Plagues, pests and regionalism

Our attitude towards individual deer species is greatly influenced by our location within the British countryside

- Richard Negus

I have a ritual when I read Shooting Times. I bypass the editorial and news pages, leaving them for later attention. When I remove the wrapper, I leaf straight to the letters pages, which provide me with an insight into the world outside my parochial Suffolk. Truths that I believed sacrosanct are questioned and challenged within the correspondence. These two pages open a window to a wider world, highlighting that while we may be a small island, we are a notably diverse one when it comes to wildlife.

John Gough’s well-written letter on the topic of muntjac in the 29 March issue was a prime example of regional variance. Mr Gough’s experience and feelings towards muntjac seemed alien to my own. He clearly likes the butty little creatures, preferring that they aren’t described as vermin and that they should be culled with circumspection. I, meanwhile, view the muntjac as the epitome of a pest. In my world of hedgerow and woodland management, the muntjac is a habitat-destroying terror of our ecosystems. When I see a muntjac, I see no magnificence or charm. All I see is one less nightingale or willow tit thanks to their voracious destruction of woodland understorey. Yes, I know that they taste good, but personally, if they all miraculously died tomorrow, that would be a fine day indeed. Who is correct in all this, me or Mr Gough?