The available range for red deer (Cervus elaphus) throughout the area amounts to approximately 27,508 ha. Aside from the grazing of around 1000 sheep on NTS Kintail, red deer provide the main grazing impact over the hill ground. Roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) are widespread but at lower density and with a discrete, patchy distribution. Sika deer (Cervus nippon) are considered to be established within the National Forest Estate Strathglass management unit. There have also been reports of the occasional sika to the west of the Group.
In order that culls can be set to achieve a target density that enables all objectives of the Group to be met, it is essential to be able to estimate the current deer population. The most recent count of the DMG was in 2015 and estimated a population of 12.9 deer per km2.