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What is deer hunting?
Deer hunting is a blood sport in which hunters on horseback, follow hunting hounds, who are trained to pick up the scent of a deer and chase it, often for many miles, before the exhausted animal is cornered and shot.
As the UK’s leading animal welfare charity tackling cruel blood sports, one of our key aims is to end the brutality of deer hunting once and for all.
What animals are involved in deer hunting and when does it take place?
The animal chased by deer hunts is the red deer. Mature male stags are hunted between August and October, female deer known as hinds and their young calves are then hunted from November to February, before the hunts switch to hunting young stags in March and April.
How widespread is it and how many deer fall victim to the hunts?
The scale of this hunting is shocking with hundreds of deer killed every year after being cruelly chased with dogs.
How long does a deer hunt last?
An intense prolonged chase causes the deer physiological stress, severe dehydration, muscle damage, and profound exhaustion.
Stags can be chased for around ten miles and for many hours before the poor exhausted animal is shot and carved up for trophies which are presented to hunt supporters and landowners.
Where does it take place?
Deer hunting takes place across parts of Devon and Somerset including Exmoor and the Quantock Hills.
There are three hunts that target deer – the Devon and Somerset Staghounds, the Quantock Staghounds and the Tiverton Staghounds.
Is deer hunting legal in the UK?
Deer hunting was made illegal in February 2005 when the Hunting Act which banned hunting with dogs in England and Wales came into force.
Why do they hunt and how do they get away with deer hunting if it is illegal?
The hunts chase and kill deer for their own ‘entertainment’ and exploit exemptions in the Hunting Act, claiming they are conducting ‘research and observation’ or ‘rescuing a wild mammal’.
In practice, only one piece of research has ever been published in 20 years, but it was entirely implausible.
And it’s often the fittest animal, not a sick or injured deer that they choose to chase for their own perverse pleasure.
Two of the three deer hunts use two hounds now rather than a full pack of hounds so they can exploit these exemptions in the law. Pairs of hounds are used in relays so the hunts can carry on hunting all day.
Hunt followers on quad bikes now play a bigger part in the hunt by harrying the deer during the chase.
There have only been two successful prosecutions of deer hunts, and these go back to 2006 and 2010.
How can we end deer hunting?
The government has committed to holding a consultation to ban trail hunting. This consultation should also look at removing the exemptions or loopholes that are being exploited by deer hunts.
It would then be easier for the police and crown prosecution service to prosecute hunts and bring them to justice.
We are also calling for jail sentences to be available to courts as a punishment as these will act as a deterrent for those who would break hunting laws.
You can help end the brutal bloodsport of deer hunting.
Pledge to take part in the Government’s hunting consultation.
How can you help end deer hunting?
- Contact your MP and ask them to urge their party to help strengthen the Hunting Act and remove the exemptions being exploited by hunts
- Join one of our Campaigners Against Cruel Sports Groups on Facebook or Circle to help us raise awareness of deer hunting
- Share this page on your social media