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Management objectives
Against this MG-262 background we now review recent management practice for red and sika populations in different parts of Britain. Given pronounced differences in distribution and impact already described, management philosophies for red and sika deer are notably different between Scotland, England and Ireland.
In Scotland, management of red deer is a complex of management for commercial exploitation (sport stalking and venison production), management for protection of trees (commercial forestry and native woodland regeneration) and management to control impacts on sensitive conservation habitats. By contrast, management of sika has for many years been directed towards control of damaging impacts in forestry and to prevent further spread of this invasive alien species to minimise hybridisation with red deer. For many years, official Government policy has been to rigorously control sika and if possible effect a reduction in both numbers and distribution (DCS 1997). Unfortunately, this policy has been unsuccessful, perhaps because it was not associated with either penalties or incentives, and some estates now sell sika stag stalking for more than red stag stalking. Clearly, a drastic change in policy would be required to successfully control sika numbers and spread.