Talk to many people across the U.K. and many would suggest that the Red Deer was a wild animal….. and for many a chance just to see one would be a great experience. The Red Deer is often more associated with the Highlands of Scotland, all the more so after the painting by Landseer of ‘The Monarch of The Glen’ became so iconic.
But the reality is that Red Deer have always roamed across the countryside from the north of Scotland to the very south of England. Today we are told that we have too many and indeed a strong case can be made to limit numbers in Scotland to allow for the regeneration of the Woodlands. Over the centuries the large estates have made an industry out of game shooting a profitable ‘sport’ income more than as a food source, it is still an important part of Scotland’s rural economy.
Red Deer in England have in past centuries enjoyed Royal protection…they were the Kings beasts and to ‘poach’ one was punishable by death. The Royals and those Landed Gentry with Royal approval obviously used them for sport maintaining large estates of parkland and ‘Chases’ for the Deer and its sport.
The status of Red Deer is a confusing one. They are a wild animal that roams at will and a target for Sport Shooting. Yet, it is also a animal that is farmed commercially for Venison, herds behind high wire fences to keep them in.
But this is not something new but a practice that has gone on for hundreds of years. On large Estates in England Red Deer were farmed with as much care as cattle and sheep. On this Derbyshire Estate the Deer enjoyed ‘first class’ accommodation. This Deer Shelter hidden away on the corner of the Estate provided as the name implies a shelter, but also a feeding station for the Deer…..
Ruins today but I think it gives you an idea of the scale and care with which the herd was once tended.
In the Highlands the argument to reduce the numbers is a powerful one, but for those of us who have had the exciting experience of seeing a Red Deer in the glen, over the heather by the river it is a scene you never forget. But I also recognise that I love the beauty of the Caledonian Forests*, where they still exist and restoring the Forests is a must.
But squaring a wild animal existence with an animal also farmed like cattle seems just a trifle odd.
* Not all the blame for loss of Forests in the Highlands can be blamed upon Deer, but we will not go into the Highland Clearances and Sheep Farming of the 1700/1800’s. That’s is another aspect of our history.
25th February
© David Oakes 2014
DAVID OAKES - IMAGES. 