Landowners have hit back at claims that hundreds of thousands of deer in Scotland should be culled to deal with an unsustainable surge in numbers.

A new report has said that up to one million wild dear, nearly double previous estimates, could be roaming the country, damaging the landscape and hampering environmental efforts.

The findings, published by the Deer Working Group (DWG), is urging Scottish ministers to crack down on uncooperative Highland estates that refuse to control deer numbers in order to protect their lucrative hunting market, by using legal powers to enforce culls.

Yesterday, landowners criticised the recommendations, saying the report came in sharp contrast to similar research by Scottish Natural Heritage published just two months earlier.

The body that represents rural businesses and landowners, Scottish Land and Estates (SLE), also insisted conflicting evidence on the future of deer management in Scotland should not overshadow the recent progress achieved.

It maintained that the issue was not about overall deer numbers but about their impact on local areas.

Sarah-Jane Laing, chief executive of the SLE, said: “Substantial progress has been made in the operation of deer management groups over the past five years, with the sector demonstrating its ability to respond and adapt to new challenges and manage deer in a way that is sustainable and safeguards public interests.

“The DWG report provides 99 recommendations, a number of which will be welcomed by those involved in managing deer. However, given the substantial nature of the report, further scrutiny will be required over the coming weeks.”

The report recommends the maximum average density of deer across Scotland should be capped at 10 per square kilometre, and says densities often need to be much lower in some sensitive or over-grazed areas.

Some deer estates in areas such as Glen Artney and Strathtay Perthshire have red deer densities above 20 per square kilometre, while numerous parts of Inverness-shire, the Cairngorms, Deeside and Angus have between 15 and 18 per square kilometre.

The report endorses SNH’s identification of the need for significant changes in deer management as an important issue in climate crisis mitigation measures, and recommends that it is addressed as a priority.

Conservationists argue that red deer, who often roam in vast herds, prevent woodland and shrubs from naturally regenerating.

Ms Laing added: “What is clear is the strong focus on drastically reducing the deer population. This conflicts sharply with the SNH report, published just two months ago, which found the red deer population had already dropped considerably to below 10 per sq/km - and around 22% of the population culled annually.

“While deer numbers are important in setting culls it has been accepted by SNH for many years that it is grazing impacts rather than numbers that are critical in setting and meeting habitat objectives.

“Any discussion on deer numbers and their impact on the environment is therefore likely to be misleading if not considered along with the grazing impacts of other herbivores. The right density is also dependent on pasture availability rather than a strict number applicable across every region." 

The DWG report’s authors also want to see a removal of the ban on night sights being used to hunt deer and a relaxation of the restrictions in place around night shooting.

Members of Scottish Environment Link - a network of environmental and recreation groups - have welcome the report, but the Association of Deer Management Groups said the proposals would have a “devastating effect” on an important rural industry for Scotland.

Mike Daniels, head of land management at the John Muir Trust which aims to conserve wild places, praised the “courage and clarity” of the report, saying it confirmed that Scotland’s existing deer management procedures needed “major reform”. SNH said it was considering the recommendations of the report.

A spokesperson said: “We appreciate all the hard work behind this significant report, and look forward to working with the Scottish government and other stakeholders to improve the way deer are managed in Scotland.”

Roseanna Cunningham, the Scottish environment secretary, said she needed to reflect and would consult widely before deciding what action the government should take. It was an “important and complex issue”, she said.