Scotland’s recreational deer stalkers left out in the cold
Scotland’s deer population is estimated to be in excess of one million, but many trained recreational deer stalkers in Scotland struggle to access deer management opportunities.
Get information on the legal shooting season for mammals and birds in the UK.
Apply for funding for your project or make a donation today
Comprehensive information and advice from our specialist firearms team.
Everything you need to know about shotgun, rifle and airgun ammunition.
Find our up-to-date information, advice and links to government resources.
Everything you need to know on firearms law and licensing.
All the latest news and advice on general licences and how they affect you.
With the Hunting with Dogs (Scotland) Bill now in Stage 2, it is vital that BASC and its members inform MSPs of the required changes to the Bill to ensure rough shooting is protected.
The Hunting with Dogs (Scotland) Bill has the potential to negatively impact rough shooting and field trials.
Alongside Scotland’s Regional Moorland Groups and the Kennel Club, BASC recently presented a short film to MSPs at the Scottish Parliament, highlighting what the unintended consequences of the Bill could be.
In evidence at Stage 1, the Scottish Government was clear that rough shooting, when using more than two dogs to hunt a wild mammal, would be considered an offence under the Bill.
In her written response to the Committee’s Stage 1 report, however, the Minister for Environment and Land Reform clarified that “the two-dog limit does not necessarily mean that not more than two dogs can be present at a rough shoot”. She stated the Bill would apply to each individual person using dogs to hunt quarry as part of a rough shoot where wild mammals such as rabbits or hares may be shot rather than apply to the rough shoot.
She also stated that shooters ‘must take reasonable steps to ensure that the one or two dogs that they are using do not join up with other dogs to form a pack’.
During the Stage 1 debate in the Scottish Parliament, the Minister further stated that rough shooting would be permissible under the Bill provided that, “one person uses their own two dogs to flush their own quarry, not working in proximity to, or with, others in pursuit of the same quarry and not allowing other dogs to join them”.
As a BASC member, you can have your say on the Bill now, through the Scottish government’s Call for Views.
BASC will also be issuing a response and have outlined key points below that to include in your own correspondence with the Rural Affairs, Islands and Natural Environment (RAINE) Committee:
Please also outline your own experiences of rough shooting and how this Bill would impact on your ability to partake in this activity.
Deadline for submissions to the Call for Views is 9 November 2022. Click here to respond.
Scotland’s deer population is estimated to be in excess of one million, but many trained recreational deer stalkers in Scotland struggle to access deer management opportunities.
The leaflet aims to highlight the support that is available to certificate holders and encourages those who need help to seek it.
MP Alan Brown and MSP Sharon Dowey were trialling ammunition as part of the five-year voluntary transition towards a sustainable future for live quarry shooting.
Sign up to our weekly newsletter and get all the latest updates straight to your inbox.
© 2024 British Association for Shooting and Conservation. Registered Office: Marford Mill, Rossett, Wrexham, LL12 0HL – Registered Society No: 28488R. BASC is a trading name of the British Association for Shooting and Conservation Limited which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) under firm reference number 311937.
If you have any questions or complaints about your BASC membership insurance cover, please email us. More information about resolving complaints can be found on the FCA website or on the EU ODR platform.
This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.
Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings.
If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again.
This website uses Google Analytics to collect anonymous information such as the number of visitors to the site, and the most popular pages.
Keeping this cookie enabled helps us to improve our website.
Please enable Strictly Necessary Cookies first so that we can save your preferences!
More information about our Cookie Policy