Prize Draw Winners 2015

The story of the Heather Trust Prize Draw winners 2015, who won a day's stalking with Hunting Experiences and two nights at the Buccleuch and Queensberry Arms Hotel in Thornhill, Dumfries and Galloway.

“What an experience”

When my son in law Charles invited me to join him on a deer-stalking trip he had won in the Heather Trust Prize Draw, I had mixed thoughts; how kind of him to invite me, but could I shoot an animal? As a complete novice to stalking I had never intentionally killed an animal before.  How would I feel about taking the life a deer?

I accepted with some reservations and started looking forward to a boys' weekend in the wonderful Scottish countryside. Part of the prize was to stay for two nights in the ‘Buccleuch and Queensberry Arms Hotel’ in Thornhill. We each had a room in the courtyard, and first impressions were very good indeed; warm welcome, spotless room and modern décor.

Our two stalking guides Woody and Craig met us and took us to the range to test our shooting abilities and assess our safety with a rifle. It was over 30 years since I fired a live round, the last time was during my army short service commission. I really enjoyed the range and felt very safe in the knowledge that Woody and Craig were watching over me. As it turned out, I managed two 5cm groupings at 100 metres, and I was quite relieved that I had not shown myself up. More importantly, I was reassured that if I could get eyes on a buck, I would most likely have a kill.

We had a most delicious meal at the hotel with our two guides. Over dinner we discussed the next day and what to expect. We really enjoyed their company and the tales they told - the great wine also helped.

4.30am the next day we were up, packed and off in the 4x4. We arrived at the stalking drop-off at 5.00am just as dawn was breaking. Charles went with Craig to the next valley and I was with Woody. We made a start looking for my first buck, and I felt the sense of excitement; back to nature the hunter and the prey. We stopped at a number of locations viewing the stunning countryside. We saw a number of does and young but no bucks.

Before we knew it, the first stalk was over - no bucks, but what a three hours despite the rain - I had thoroughly enjoyed the experience. It was back to the hotel for a very well received breakfast and day exploring the Scottish coast with Charles.

By 6.00pm we were back stalking again in a new area, and this time we had to find a buck. Five minutes in we saw him in the trees - the adrenaline was pumping and I was ready, rifle on the sticks, waiting for a shot, but then the wind changed, he smelt us and was gone!

We stalked for another 3 hours and saw many does and young, but unfortunately no bucks. Although we didn't know it at the time, Charles was more successful elsewhere. I did not mind at all - I enjoyed every minute of being in the countryside, anticipating a potential bucks movement. For me it was the challenge, the fact that we saw a buck and could have taken a shot if he had just come out one more metre. It was nature at its best - the animal against man and the animal won in my case. Maybe next time he would not be so lucky...

But could I have pulled the trigger? The answer is yes for two reasons - Woody explained to me the damage the deer do to the forest if they are not controlled. The sport is a humane and well regulated and the animal has the upper hand.

Will I go again? Most definitely! Charles and I are arranging to return to the Buccleuch in the doe season, this time introducing my two sons to the sport. If you are a novice and want to experience deer staking I could not recommend a better package than the one we experienced with Woody and Craig and the Buccleuch hotel.
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Charles Densham runs Cotswold Country Pursuits sporting agency

Heather Beetle 2015

A view of 2014's beetle damage at Hedleyhope Fell, Co Durham

The Trust has been as busy as ever over the past few weeks, and it has been interesting to get out and have a look at some heather beetle damage in Scotland and England.

Much of this damage has been strangely prolonged this year, meaning that beetle larvae have been found above ground and damaging heather for much longer than usual. Interestingly, reports from Langholm Moor have described a kind of gradual, slow erosion of heather by beetle larvae over the course of almost three months, rather than the customary few weeks. This has been borne out elsewhere, and it seems that hopes that a cold spring would waylay beetle numbers have been dashed by this strange and unexpected response.

Elsewhere, we were asked to carry out a heather beetle advisory visit to Hedleyhope Fell at the bottom of Weardale in County Durham, where a large area of heather was destroyed by beetles in 2014. This area of mid-altitude heathland is owned by the Durham Wildlife Trust and provides an important habitat for black and red grouse, as well as short eared owls.

A year after the outbreak, most of the mature heather plants are totally dead and have begun to fall to pieces. Since the death of this heather canopy, new plants have responded nicely from seed and a flush of resurging crowberry gives the dead ground a refreshing splash of colour, but complications in grazing management mean that few of these plants will avoid some pressure from the local sheep during the winter.

While it is tempting to get stuck in and carry out some management on the damaged heather, unfavourable grazing arrangements mean that any regeneration from fire or cutting will become a magnet to passing livestock, and the overall effect could well be worse than doing nothing at all. It is very useful to keep an eye on beetle-damaged areas like Hedleyhope, particularly since they represent a challenge to management in a real-life environment where some issues are much harder to remedy than others.

Elsewhere, we have received reports of damage in North Wales and Perthshire, as well as a scattering of observations from across Britain - have a look at our Heather Beetle survey map 2015 to see how the year is shaping up for beetle.