Thousands of more deer could be culled annually across the country if recommendations from a new report for the Scottish Government are given the go-ahead.
The new review was ordered in 2017, following concerns about continuing issues over deer management in Scotland.
Many recommendations have been made, including making sure there are no more than 10 red deer per square kilometre in the Highlands.
This restriction could effectively cut in half the population of certain areas such as the Cairngorms National Park, where the report says there are between 15 and 20 red deer per square kilometre.
Other suggestions, which will be considered by the Scottish Government, include getting rid of close season for male deer, and reducing it for females.
A crackdown on the use of lead ammunition in culling has also been put forward, and a focus on reducing the spread non-native deer species such as sika deer and fallow deer.
The Scottish Government’s environment secretary Roseanna Cunningham said: “We will consider this report, alongside other evidence, and respond in due course.
“An important part of this will involve meeting and engaging with key stakeholders to discuss the findings of the review, and also give consideration to further, recently published work on this important and complex issue.”
The Scottish Gamekeepers Association (SGA) last night said the recommendations could have a major impact on the gamekeeping industry.
The association’s chairman Alex Hogg said: “SGA members represent a significant portion of the skilled manual labour force on the ground who will be necessary to deliver targets, whether they are for climate or biodiversity.
“This sector is getting tired of being kicked from pillar to post and this report, which basically signals a free-for-all on an iconic Scottish species, is a further hammer blow.
“We will be gauging the temperature within our membership over the coming days and seeking urgent talks with the government.”
However Mike Daniels, head of land management at the environmental charity the John Muir Trust, backed the report’s recommendations.
He said: “We welcome the courage and clarity of the report, which confirms that Scotland’s existing deer management procedures and practices need major reform.”
Libby Anderson, policy advisor for the animal cruelty prevention charity One Kind, said: “Given the number of voices calling for control of the deer population and its likely implementation, we urge the authorities to maximise the use of non-lethal methods.
“These would include habitat management, for example, increased woodland cover would provide deer with a larger area in which to forage and shelter in winter, reducing their local impact.”