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Develop a game and wildlife management plan

URN: LANGWM3
Business Sectors (Suites): Game and Wildlife Management
Developed by: Lantra
Approved on: 2022

Overview

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This standard outlines the competencies required by individuals who are responsible for developing a game and wildlife management plan for a wildlife management area. It has been developed so that it can be applied to a variety of different situations where game and wildlife need to be managed.  

Wildlife management can be described as targeted intervention to change the population, structure or distribution of wild species. It can include their conservation, re-introduction or translocation, safeguarding their health and wellbeing or culling them to manage their numbers and their effect on habitats or other species.

When carrying out your work you must consider the impact it will have on the environment, and work towards preserving and improving habitat and biodiversity, and responding to and mitigating the effects of climate change.

This standard is for those who work in game and wildlife conservation and who are responsible for developing a plan for the management of game and wildlife.   

For you to fully understand the content of the standard, and the activities it describes, it is important that you are able to understand the terms used within the standard. See the Glossary for some definitions that should help you with this.

Performance criteria

You must be able to:

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  1. establish systems to support the accurate collection and analysis of relevant data relating to the wildlife management area
  2. analyse the data to determine the need for game and wildlife management and the opportunities available to facilitate more game product 
  3. consider any legal or other constraints on the development of a game and wildlife management plan
  4. seek specialist advice when required
  5. use the analysis of game population and other data to determine measurable aims and objectives for a game and wildlife management plan for the short- (1 – 2 months), medium- (12 months) and long- (5 years) term – covering habitat, game, wildlife, shooting capacity and financial returns
  6. determine the interventions that can be used to effectively manage the game and wildlife 
  7. determine the resources necessary to support the successful implementation of the game and wildlife management plan
  8. assess the significance of influences that may affect the implementation of the game and wildlife management plan
  9. determine working methods that maintain health and safety and are consistent with the relevant legislation and codes of practice
  10. confirm that the plan takes account of other wildlife management area activities and considers opportunities for an integrated management approach
  11. confirm that the plan takes account of the need to preserve and improve habitat and biodiversity and respond to and mitigate the effects of climate change
  12. confirm that the plan complies with the relevant nation-specific legislation and policies, codes of practice, sector guidance and organisational requirements
  13. establish the procedures necessary to measure the effectiveness of the game and wildlife management plan
  14. consider the opinions of others, including those involved with, or affected by, the game and wildlife management plan, communicate the requirements of the game and wildlife management plan to those involved in its implementation 

Knowledge and Understanding

You need to know and understand:

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  1. the techniques used to collect game population data in order to determine the requirements of a game and wildlife management plan
  2. the methods used to determine game shooting capacity 
  3. data collection and analysis techniques, including the use and interpretation of maps and other graphical data, published material and records
  4. the national and local regulations relating to access to the countryside, wildlife and wild game management
  5. where to obtain specialist advice
  6. the process of determining measurable aims and objectives for the game and wildlife management plan
  7. the relationship between the game and wildlife management plan and the overall wildlife management area objectives
  8. the principles of wild game management and the interventions that can be used to achieve game and wildlife management objectives, including habitat monitoring and management, game and wildlife population monitoring, pest and predator control, measures to maintain the welfare of game and measures to improve the health of game
  9. how game interacts with wildlife and its environment, and how this can be controlled, supported and encouraged
  10. the resources required to support the implementation of the game and wildlife management plan, for example, people, equipment, finance, animals
  11. the influences that impact on the management of game and wildlife,
  12. other wildlife management activities and the value of developing an integrated game and wildlife management plan
  13. the actions that can be taken to preserve and improve habitat and biodiversity and respond to and mitigate the effects of climate change
  14. the role of the relevant nation-specific legislation and policies, codes of practice, sector guidance and organisational procedures that support game and wildlife management 
  15. the procedures that can be used to measure the effectiveness of the game and wildlife management plan
  16. how to communicate with those involved in, or affected by, the game and wildlife management plan

Scope/range

Scope Performance

Scope Knowledge

Values

Behaviours

Skills

Glossary

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Data could include:
• geographic (climate, geological, soils, etc.)
• wildlife and habitat
• pests and predators
• game population (size and structure, distribution)
• shoot records
• land uses
• land designations
• nation-specific legislation

Designations could include:
• National Park
• Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI)
• Special Areas of Conservation (SACs)
• Special Protection Areas (SPAs)
• RAMSAR
• Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB)
• World Heritage Site (WHS)
• Archaeological site
• National Trust
• Nitrogen Vulnerable Zone (NVZ)
• Drinking Water Safeguard Zones
• Scheduled Monuments (SMs)
• Listed Buildings (LBs)
• Registered Parks and Gardens (RPGs)
• Registered Battlefields (RBs) 
• Sites identified on the Historic Environment Record (HER)

Game
Legal quarry species, including deer, in the nation where the wildlife management area is located. The legal restrictions for shooting “game” differs in each of the four UK nations and should be checked with the relevant national authority.

Influences that impact on the management of game and wildlife
e.g. physical environment, habitat, wildlife, pest and predator interactions, game welfare and nutrition, game diseases, other land usage, conflicts of interest, political pressures, legislation

National authority controlling shooting activities:
• England – DEFRA
• Northern Ireland – NI Environment Agency
• Scotland – NatureScot
• Wales – Natural Resources Wales

Sector guidance could include:
• The Code of Good Shooting Practice
• Deer Initiative Best Practice Guides 
• Scottish Wild Deer Best Practice Guides
• British Game Alliance Shoot Assurance Scheme

Wildlife management area
Any area of land used for the provision of game-shooting activities

Links To Other NOS

External Links

Version Number

3

Indicative Review Date

2027

Validity

Current

Status

Original

Originating Organisation

Lantra

Original URN

LANGWM3

Relevant Occupations

Estates Manager, Game and Wildlife Manager

SOC Code

5119

Keywords

game; wildlife; management