Billy Goat Stalking on The Isle of Rum

In sporting terms, Rum is perhaps best know for its heard of Red Deer. In fact they outnumber the local human population by 50:1. The deer on the island are slightly bigger than their mainland cousins in both body mass and antler mass, given largely to the introduction of parkland deer in the 1850’s to the island. Although no deer have been imported since, the pure genetics of the herd have thrived and they still produce some of the biggest stags on the West Coast.

Alongside the deer are another herd of cloven hooved herbivores. Goats. These primitive creatures spend most of their time along the rugged West Coast of Rum. This coastline has been shaped over the centuries by the pounding waves and swell of the Atlantic Ocean. This is a harsh but stunningly beautiful part of the island where in some areas, it's simply inaccessible to deer. The goats are incredibly nimble animals and their dexterous legs carry them over the almost sheer rock faces to get to the small pockets of green grass on which they feed. They are found literally on the shores dodging the crashing waves and range right up to the highest of peaks, which tower out of the sea to almost 2,700 feet. They seem equally at home in the corrie ridges silhouetted in their shaggy glory or turning over seaweed along the rocky beaches.

Toby Fichtner-Irvine who runs the stalking on Rum says of them: “They are relatively small animals but pack a huge amount of punch when it comes to character - Some of the largest of goats have horns that curl back on to their shoulders and are not dissimilar looking to an Ibex. During the stag season my stalking team often curse them when they run ahead of us scattering every last stag in the glen. I have been chased by a big Billy when extracting a stag with the Argo. I have seen them run flat out down a scree slope, skipping effortlessly over the loose stones to escape an eagle. I even watch a Billy get grumpy with one of our Ponies that was left in a pen while we were having lunch. It wasn’t prepared to share it's grass and made its presence very clear to the stubborn pony.”

As a sporting quarry, they are unusual. It is reckoned that there are less than 2000 wild goats living in Scotland, most of which are found in tiny pockets along the west coast and on several of the islands. Stable populations were largely wiped out when large tracts of forestry were planted and goats were quite rightly seen as a threat to the young trees. On Rum, they are found on challenging ground where there is no room for a fear of heights or a loose step. The stalking has to be slow and sure footed to get near to these animals and their shaggy nature, makes for a big target in the rifle scope but beware that the coat of a big Billy can often trail to the ground and placing an accurate shot can be a real challenge and requires concentration.

The health of the herd is paramount to Toby and as such, he will only select mature Billy’s that are past their breeding prime. Rum has a self-imposed season for the Billy’s that runs alongside the stag season. They can be aggressive grazers and as Rum is a Natural Nature Reserve (NNR) their population, like the deer, needs careful control to protect the delicate and sometimes fragile habitat.  

As of July this year, Rum will have a small number of Billy Goat stalking opportunities and Toby would welcome any enquires. If you would like to visit one of the prettiest parts of the West Coast and take part in a different sporting challenge, send an enquiry here.