belt DMG's

jimbo123p

Well-Known Member
Having spoken to a couple of people starting their own versions I was wondering if anyone was getting progress. Having attended the Best Practice day I have been giving a lot of thought about what would be involved in the new type of DMG required. There is a lot of elements required with structure, stakeholders, accreditation, interested parties, DCS, councils, Scottish Office for trunk roads . While I can see the benefits of an area DMG without a blanket holding company I cannot see the small groups surviving. I would say a DMG would have to be set up taking in the central belt from Glasgow to Edinburgh along the m8-m9 corridor with maybe twenty miles north and south of the motorways. Each geographical area could set up their own local DMG but stake-holding syndicates could be overrun. DCS would have to deal with any or all. Commercial interests would chase every asset. What is required is a venture as was done by the east coast wildfowlers where they looked to amalgamate an area from Tay to the borders down the east coast. They wanted to create a body big enough to have a voice. Remember all current DMG's are commercial interests. Who is to say a commercial interest will not set up such a DMG with DCS feeding the leads into their office. Whatever happens it has to be bigger than lucky dip stalking.
It will require management, professional stalkers, training, legal services, accounting services. If you have ever dealt with government type offices they are looking for a level of professionalism with amateurs shunned no matter how well presented.
Stakeholders will have to include several opposing factions. The stalkers are only a part. Ian Ferguson (FC) said at the Best Practice he would expect his department to have a seat. DCS would have a seat. Local council would want a seat. The woodmen would want a seat. The farmers would want a seat. The last two could be through the DCS office. However the MG stands for management group and that takes in a lot more than just the stalkers.
Accreditation would be required. In the main this will be deer management qualification. Professional standards will have to be impeccable. I would imagine they will go deeper than DSC2. Somewhere along the line a professional stalker will have to be on the cards as roads dept. will not engage a hobby job stalker to clear a problem on a major road.
Interested parties like syndicates on private land, neighbours to cull areas, sporting estates and the like will be unhappy if GI Joe comes along the road and sets up to wipe out every deer that crosses the roadside boundary.
DCS has a stated interest in deer management as stated at Best Practice
Councils and public land ownership has a need for DMG services but the process must be professionally run. (Not necessarily a paid professional but professionally presented)
Professional stalking enterprises. Would deer guides appear in the ranks?
There are a multitude of questions and items here to be discussed. Some will say run with it, Jim while others will tell me to keep my kneb out. However it is trying to find a balance between a stalking syndicate who wants to be accredited with DMG status and reap the rewards and setting up a body capable of survival in a competitive world. It should be for stalkers, managed by stalkers and be capable of expanding our sport and profile. It will cost money. It can produce results. It should also benefit the deer.
I am off out for a couple of hour. There could be some interesting replies before I get back,
Jim
 
I know there is a group in South Lanarkshire and the makings of one in North Lanarkshire, which if linked up would cover pretty much most of land in the Western side of Central Scotland.

However, having 1 large group could be a disadvantage, your always going to get clash of personalities and the bigger the group the more chance of that happening, what works for one group may not be viable for another.

Maybe a different solution would be to have a central body/committee made up from interested parties and representatives of individual local deer groups. I think that would be easier to manage than one large group covering the entire central belt.

Maybe monthly meetings where each representative states their requirements for deer control, name areas of replanting, areas that have more deer than wanted etc etc.
 
Sorry lads but what you are talking about is the DMG,s doing the work of the Forestry Commission . Over the last couple of years the losses that the FC have encountered would have put any normal organisation out of business. It would have also ended with some one being in jail for trading at the losses that were recorded. But they have moved on to community woodlands and this means the woods round our towns and cities. There is no plan for management groups to stalk in the local areas so that means there is no need for the central belt DMG.s its just a smoke screen. If you want to join a DMG do so but don't expect to much from it. The DCS will not work with amateurs even if they behave in a professional manner.
 
Hightower said:
There is no plan for management groups to stalk in the local areas so that means there is no need for the central belt DMG.s its just a smoke screen. If you want to join a DMG do so but don't expect to much from it. The DCS will not work with amateurs even if they behave in a professional manner.

Well Hightower, you are not pulling your punches! I imagine some people will have had their bubbles burst after you saying that :lol:
DMG's will certainly suit the government organisations because they will get the cull figures they are desperate for & the stalkers in the group will be accountable in a way they wouldn't have been before joining.
I am not confident members of the DMGs will get anything meaningful back for their efforts.
On the BP day, they showed us a map, and much of Scotland already has established DMGs,most of these will be made up by big organisations though.
No-one knows for certain what the future holds for deer stalking, reading between the lines there will be mandatory elements to comply with though.
 
Eh!

Hightower,

You are obviously in the know:

There is no plan for management groups to stalk in the local areas so that means there is no need for the central belt DMG.s its just a smoke screen. If you want to join a DMG do so but don't expect to much from it. The DCS will not work with amateurs even if they behave in a professional manner.

I have been given slightly different information from the horses mouth , not via chinese whispers. You make bold statements when it is complete and utter nonsence.

The DCS currently work with Buchan Deer Management Group contradicting your statement completely. They are a group of recreational roe stalkers with a common interest and voice controlling the deer in their locality. They meet set criteria set down by the DCS and once they had complied it was green for go.

I have met with Ronald Rose and Alastair McGoogan and Jamie Hammond to here there views on the matter. None agree with you unfortunatley.

Nothing is needed until the WNEB bill goes through the Scottish Parliament. :lol: :lol: :lol:

If you state there is not plan, back it up with sources not hot air and rhetoric. And in reference to amatuer you are being condescending, if you have passed the relevant qualifications to be on the DSC list then the differences are recreational and professional.

That is the whole point of DMQ and Lantra qualifications, prove you are not an amateur GEDDIT :eek:
 
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