Short film ‘A Deer Stalker’s Story’
- Thread starter Woodsy
- Start date
Absorbing.
A very useful little promo video, that would be palatable to a wide spectrum of viewers. All credit to the partners involved. Just goes to show that there's a great deal of common ground between hunters and conservation organisations, which needs to be brought out into the open as often as possible through publicity such as this 
Enjoyed that very much. Coincidental that this has been posted as I watched something a few days ago that got me wondering what the rugged, classical Scottish countryside that we're all familiar with would have looked like before the Victorian hunting estates came about. I must say I much prefer the look of it with trees
Beautifully produced and just the sort of video that is needed, not just for showing the realities of deer stalking, but also for the educational and sustainability aspects, and how controlling the deer population is a fundamental part of keeping everything in balance.
Full marks to all concerned in the making of it, and thank you very much for posting it.
Full marks to all concerned in the making of it, and thank you very much for posting it.
Moray Outfitting
Well-Known Member
Not a bad video, but I am going to criticise some comments. First of all the comment that the wide open hills have no wildlife on them. Rubbish. They would love Scotland to be covered in trees like that. We would lose a vast amount of tourism then. Once it is all covered in trees, what's the point in coming further north than Perthshire. One tree looks the same as the next. There would be no draw to bring them up here. They mention 15 local stalkers. But how many are actually employed, I think it is about a third. Less than the number of keepers and stalkers if the estates were still grouse shooting and deer stalking. The amount of revenue that has been lost from missing clients is very large. Just my opinion. Someone who has worked on the hills and forests all his working life. The guy himself is a very good stalker. I have just had one of his trainee stalkers doing her level 1 today. Forgetting who she is working for, her keeness and dedication to stalking was a breath of fresh air. J
You can't dispute the facts that the area once had far more native trees, and far more wildlife, than it does at present, and that its natural state is not as we see it today.
Really nice guy. I met him on a Deer management course last year.
Couldn't agree more John.
Alastair Boston
Well-Known Member
A great educational film, as it gets the message across nicely.
Plenty of rodents will be present on that moor, Anyone who has been out at night with either lamp or thermal would attest to this, Barn Owls & the like don't survive on fresh air.
Moray Outfitting
Well-Known Member
Sorry guys, Going to put my head over the parapit here. So far all those that are in agreement seem to come from outside the Highlands. J
Moray Outfitting
Well-Known Member
Sorry that should have read as those that agreed with the film.J
Fair comment. Similar things said in the past regarding management of wildlife in Africa and other places abroad. I wonder where the line is, that you can have an opinion on an areas wildlife state. It's not okay to have strong opinions (apparently) if the land in question is on another continent (Africa), now I suppose it's also not okay if it's in a neighbouring country which happens to be in the same nation. May I have opinions about what is in my back garden I wonder.
Jesting aside, the people living in immediate area of course are the people that have opinions that really count but I was a bit confused by this comment:
" We would lose a vast amount of tourism then. Once it is all covered in trees, what's the point in coming further north than Perthshire"
I don't get it. The open hills already covers a massive area. If a bit of tree cover in the Highlands would stop tourism because it would all look the same and no one would bother to travel further, surely the same can be said for the open hillside there is now? I don't think they suggested in the film that the open hillside is devoid of wildlife, but there is plenty of good science showing that the loss of aspen groves and such had reduced the biodiversity of the Scottish Countryside.
Being careful not to sound like a rewilder here...
The mere existence of things such as bog pine, nevermind anything else, shows that the countryside of Scotland is not in it's wild state and that it's a relatively recent change. Up to the Scots to decide what they want their countryside to look like.
Now would those presumably also be the same tourists you said wouldn't want to go further North than Perthshire?
Perhaps there's an opportunity here for someone based in the Highlands to make a nice video showing how grouse moors benefit both the economy and the environment, or how deer numbers on the open Hill can be positively managed for the same end? Heaven knows it's needed!
If we want to win the hearts and minds of those that matter - not the deer stalking fraternity, but the general public and politicians - then we need to up the game. These days, rightly or wrongly, those are the hearts and minds that matter.
Whether you agree with it or not, the video posted by the OP is designed to do just that - win hearts and minds. Surely there is enough money in the grouse shooting and deer stalking estates to do something similar?
Moray Outfitting
Well-Known Member
Good comment Willie, Unfortunately you said the nasty word "Money". The organisations that were in that video will have had possible grants to pay for the production. If a group of landowners on the hills asked for a grant to do their own video, they would be shot down in flames. Can't be seen to be giving money to help those we are trying to get rid off. Especially if it was a video to counteract what has been put out by the nice people. Sad state of affairs . J
If by " a relatively recent change " you mean around six thousand years ago when the climate became wetter and colder leading to species such as bog pine becoming established, I agree.
On another note, when watching TV programmes where they interview manager's of Nature Reserves run by the RSPB, Woodland Trust etc, I have yet to hear one who has a Scottish accent.
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