Pioneering Scientific Study Launched to Track Red Deer Movement and Behavior in West Highlands
A groundbreaking scientific research project utilizing GPS collars has been launched to track the movement and behavior of red deer in the west Highlands. The initiative aims to provide valuable data to help land managers make informed decisions about deer health, population numbers, and habitat management.
The project is a partnership between the charity Affric Highlands and Durham University, with support from the Association of Deer Management Groups. The study area covers a diverse network of landowners with varying land management practices, including sporting estates and conservation organizations.
By gaining a deeper understanding of how red deer move through and utilize the landscape, the project aims to provide scientific evidence to support future decision-making and collaboration between landholdings in managing deer densities and restoring habitats such as native woodlands and peatlands.
“Red deer are a crucial part of Scotland’s upland landscapes and rural economies, but the increase in population has presented challenges in balancing ecological health, biodiversity, and land management objectives,” said Nicola Williamson, field officer for Affric Highlands.
“By strengthening our understanding of how these iconic and ecologically important animals move across estates and habitats, we can help recover ecosystems and improve deer health. This, in turn, supports rural economies and livelihoods through skilled deer management and sustainable sport and nature-based tourism.”
Deer management is a highly debated topic in Scotland, but there is limited scientific data available to inform and support approaches to practical management and achieve biodiversity goals at a landscape-scale.
The research, which is being conducted in the South Ross Deer Management Group area, will involve fitting GPS collars on 22 stags from Glen Affric to the west coast. Twelve stags have already been collared, with an additional 10 to be collared this winter. Six GPS ear tags have also been deployed on deer calves to provide data on hind movements, with plans to tag more calves next spring.
The collars will allow researchers to analyze the preferred locations of red deer and their interactions with the environment, including habitat preferences during rutting, calving, and foraging.
The data collected will be stored on the collars and transmitted via satellite to EarthRanger – an app that allows deer stalkers to view deer movements and add their own observations.
Dr Eilidh Smith from Durham University, one of the researchers involved in the project, said: “Through this innovative research, we’ll be tracking and mapping red deer movements to assess their seasonal migrations, home range sizes, and responses to human activities such as fencing, culling, and commercial stalking. We’ll also conduct habitat surveys in areas where the GPS data reveals that deer have been foraging or sheltering to analyze their environmental impacts.”
The project team will work closely with landowners and deer managers to promote collaboration across landholdings for better-informed and sustainable deer management. So far, 18 deer stalkers from 14 sporting estates are involved, bringing valuable knowledge of deer behavior gained over decades of experience.
Arran Matheson, a deer stalker on Scotland’s west coast who has been involved in the project, said: “Taking part in the red deer collaring project with Nicola and Eilidh has been a great experience. We’ve worked together to locate, track, and fit GPS collars on the deer as part of this important conservation effort. This will provide vital data about the deer’s habitat use and movement patterns, and it’s something I know a lot of stalkers will be very interested in.”
The project, which adheres to the highest standards of animal welfare, has been granted a license by the UK Home Office and was approved by Durham University’s Animal Welfare and Ethical Review Body. Capture protocols were designed in collaboration with veterinarian Dr Neil Anderson from the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies.
The team at Affric Highlands is currently working to secure additional funding for the initiative, which will enable more GPS collars to be deployed and the collation of two years’ worth of data for use by land managers.
The red deer (Cervus elaphus) is Scotland’s largest surviving terrestrial mammal and a keystone species that plays a crucial role in natural processes. They shape the landscape by grazing on grasses and sedges, browsing tree shoots and shrubs, and trampling and wallowing.
However, high red deer populations are a significant barrier to the large-scale natural regeneration of native woodlands, continuing centuries of human-driven deforestation and negatively affecting deer health and welfare.
In addition to red deer, Scotland is estimated to have around one million wild deer, including roe deer and non-native sika. This number has doubled since 1990, with some areas having deer densities of over 40 per square kilometer. Deer management is the UK’s single largest terrestrial wildlife management operation.
With support from the Association of Deer Management Groups, many deer managers in the Highlands are working towards sustainable deer numbers in line with
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