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Contribute to the development and implementation of a game and wildlife management plan

URN: LANGa23
Business Sectors (Suites): Game and Wildlife Management
Developed by: Lantra
Approved on: 2022

Overview

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This standard is about contributing to the development and implementation of a game and wildlife management plan. It has been developed so that it can be applied to any game population in any wildlife management area. 

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 conservation. 

To meet this standard you will be able to:
• contribute to the development of game and wildlife management plans
• contribute to the implementation of game and wildlife management plans
• supervise activities that aim to maintain wild game.

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. confirm the activity is carried out safely, in line with the relevant health and safety requirements
  2. maintain an accurate assessment of wild game population characteristics
  3. establish the potential of the wildlife management area to support wild game populations 
  4. develop a clear understanding of all known influences that may affect the management of wild game populations
  5. contribute to the development of a game and wildlife management plan to optimise the long-term sustainable shooting potential of wild game populations
  6. confirm that the plan complies with the relevant national legal requirements and codes of practice
  7. gain feedback on the proposed game and wildlife management plan and discuss this with the shoot manager
  8. contribute to the implementation of the game and wildlife management plan to achieve the planned objectives
  9. contribute to the maintenance of the game and wildlife management plan, within known resource constraints and organisational requirements
  10. confirm that the game and wildlife management plan aims to preserve and improve habitat and biodiversity and respond to and mitigate the effects of climate change
  11. take action to correct any deviations from the game and wildlife management plan
  12. maintain communication with the relevant people to facilitate the effective management of wild game populations
  13. maintain accurate management records in respect of the management of wild game populations

Knowledge and Understanding

You need to know and understand:

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  1. the health and safety requirements associated with managing wild game populations
  2. the relevant national legal requirements and codes of practice pertaining to the management of wild game populations
  3. what the sporting potential is and how sustainable long-term sporting potential can be achieved
  4. the history of wild game relevant to the wildlife management area, and the importance of this to developing a game and wildlife management plan
  5. who needs to be consulted on the proposed plan and the action to take if agreement cannot be reached
  6. how to assess the characteristics of wild game stock 
  7. the habitat requirements of wild game, and how to assess game habitat for its potential to hold game
  8. the survey methods used to monitor wild game populations
  9. the methods used in determining population structure and the implications of population structure on sporting potential
  10. the common game diseases, possible causes of infection and methods of prevention and control
  11. the relevant legal requirements that regulate animal welfare, bio-security, disease control and pest control
  12. the methods of managing wild game populations and how these vary throughout the calendar year
  13. how supplementary resources can be used to support wild game populations
  14. the relevant legal restrictions on the allocation of additional resources
  15. where medication can be used in the management of game health and the regulations controlling this
  16. the relevant environmental legislation in relation to monitoring and controlling vertebrate pests and predators
  17. the actions that can be taken to preserve and improve habitat and biodiversity and respond to and mitigate the effects of climate change
  18. the legal and organisational requirements for record keeping

Scope/range

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Assess game population characteristics in terms of:
• size and structure
• distribution
• interactions with wildlife and habitat

Develop a clear understanding of three of the following influences on wild game:
• habitat
• pest and predator actions
• game welfare and nutrition
• disease
• land usage
• human influences

Maintain the following management activities:
• monitoring game, wildlife and habitat
• pest and predator control
• the application of supplementary resources to support game

Maintain the use of the following resources, within known constraints:
• people
• equipment
• material
• time

Take action in respect of three of the following deviations:
• habitat deterioration
• pest and predator actions
• game nutritional shortfalls
• disease
• resource shortages
• human influences

Scope Performance

Scope Knowledge

Values

Behaviours

Skills

Glossary

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Advisory bodies – for example: Game Conservancy Trust, BASC, etc.

Codes of practice could include:
• The Code of Good Shooting Practice
• Deer Initiative Best Practice Guides 
• Scottish Wild Deer Best Practice Guides

Facilities – areas of land and equipment used for the application of resources

Game – any legal quarry species in the nation in which the shoot takes place. The legal restrictions for shooting “game” differs in each of the four UK nations and should be checked with the relevant national authority.

Management information – information collected in support of activities, for example:
• shoot records
• game records
• resource usage
• published data

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

Pest control
• pesticides
• rodenticides
• traps and snares
• shooting

Shooting potential – game available to support shooting activities

Resources – for example: food, water, shelter, medication, etc.

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

LANGa23

Relevant Occupations

Estate Worker, Gamekeeper

SOC Code

5119

Keywords

game; wildlife; management; plan