Mike can you provide me with some info please. What is your connection with Nial Rowntree and Graham Tailor from SNH. I here your involved in ardnamurchan estates in what capacity and were the feck did the wild Goats and monster stags come from.
Hi Davie,
I can certainly help you with some of the information you require. It is not uncommon for successful professional companies to work together on partnering arrangements. Whilst we would not be willing to disclose any details of a commercial nature between Jelen and West Highland Hunting, I can tell you that both parties are currently working on several exciting new projects that will become apparent in the months to come.
One exciting development is certainly the greater opportunity for UK and overseas sportsmen to have access to some of the finest quality deer hunting both North and South of the border.
Niall and I realised some time ago that our two companies were very similar in lots of ways, not least our commitment to professionalism and outstanding customer care, and it has indeed been the corner stones of our professional working partnership. Also it became apparent to both of us that the more visibility our respective companies had in the industry, the more of a 'target' we became.
Niall and I share many qualities. We are both jointly and severally committed to raising the standards of wild deer management and associated training throughout the UK, but also our 'immunity to criticism' has been a crucial factor in allowing both companies to focus on the important positive elements of the profession.
Certainly the alliance between Jelen and West Highland Hunting means that through a pooling of knowledge and professional expertise, we are able to offer not only quality services throughout every sector of deer and wildlife management, but that we are able to pass this knowledge on through professionally based, approved training supported by LANTRA and The UHI.
Ardnamurchan is a peninsula - almost an island in itself - offering an ideal maritime climate, perfect for deer and other wildlife. This in itself has certainly helped Red deer in the area to out-perform many other populations throughout Scotland in terms of body weight and antler development, but the real influence has been though the rigorous selective management of Red deer in the area. Ardnamurchan's elevation to become one of the premier sporting estates in Scotland is testament to Niall's extensive professional experience in this field.
You ask where the wild goats came from and the 'Monster stags'. Wild goats have been in the Lochaber and West Argyll area since the Bronze Age. The wild goats on the Ardnamurchan peninsula are nothing new to that part of Scotland.
The 'Monster Stags' you speak of date back to the 1890's, when introductions of deer from Eastern Europe, and some of the prominent parks throughout England helped improve genetics. It was common to introduce new blood from English parks around that time, in fact the deer on the Island of Rhum and surrounding islands are believed to have originated from Warnham park.
If you need any further information, then you could sign up for one of our excellent courses!
Hope that helps.
Regards,
Mike.
Mike Allison
Managing Director - Jelen Deer Services
01264 811155
Coming to a deer forest near you!