03.02.2025 • Hunt & Hunter

The Highlander

As in many other regions of Europe, red deer are now also being targeted by conservation organizations in Scotland. This species has already been almost wiped out in some areas as part of reforestation measures. Niall Rowantree, one of Scotland's best-known professional hunters, considers such an approach to be misguided for various reasons.

“As hunters, we play a regulatory role in maintaining the health of red deer. However, we must never forget that this game species contributes significantly to the conservation of the raised bogs which, as the largest greenhouse gas reservoirs, are indispensable in terms of climate protection.”

As a hunting consultant and manager of a number of large estates in the north of Scotland, Niall Rowantree sees and feels the consequences of radical hunting on a daily basis. Today, many estates have little tolerance for red deer, and a result of the constant hunting pressure, the animals migrate to neighboring regions, thus increasing the population elsewhere. Niall also never tires of emphasizing the important role that red deer – along with sheep – play in maintaining the largely treeless moors. Not only do very rare plant species thrive on Scotland's moors, but they also store more greenhouse gases than all the forests of the northern European continent combined.

Niall Rowantree's task is to find compromises in close consultation with the landowners and to develop his own hunting strategy. The aim is to strategically reduce the red deer population with and at the same time avoid unnecessary stress for the game. For Niall and other professional hunters, the use of silencers has therefore long been mandatory. Hunting guests from other countries come into play, especially during the deer rut, in order to at least partially finance these hunting measures that serve nature conservation. This results in a win-win situation for everyone involved.

“In order to hunt effectively and spare the game unnecessary stress, silencers are obligatory for us. With the R8 Silence, there is now finally a rifle that is silenced and at the same time short and very handy.”

Text/photos: Gunther Stoschek