So the Natural Environment Bill Scotland now reaches the end of Stage 2. MSP's have 10 days before they cannot ask for ammendments of this Bill.
I know some of the people of this forum has been open about their thoughts on this and there is plenty of arguments for and against even in the community, but, what potentially does this mean?
I recently had a couple of guys wanting to come to shoot for 12 day during the rut next year, they are from Switzerland and got real fussy about the price I quoted, they wanted unaccompanied stalking and I was gonna charge them £500 per person per day and they can shoot 2 each a day per person, obviously they wanted unaccompanied so if they mess their days thats on them.
During the conversation I had to actually stop myself with carrying on the conversation, why, well because I dont know if I can offer unaccompanied stalking for these guys next year and in fact noone in Scotland would know so how can you plan?
At the moment we do not require people to be on the Nature Scot Fit and competent register, we accept all forms of formal deer qualifications, Euro Hunting license , DSC etc, but looking at this Bill, DSC is the only recognised qualification, and you must be on the Nature Scot F&C register, so I can't guarantee any of this for overseas clients.
As far as syndicates go, its looking like I will be needing all my clients to register on Nature Scot too, which really in my head most are anyway.
And that led me to another thought (bare with me)
A few years ago I said something like this would happen eventually, I wrote an article for a magazine on it, I also mentioned this quite a few times on here and man the backlash I got was mad, but, I knew it was controversial. I also wrote an article for my website about my predictions for traditional estates and how they will be run in the future and some of that has also transpired.
In the first article I wrote a little bit about how most recreational stalkers, on paper, are more qualified than most professional estate deer stalkers, people who do it for a living like myself. At the time even Thurso college did not offer DSC to their gamekeeping students, when I asked I was told that they didn't need to. Note I am saying ON PAPER, obviously professional stalkers have far more experience and practically far more qualified than recreational stalkers, I think many missed I said this part.
It sums up the complacency of the industry and it is sad. I really hate the fact that it has come to all of this and I really dont agree with some of the Bill.
I do think Red deer are being persecuted over the lack of willingness to seriously manage Sika and in some places Roe and Fallow, it costs them too much money with very little return and it takes a lot of manpower, but, it is this that is putting the Reds at risk, I mean if you ignore you have Sika Nature Scot are going to ask you to cull the deer you claim you do have.
Its hard to watch,
I really do wonder what the future will bring, many who enjoy deer stalking alone here in Scotland who are from elsewhere will have to, most likely, do guided stalking and that is far more expensive, but again we dont know if this will even be allowed.
I know recreational stalking does not make huge impacts on deer numbers but it does keep estates making some return and it keeps people in jobs.
I need to ask, is paper qualification for stalkers and gamekeepers a bad thing? I mean I have decided to do my MSc in Wildlife and Conservation plus carry on being a stalker just so I have that formal qualification in the industry, I know a couple of others who are doing the same or have done the same. Why is this important?
Well I currently work for a Rewilding Estate, I control deer numbers, more and more people are running this industry who are willing to get these qualification but have NO practical experience at all. In my class at the moment, I have fellow students that have never worked or even been near the industry, never been on a farm, never seen a deer in real life let alone shoot one, never stepped foot in a working forest or even worked outdoors. These are the people that will effect our future, our way of life from behind a desk, they will shape policy and influence government on an environment they have only met in pages of a book.
This is a world where paper qualification is more important than practical knowledge. As gamekeepers and stalkers most of us work for people with letters behind their names, we have expected them, as custodians of the lands they own, to also be our protectors and custodians. Honestly most really only care about money and how to spend it.
I know many of the members on here have letters behind their names and do try do a lot for the industry, but, most on here just want to shoot. Well I said a few years ago, and although I might have been a little ahead of myself, you are the minority voter pool, you are the exception ro the majorities thoughts and feelings, recreational deer stalking is going to get harder in Scotland not easier, and I am afraid your going to see the same in England.
I think more and more of us need to get the right qualifications to bring back practical experience into this ever moving virtually owned environment.
I know some of the people of this forum has been open about their thoughts on this and there is plenty of arguments for and against even in the community, but, what potentially does this mean?
I recently had a couple of guys wanting to come to shoot for 12 day during the rut next year, they are from Switzerland and got real fussy about the price I quoted, they wanted unaccompanied stalking and I was gonna charge them £500 per person per day and they can shoot 2 each a day per person, obviously they wanted unaccompanied so if they mess their days thats on them.
During the conversation I had to actually stop myself with carrying on the conversation, why, well because I dont know if I can offer unaccompanied stalking for these guys next year and in fact noone in Scotland would know so how can you plan?
At the moment we do not require people to be on the Nature Scot Fit and competent register, we accept all forms of formal deer qualifications, Euro Hunting license , DSC etc, but looking at this Bill, DSC is the only recognised qualification, and you must be on the Nature Scot F&C register, so I can't guarantee any of this for overseas clients.
As far as syndicates go, its looking like I will be needing all my clients to register on Nature Scot too, which really in my head most are anyway.
And that led me to another thought (bare with me)
A few years ago I said something like this would happen eventually, I wrote an article for a magazine on it, I also mentioned this quite a few times on here and man the backlash I got was mad, but, I knew it was controversial. I also wrote an article for my website about my predictions for traditional estates and how they will be run in the future and some of that has also transpired.
In the first article I wrote a little bit about how most recreational stalkers, on paper, are more qualified than most professional estate deer stalkers, people who do it for a living like myself. At the time even Thurso college did not offer DSC to their gamekeeping students, when I asked I was told that they didn't need to. Note I am saying ON PAPER, obviously professional stalkers have far more experience and practically far more qualified than recreational stalkers, I think many missed I said this part.
It sums up the complacency of the industry and it is sad. I really hate the fact that it has come to all of this and I really dont agree with some of the Bill.
I do think Red deer are being persecuted over the lack of willingness to seriously manage Sika and in some places Roe and Fallow, it costs them too much money with very little return and it takes a lot of manpower, but, it is this that is putting the Reds at risk, I mean if you ignore you have Sika Nature Scot are going to ask you to cull the deer you claim you do have.
Its hard to watch,
I really do wonder what the future will bring, many who enjoy deer stalking alone here in Scotland who are from elsewhere will have to, most likely, do guided stalking and that is far more expensive, but again we dont know if this will even be allowed.
I know recreational stalking does not make huge impacts on deer numbers but it does keep estates making some return and it keeps people in jobs.
I need to ask, is paper qualification for stalkers and gamekeepers a bad thing? I mean I have decided to do my MSc in Wildlife and Conservation plus carry on being a stalker just so I have that formal qualification in the industry, I know a couple of others who are doing the same or have done the same. Why is this important?
Well I currently work for a Rewilding Estate, I control deer numbers, more and more people are running this industry who are willing to get these qualification but have NO practical experience at all. In my class at the moment, I have fellow students that have never worked or even been near the industry, never been on a farm, never seen a deer in real life let alone shoot one, never stepped foot in a working forest or even worked outdoors. These are the people that will effect our future, our way of life from behind a desk, they will shape policy and influence government on an environment they have only met in pages of a book.
This is a world where paper qualification is more important than practical knowledge. As gamekeepers and stalkers most of us work for people with letters behind their names, we have expected them, as custodians of the lands they own, to also be our protectors and custodians. Honestly most really only care about money and how to spend it.
I know many of the members on here have letters behind their names and do try do a lot for the industry, but, most on here just want to shoot. Well I said a few years ago, and although I might have been a little ahead of myself, you are the minority voter pool, you are the exception ro the majorities thoughts and feelings, recreational deer stalking is going to get harder in Scotland not easier, and I am afraid your going to see the same in England.
I think more and more of us need to get the right qualifications to bring back practical experience into this ever moving virtually owned environment.
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