Your Support Matters: October 2026

Thanks to you, red deer have a safe place for the rut. 

Every autumn, familiar stags return to the wildlife reserves donors help maintain and protect. As the breeding season begins, these magnificent red deer gather for one of nature’s most spectacular events – the rut. 

It’s remarkable that these majestic animals make the return journey each year, given the threat of hunting and shooting in the surrounding countryside. Some of the older stags, recognisable by the distinctive shape of their antlers, have returned year after year – using their knowledge of the local terrain and travelling under the cover of darkness. Thanks to the support of members and donors, they have somewhere safe to return to.  

For a few weeks stags that have been close associates throughout the summer suddenly become arch-rivals.  

Once they reach the reserves, the stags and their hinds have the space they need to carry out this extraordinary annual ritual, helping to ensure the next generation of red deer. 

Stags of similar size will bellow and posture, but rarely feel the need to fight, as fighting can lead to fatal injuries. The sound of their bellowing is primal and it’s sure to get the heart racing — especially at night when sound travels further.

Mature stags will rarely eat or sleep during the breeding season, as they try to protect and mate with their hinds. By the end of the season, they’re exhausted.  

Sadly, red deer on Exmoor continue to face the threat of stag hunting throughout the rutting season, with hunts using the ‘research and observation’ exemption in the Hunting Act 2004. 

Your support puts cruel ‘sports’ at the heart of the conversation 

When decisions about the future of wild animals are being discussed, you help make sure cruelty in the name of ‘sport’ isn’t overlooked. 

That’s why gatherings like the recent Wild Summit in Bristol matter. Bringing together campaigners, policymakers and charities from across the animal welfare and environmental sectors, the Summit was an important opportunity to put the protection of animals from cruel ‘sports’ firmly on the agenda. 

If you responded to the recent government consultation calling for an end to these loopholes, thank you. By raising your voice, you've helped make sure the protection of wildlife remains firmly on the government’s agenda.

By standing with the League, you helped ensure that hunting with dogs and the welfare of gamebirds were part of those conversations – alongside the wider challenges facing wild animals.

You also helped make collaboration possible.

By building stronger relationships with other organisations fighting for animals, your support helps create a more powerful collective voice for change. One result of that collaboration was the Bristol Declaration on Wild Animal Welfare – a call for the UK Government to put wild animal welfare at the heart of decision-making and take meaningful action to tackle wildlife crime.

Events like the Wild Summit matter because progress towards ending cruel ‘sports’ depends on keeping them on the agenda – particularly when practices that cause suffering can too easily be treated as recreation or tradition.

Thank you for standing up for animals.

Inspired by what supporters make possible? 

Thanks to people like you, animals have a stronger voice, wildlife has safe places to thrive, and we're moving closer to a world without cruel 'sports'. 

If these stories have inspired you, there are more ways to make a difference. Whether you choose to speak up for animals, make a gift or show your support through our shop, every action helps build a kinder future for persecuted animals.