Marauding deer

Marauding deer causing concern 2/9/10

Marauding wild deer are becoming a nuisance around the Stornoway area by destroying gardens and gorging on resident’s prized flowers.

Many even peer through peoples’ windows, munch their way through residents’ vegetable plots and stomp about Stornoway Golf Course after losing the fear of man.

They are encroaching into villages around the town becoming easy prey for poachers.

Western Isles Council is concerned about the issue as the otherwise tame deer can become vicious if trapped in a tight space with a human during the forthcoming mating season.

The council is inviting the Deer Commission and Scottish Natural Heritage to a meeting to discuss the problem of straying deer.

Until about 20 years ago deer were absence in the northern part of Lewis. But now they can be found all over the Stornoway Trust estate and further up towards Barvas and Ness.

The Stornoway Trust have culled five deer this summer including four which were a persistent nuisance around homes in Newmarket.

Another favourite grazing spot for two large 14-pointer stags was behind the Lews Castle College. They have vanished recently and have either fallen victim to poachers or returned to the depths of the wild moor.

Iain Maciver, factor of the Stornoway Trust said: “Red deer which has lost the fear of man can be a dangerous animal in a confined space during the rutting season.

“We are well aware they are being poached and that is concerning as some people may not competent to take deer - from both an animal welfare and a health and safety point of view.”