Available: Community Deer Stalking at Creag Meagaidh NNR

[forestgimp1]

NatureScot Creag Meagaidh National Nature Reserve- Community Deer Stalking.

NatureScot are looking for expressions of interest from full time residents of the Community Council areas of Laggan, Dalwhinnie, Newtonmore, Kingussie, Speanbridge, and Roybridge & Achnacarry to join a community based deer stalking group at Creag Meagaidh NNR.

This will help NatureScot by contributing to our annual deer cull which assists us in delivering our ambitions of protecting and restoring the nature reserve. It will also help us to encourage local community involvement in the management of the NNR.

As well as interest from those who may already be deer stalking and have gained qualifications we are also keen to hear from those who have an interest but have yet to gain any qualifications or experience.

We hope that this will be a low or no cost scheme for members.

If you are interested please PM or email NNR Manager Rory.Richardson@nature.scot or call 07725171287 by the 15th June.

 

[foxhunter]

Great idea .....hope South of the Border follow suit.

 

[stu847]

What an area to stalk. Volunteered here a few times and it’s an amazing place

 

[slider]

Well done NatureScot

 

[baguio]

Sounds like an accident waiting to happen to me. I hope I'm wrong!

 

[forestgimp1]

Sounds like an accident waiting to happen to me. I hope I'm wrong!

How’s that?

 

[baguio]

How’s that?

Lots of new stalkers of questionable/zero ability and experience in an area that probably has quite a high footfall. That's how!
I stalk in a small 'syndicate' of stalkers of proven experience and ability and I'm thankful that that is the case because the public turn up in the most unlikely places at the most unlikely times of day and night. Thermal has proven that to me time and time again. I've even spotted them hiding from me through the thermal!

 

[forestgimp1]

Lots of new stalkers of questionable/zero ability and experience in an area that probably has quite a high footfall. That's how!
I stalk in a small 'syndicate' of stalkers of proven experience and ability and I'm thankful that that is the case because the public turn up in the most unlikely places at the most unlikely times of day and night. Thermal has proven that to me time and time again. I've even spotted them hiding from me through the thermal!

This will be very tightly regulated I can assure you.

 

[sh1kar]

Nice ground. I used to stalk Cluny. Spectacular. You probably know Sharpie
S

 

[baguio]

This will be very tightly regulated I can assure you.

I would hope so. However, the more people that are involved the harder it is to regulate. Think about it.

 

[forestgimp1]

I would hope so. However, the more people that are involved the harder it is to regulate. Think about it.

Quite a sparsely populated area.
This is a ground breaking initiative to provide low cost/free stalking and training opportunities to local people on publicly owned land.
There are full-time highly experienced stalkers on site who will be in full control all aspects.

 

[baguio]

Quite a sparsely populated area.
This is a ground breaking initiative to provide low cost/free stalking and training opportunities to local people on publicly owned land.
There are full-time highly experienced stalkers on site who will be in full control all aspects.

I don't know the area even slightly. However, public access and training opportunities in the same sentence makes me nervous. I hope it works out well for everyone.

 

[forestgimp1]

No need to be nervous.
The site is in regular use as a training centre for firearms/marksmanship.
Dsc levels 1/2. ATV training, best practice events and is used by North highland college for the training of the next generation of Stalkers/keepers.
Health and safety is an absolute priority.

 

[riflerob]

I don't know the area even slightly. However, public access and training opportunities in the same sentence makes me nervous. I hope it works out well for everyone.

Not sure why. A lot of it is incredibly remote and quiet. I hiked up Glen Roy a few years ago, stopped in the Luib Chonnal bothy. The first few miles I saw a couple of farm vehicles. Once I got past the Brae Roy lodge I didn't see anyone in the next 4-5 miles up to the bothy, or any litter, and barely a trace that people even existed. The next day I did another 5 miles of completely empty country to Melgarve bothy, where there were people - but that spot only gets plenty of visitors because you can drive to within 100 yards of it (and they had done so), and from there I headed down the Spey to Laggan.

From the Brae Roy lodge to Laggan I saw 10 people, 8 of whom were locals / workers, and 2 of who hadn't gone more than 100 metres from tarmac. I saw one parked up car (at Melgarve, as already mentioned), and no sign of anyone else walking / hiking /MTBing in the area, or of having done so recently.

 

[slider]

I don't know the area even slightly. However, public access and training opportunities in the same sentence makes me nervous. I hope it works out well for everyone.

On sure you understand the context of Nature Reserve in this instance. This is not a pond with wee bit wood and a few ducks.
creag Meagaidh is 4000 ha (10,000 acres) of pretty remote landscape

 

[Corvid8x57]

Not sure why. A lot of it is incredibly remote and quiet. I hiked up Glen Roy a few years ago, stopped in the Luib Chonnal bothy. The first few miles I saw a couple of farm vehicles. Once I got past the Brae Roy lodge I didn't see anyone in the next 4-5 miles up to the bothy, or any litter, and barely a trace that people even existed. The next day I did another 5 miles of completely empty country to Melgarve bothy, where there were people - but that spot only gets plenty of visitors because you can drive to within 100 yards of it (and they had done so), and from there I headed down the Spey to Laggan.

From the Brae Roy lodge to Laggan I saw 10 people, 8 of whom were locals / workers, and 2 of who hadn't gone more than 100 metres from tarmac. I saw one parked up car (at Melgarve, as already mentioned), and no sign of anyone else walking / hiking /MTBing in the area, or of having done so recently.

Glen Roy is the most beautiful & unspoilt place - I love my annual week of sanity up there. A night at Luib Chonnal must have been a wonderful experience.

 

[Dave_45]

About time this sort of thing was happening in Scotland.
Hopefully reduce the need for greedy contractors out to make a buck, infact I hope it ruffles their feather's.

 

[baguio]

Hopefully reduce the need for greedy contractors out to make a buck,

Why are they greedy? It's their job. Do you consider yourself greedy because you expect to be paid for your work?

 

[Dave_45]

Why are they greedy? It's their job. Do you consider yourself greedy because you expect to be paid for your work?

Absolutely not , there a contractor's with morals, and there's also flying unicorns

 

[baguio]

Absolutely not , there a contractor's with morals, and there's also flying unicorns

You haven't got a clue Dave. Do you know every contractor in the British isles? There are loads on this site for a start! It's not all about shooting every deer you see I can assure you. You just sound like a very bitter man!