IT IS a sad reflection on the continuing polarisation of opinion over what constitutes sound and humane deer management that the family of the late Lea MacNally feel they have to launch a fund to finance challenges to Scottish Natural Heritage's approach.

But few would disagree there are currently too many deer in Scotland, with numbers having increased by 75-80 per cent since the 1960s.

Meanwhile in the past 40 years up to 14 per cent of our ancient woodland and other native species have been lost. Ministers have already connected the two and see excessive deer browsing as the most widespread threat to woodland regeneration. They have also made clear they consider the progress made on deer numbers by the voluntary Deer Management Groups, largely comprised of neighbouring estates, has been too slow.

It can be argued that a bullet from a rifle held by guest paying thousands of pounds a day to a sporting estate is no more humane than one fired by an SNH-commissioned marksman. But the genuine concerns of Mr MacNally's family and Scotland's gamekeepers about out-of-season licences should be examined seriously.