A Stalker’s View
Lochinver local Andrew McCelland writes about his experience of stalking on the Trust’s Little Assynt Estate…
Stalking at Little Assynt has, as with all stalking, brought mixed results.  In the short time I have spent stalking this ground, I have come to really enjoy it - it is prime stalking ground with plenty of dead ground. This helps you get some really close encounters with deer, whether you are out to shoot, photograph, paint or just get close to one of our most beautiful wild mammals that we have up here in the Highlands. I find all of these activities are a far more enjoyable way of seeing these beautiful creatures than the usual one where you catch one in your headlights and you slam on your brakes.

 One of the most enjoyable things about stalking is that you become far more aware of your surroundings.  You have to be so cautious on the hill not to alert deer of your presence; by scanning every patch of hillside thoroughly, looking for fresh tracks on the ground, checking for sign of deer passing or smelling the air to see if you can smell any deer that maybe just round the next corner or that may have just moved from where you are standing.  This, in turn leads to far more encounters with other wildlife, as you notice signs of them passing or feeding.  On the whole, this awareness gives you a much broader knowledge of the ground and the landscape we live in.

The Estate is one of the few areas in Assynt where you are unlikely to see deer at the roadside in the early morning or late evening. As a consequence, its a long hard walk in and out to the stalking ground and to carry a decent amount of meat off the hill. Its almost impossible to get a whole carcass dragged off.  Other than one cold crisp morning where I came across deer within a 40 min walk at a stalkers pace, all outings have needed in a walk of a good 1-2 hours until I have come across deer.
 What has been a surprise has been the condition of the deer I have come across.  I expected to go out and find droves of undernourished beasts needing to be shot but this has not been the case. All the deer I have come across have been in good condition apart from the odd old stag. The ones I have shot have all had a good fat content and extremely good eating.  I have always tried to take as much of the meat off the hill as possible - it goes against the grain to leave good meat out on the hill, even though my back and shoulders might be telling me I should have left that fourth haunch as I arrive back at the car.   I have only spent a very short time on the ground and it’s possible that there are deer out there in a poor state and in need of culling. Certainly the numbers need to be brought under control.

 The trees that have been planted on the ground are looking in a healthy state with very little signs of deer damage, which has also been a surprise as the tips of the Scots Pines are normally very big on the menu for deer.  Indeed, Scots Pine restocks were a number one priority for protection during my time spent working with the Forestry Commission down in Argyll.  There are deer that have managed to get inside the fenced off part of the Estate but it has been very hard to find them  - it’s a large area to find a small number of deer. 

 When starting to stalk a new patch of ground, local knowledge is normally essential but with the new fencing in place, the normal pattern that the deer used to follow has been forced to change. What used to be hot spots and guaranteed places of finding deer in certain weather has changed.  It will take time on the ground to see where the deer are now spending most of their time feeding and bedding down; all essential information for being able to manage the ground in the future. 
 When the time comes for proper management to start and make some profit out of the deer stalking, a review may have to take place about the decision [by the Trust] not to allow All Terrain Vehicles onto the ground. These will be essential to get shot deer off the ground, dressed out, and made available for collection by a game dealer.  As long as a designated route for any ATV is mapped out there should be no major damage done to the natural habitat.

The prospects of deer management in the future look very bright, and for anyone looking for an enjoyable day out on the hill, (other than slogging your way up onto the summit of a mountain), and observing wildlife in it’s natural state I highly recommend they take up this wonderful opportunity of stalking one of the last wildernesses of the British Isles.
Andrew McCelland, 2005
[The original article was published in CCWT’s newsletter 2005.]

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Nest Building in Culag Wood: Highland Ranger, Andy Summers

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