Police are investigating complaints a deer was left unnecessarily suffering for five days after being shot.
The Scottish Gamekeepers Association (SGA) claims the stag was found near the Quinag Estate in Sutherland left with its jaw “hanging off”.
The estate is owned by the John Muir Trust, which has a a licence from NatureScot for out-of-season and night shooting on the land until the end of March.
The licence is for culling purposes, protecting woodland from grazing deer.
Tonight they insisted the injured deer was not a result of any culling on their land – and that they had contacted the police as soon as the incident was brought to light.
Crofters in the Assynt area have previously called for a suspension of the license and described the trust’s actions as “gratuitous killing”.
Fears of further incidents
The SGA claim the stag was first spotted heading away from Quinag and then seen near the Allt na Claise burn.
A group of seven estate stalkers, community members and dogs went out to search for the starving animal.
Michael Ross, a professional deer stalker at Ardvar, humanely put the deer down.
Mr Ross, who is also a SGA member, said: “This will happen to more deer. After I shot it, I didn’t go to the press, I documented what had happened and I e-mailed John Muir Trust directly, copying in NatureScot and the Deer Management Group representative.
“We are a quiet community here, people understand deer management. No one is saying mistakes won’t ever be made but it is a fundamental of best practice and welfare that, if a deer is wounded, you alert your neighbours and follow that animal until it is humanely despatched.
“No one from here wounded that deer. There are no reports of poaching locally. John Muir Trust is the only body around this area with a licence to be shooting deer out of season and at night at this time of the year.”
Incident reported to police
The John Muir Trust has refuted the allegations, and say they hope the police resolve the matter swiftly.
A spokeswoman said: “This is a deeply distressing incident with many unanswered questions complicated by misinformation and factual inaccuracies.
“The John Muir Trust contacted the police as soon as we received the e-mail from Ardvar estate, as the wounded deer was not a result of any culling on our land and there was an accusation made without evidence.
“We sincerely hope that the police get to the bottom of this incident as soon as possible.
“According to Ardvar estate, the wounded stag was reported to them on their land, was then pursued by them for five days before being shot, after which the estate gamekeeper e-mailed the John Muir Trust on January 21 with a photo of a dead stag with a jaw injury saying that it had a wounded leg.
“He told us that he was given to believe that the deer had come from our land on the January 16.”
A police spokeswoman said: “We have received a report that a deer was injured within an estate in the Assynt area of Sutherland in January.
“Information received with regards to the incident is currently being assessed by officers.”
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