Red deer culls, Scots pine and the stalking client

1. This study examines the prospects for changes in deer management which meet the needs of both the stalking fraternity and conservationists. 2. We approach the problem from a less familiar angle, namely that of the needs of people who pay for stalking and of deer managers. 3. The study applied an economic method called choice experimentation to establish the weight and the monetary value that stalkers attach to attributes of their stalking trip. Attributes include such factors as “numbers of stags“, “trophy value“ and “the stalking landscape“. Their respective parameters can be combined to arrive at paying amateur stalkers’ valuation of alternative stalking packages, including such factors as higher quality stags typical of better deer management or more forested environments.