This month we will start reviewing the Strategic Deer Management Plan (SDMP) of the Monadhliath Deer Management Group.  The plan is being prepared on behalf of the 40+ member estates, and will cover over 175,000ha of land between Fort William and Inverness. It’s a challenging task, but made somewhat easier by all the efforts of the estates in the past few years who between them have halved the density of deer in the northern part of the Monadhliath at the same time as helping put 3,000ha of peatland back on track towards favourable condition.  Plans to regenerate and plant a large area of native woodland will also soon be developed.  The outcomes of the Deer Working Group report will be helpful to refer to during the process of plan update, given how influential the report will likely be.