Sika and red deer - Aliens & Natives part 3
Vložit
- čas přidán 16. 06. 2020
- Niall Rowantree looks at red and sika deer, and how sika are in danger of destroying the Scottish red deer herd.
▶ For this and all films in our Alien & Natives series, visit Fcha.nl/aliens-and-natives
▶ This item is sponsored by Blaser rifles www.blaser.de
▶ To go deerstalking with Niall, visit www.westhighland-hunting.co.uk
▶ Join the Fieldsports Nation and fund our fight for fieldsports in the media
Fcha.nl/fieldsportsnation - for full details
/ @fieldsportstv for CZcams membership
/ fieldsportschannel for the same via Patreon
To become a more structural shareholder, visit fieldsports.envestry.com
Or simply support us, please, by donating: www.paypal.me/fieldsports
▶ Sign up for our weekly email newsletter Fcha.nl/register
▶ To watch all of FieldsportsBritain, episode 551, visit Fcha.nl/fieldsportsbritain551
▶ Fieldsports Shop fieldsports.shop
Why shoot deer?
There are more than two million red, roe, fallow, sika, muntjac and Chinese water deer in Britain’s countryside and semi-urban areas, the highest level for 1,000 years. Numbers have doubled since 1999, according to the Deer Initiative, the UK government’s deer agency.
Deer are an attractive and an important part of our wildlife. However, they have no natural predator in the UK so numbers must be sensibly and strategically managed to keep them in balance with their habitat and to prevent damage to crops, trees, woodland flora, gardens and other wildlife.
Deer cause £4.5 million-worth (Forestry Commission Scotland) of damage to plantations and other commercial woodlands in Scotland. Crop damage is estimated at £4.3m a year according to DEFRA, with the greatest damage on cereal crops in east and south-west England.
More than 8,000 hectares (Parliamentary Office for Science and Technology) of woodland with SSI status is currently in ‘unfavourable’ or ‘recovering’ condition due to deer impacts such as browsing and fraying. Deer can also influence the variety of wildlife in woodlands and other habitats by altering structural and plant species diversity. According to the University of East Anglia’s Dr Paul Dolman, that has resulted in a 50% decline in woodland bird numbers where deer are present, impacting particularly on nightingales, blackcaps, chiffchaffs and warblers.
Deer are susceptible to Bovine TB and may be responsible for the transmission of TB to cattle. They are also the likely driver behind the UK’s increasing tick population (Scharlemann et al 2008).
Happily, venison is a delicious meat. It is wild, natural and free range, and - almost fat-free - it is one of the healthiest meats available today. Results from research commissioned by the Game-to-Eat campaign (Leatherhead Food International Research 2006) suggest that there are real health benefits to eating game. Venison is high in protein, low in saturated fatty acids and contains higher levels of iron than any other red meat.
We’re proud to promote enjoyment of fieldsports and the countryside. There are three guiding principles to everything we do on Fieldsports Channel:
▶ Shoot responsibly
▶ Respect the quarry
▶ Ensure a humane, clean and quick kill
Take part in nature. Join the Fieldsports Nation Fcha.nl/fieldsportsnation
Risk warning: investments of this nature carry risks to your capital as well as potential rewards. Approved as a financial promotion by Envestors Limited. Which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (No. 07236828.) - Sport
If you want to see what will happen to your red/sika population in alot less than 100 years look at the situation in Wicklow in Ireland. Its "nearly" impossible to find a full red here. Most are hybrids with afew showing dominant red genetics
Beautifully filmed. Well done David and thanks to Blaser and West Highland Hunting for such superb footage. Watching films like this reminds me of the brilliant productions we have been missing during lockdown.
I agree with the learn-ed Prof. Pemberton, Sika should be SOS. Shot On Sight. Start by taking out all "pure" bred sika and target the hybrids with the large metatarsal gland. After that it gets more than a bit tricky. No seasons, no protection. Get them off the hill.
There was an interesting report the other year regarding the negative impact and hybridisation of sika: it wasn't quite as bad as feared but we have to act now to get them shot out and save the genetics of the red herd.
Interesting to hear Niall shoots with ELDX.
Thanks Colin
Looks like a relatively young NZ Sika Stag. Maybe a hybrid as the Reds & Sika cross breed.
Well, I can tell ye that the Sika is further up the coast than Dunbeath now. Had one on my croft the past few days. I'm about 10 miles up the coast from Dunbeath. First, I'd ever seen. Young stag.
Thanks for sharing.
Brilliant video.
amazing video
I have short of mixed feelings about y'all habread deer probulms to me vinson is vinson it he back strap all frys the same and would not complain about what I shot buck doe red whighttale sike or what ever breed of deer it is
I'd hate to see the sika deer eradicated , or any non native deer species. Is it not fair to say that bar the islands there aren't many "true " red deer on the mainland at all?
Get more shooters up there,it's an easy fix
Why should homo sapiens x neanderthalensis be offended by another species hybridizing? Hybridization has recently been recognized as an agent of evolution and speciation. Why do we want to try and fight this?
Well this isn't natural hybridization. It's happening because of humans.
@@MithriVideolari The same rules of evolution apply whether the organism in question rafts in on a tree trunk or is imported by humans because its exciting to shoot at.
The sika is not native
@@rtschanel3735 So what?
I agree
All deer need to be managed. Sika especially, or we will lose the true Red deer to Hybridisation.