Such a dangerous illegal poaching technique being used in Devon

devon deer stalker

Well-Known Member
About a week ago i was out at first light, i parked my truck off the road in a field.
I was waiting by my favourite tree well before light, as it started to get light i heard a van driving very slowly along the lane, either side of this lane are the fields i am permitted to shoot over, only it's side lights were on, then as i thought, it slowed to a stop in a gateway and although i was 300 yards away i could make out he was glassing the fields, he stayed there for a couple of minutes and moved on, i did not move for fear of being shot!

So i went out again this morning, i noticed some roe down the bottom of the field by the woods, i had glassed them from the road, just like he did, i pulled into another gateway and started to stalk the deer, i had gone about 100 yards and was so annoyed to find the remainders of roe deer gralloch, i reckon it had been there about 48 hours, by the laws of probability it was shot by the same guy, even if it wasn't it's still a crazy irresponsible thing to do.

So, this site has 15,000 members, just in case the individual is on this site, you have been rumbled, i now know your van, i am on the lookout as is the farmer.
I am not going into exact locations suffice to say it was around 5 miles west of Crediton.

That aside, this is such a dangerous practice, imagine shooting towards the deer and i am to the rear, it is not worth the risk, you could kill someone.

Richard
 
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Not condoning the poaching but this post reminds me of the recent police statement which suggested that as a bird of prey was found dead in the area proximate to a pheasant pen, the inference is that it must have been a pheasant shooter. There was uproar at the time from legitimate shooters being tarnished by association.

Have you thought of making a similar post on the illegal-poachers directory?
 
Have you thought of making a similar post on the illegal-poachers directory?

Is there such a directory?

if not maybe the SD is the best place for this statement. Note that Richard said 'just in case the individual is on this site', seems like at least as good a place to start as any other to me.....
 
Is there such a directory?

if not maybe the SD is the best place for this statement. Note that Richard said 'just in case the individual is on this site', seems like at least as good a place to start as any other to me.....


+1
 
Sad to say Richard is spot on. There is a lot of "drive by" shooting down here, it's always gone on but when it was shotguns it wasn't really too much of a danger problem. With the advent of night vision where no light is involved by the legitimate shooter, they are without doubt at risk from those shooting in from the road using centrefires. All rather worrying.
 
I would be suprised if a centre fire was involved. More likely a moderated .22. If the perpetrator has no respect for poaching law then how likely are they to bother with the deer act.

If it were me and saw them doing another drive by I would illuminate them with 1/2 a million candle power. It may encourage them to poach elsewhere.
 
If you have the reg number and description of the van its simple call the police and report your findings
Ray
 
I would be suprised if a centre fire was involved. More likely a moderated .22. If the perpetrator has no respect for poaching law then how likely are they to bother with the deer act.

If it were me and saw them doing another drive by I would illuminate them with 1/2 a million candle power. It may encourage them to poach elsewhere.


Sorry, but there is no doubt centrefires have been used for this kind of thing. The person who drives round and shoots illegally from my own experience as a keeper has no regard for the law whatsoever.
 
I would be suprised if a centre fire was involved. More likely a moderated .22. If the perpetrator has no respect for poaching law then how likely are they to bother with the deer act.

If it were me and saw them doing another drive by I would illuminate them with 1/2 a million candle power. It may encourage them to poach elsewhere.

I would also be surprised if this "practice" was limited to just the Crediton area!
If the perpetrator has no respect for poaching law then how likely are they to bother with the deer act - Or the safety of others? If you were to "illuminate them with 1/2 a million candlepower" you might need to watch out in case you get a .22 Sub-Sonic whizzing past your ear - I suspect that some/many of these "Fly by night poachers/thieving scum" will stop at nothing to avoid getting caught!
 
I would endorse reporting a 'suspicious' vehicle. This is actively encouraged by the police in my area (Essex) for many reasons, poaching, burglary etc.
 
If i had the reg no. i would have reported it to the police as suspicious activity, but that is all it was, suspicious.
No way of telling what calibre was used, and of course this problem isn't limited to Devon.
But it is a well known tactic employed, it's just that this is the first time i could potentially link the 2 on one of my farms where i shoot.
Of course we are upset a deer has been taken illegally, but the safety aspect is so worrying.
If not me, then next time it could be the landowner or his livestock put at risk, all for the sake of a roe deer.

Cheers

Richard
 
richard you want to watch the place for a couple of days and let him shoot a deer and ring the police he will be back you found the gralloch from one but he may have had others watch and wait with a friend if possible
atb tom
 
Is there such a directory?

if not maybe the SD is the best place for this statement. Note that Richard said 'just in case the individual is on this site', seems like at least as good a place to start as any other to me.....

I thought it was called The Hunting Life?
 
I shoot roughly 5 miles from Crediton, would be handy to know the details of the van, pm me if you could richard,
Cheers
 
A well respected member on here is also a working police officer, whose duties are in the main as a wildlife crime prevention officer, his advice to my question on a similar situation was make a report of suspiscious activity, giving any detail you have.
 
I've had a lot of dealings with police and you can give them the van number, the persons name and address and what do they do?
Every person I know will give you the same answer to the question.
If Crediton on is like most of Somerset the nearest police would be 30 miles away and they would not be interested anyway.
There is only one way to deal with poaching and that is to take the law into your own hands.
 
A well respected member on here is also a working police officer, whose duties are in the main as a wildlife crime prevention officer, his advice to my question on a similar situation was make a report of suspiscious activity, giving any detail you have.

What good would that do?
 
I agree with most of the postings regarding this problem but a greater deterrent might be taking an obvious photo using flash so they know they have been seen and there is a record of the vehicle, and faces? However you must never put yourself at risk! I hope its an isolated event for you.
Cheers Jezza308
 
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