Out of Step (2)

It's worth thinking more about the deer and their appeal to those visiting Blacka and also about the attitude of the conservation managers. The Eastern Moors Partnership's management said they were intending to produce a management strategy for the deer. it was mentioned in a small easily missed corner of their Draft Management Plan. The final version of that document and the report back from the consulation have not materialised as yet.

Management is what these people are all about so it's hardly likely they will not wish to intervene. Much of the appeal of the deer to local people is that they are free and unfetterred and not part of anyone's agenda. In fact that until recent years was the appeal of most of Blacka itself. It may be common for people to describe deer as 'wild' animals even when they are kept on a farm and therefore nothing of the kind. Those in Bushey Park London are described in notices as 'wild animals'. But this is only comparative to sheep and cows and pet rabbits. They simply mean it's harder to get them to do what they want because they're unpredictable. But there are places where red deer are so used to humans that they stand very close - maybe they've been fed in the past. It would be very unfortunate if that happened to these animals. They should remain timid and free, wild and capricious. The idea that they could become simply a more acceptable substitute for cows and sheep very depressing indeed. Blacka Moor should never completely lose those remaining elements of wildness that it still has.

But I fear the dead and dull hand of unimaginative conservation ideology.
"All must be controlled. We are in charge."

"And what would we do without those grants that encourage us to keep the land in Good Agricultural and Environmental Condition?"

Now that's something they were very careful not to tell us about years ago when we were complaining that putting cattle on the moor would make it more like farmland. At the time they were already a couple of years into their Countryside Stewardship Agreement which stipulates just that. Never trust a Trust?