Tackling deer - legalities?
- Thread starter BenB
- Start date
I would hazard the guess that "to bring down " a deer would be at the very least emotive, never mind illegal. I am not qualified to make any further comment on the real legal status, but would err on the side of caution & use a scenting / trailing dog to do just that.
I think you need 2 or more dogs for that act?
Dan Gliballs
Well-Known Member
Yes.
As far as Im aware hunting a wild mammal with a dog is illegal (there are some exceptions) including foxes, hares, deer ect but you are allowed to flush them from cover, how you define the difference between the two is anybody's guess.
Hunting Act 2004...
http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts2004/ukpga_20040037_en_1
Last edited:
purdeydog
Well-Known Member
I wouldn't bet the house on this as there are no test cases I know of, but......
I believe its legal prior to shooting a deer but I presume you mean once it is shot, you have wounded the deer and it needs following up. Yes it is legal under the hunting act. If your stalking for.....
preventing or reducing serious damage which the wild mammal would otherwise cause—
to livestock,
to game birds or wild birds (within the meaning of section 27 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (c. 69)),
to food for livestock,
to crops (including vegetables and fruit),
to growing timber,
to fisheries,
to other property, or
to the biological diversity of an area (within the meaning of the United Nations Environmental Programme Convention on Biological Diversity of 1992),
obtaining meat to be used for human or animal consumption, or
participation in a field trial.
You must use only 1 or 2 dogs and be on the land legally. There are other conditions, but thats the jist of it
However if you have a wounded deer and it needs dispatching, say the the road side after an RTA or other justified reason. If using a .22lr or a knife is the best way, your justified under various laws/act etc that also applies to using a dog, if you think its the best way, even if you have just shot it.
I believe its legal prior to shooting a deer but I presume you mean once it is shot, you have wounded the deer and it needs following up. Yes it is legal under the hunting act. If your stalking for.....
preventing or reducing serious damage which the wild mammal would otherwise cause—
to livestock,
to game birds or wild birds (within the meaning of section 27 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (c. 69)),
to food for livestock,
to crops (including vegetables and fruit),
to growing timber,
to fisheries,
to other property, or
to the biological diversity of an area (within the meaning of the United Nations Environmental Programme Convention on Biological Diversity of 1992),
obtaining meat to be used for human or animal consumption, or
participation in a field trial.
You must use only 1 or 2 dogs and be on the land legally. There are other conditions, but thats the jist of it
However if you have a wounded deer and it needs dispatching, say the the road side after an RTA or other justified reason. If using a .22lr or a knife is the best way, your justified under various laws/act etc that also applies to using a dog, if you think its the best way, even if you have just shot it.
I think the definitive phrase was to "Pull down"........................................... nuff said!
devilishdave
Well-Known Member
I seam to remember when the law came out that once an animal was wounded you could use any number of dogs to bring it to book. so yes you can use a dog to bring down a wounded animal shooting is the better option but not always going to be possible or preacticable.
Dave
Dave
Jagare
Well-Known Member
Of course if you track a wounded dear with a dog on a long lead, often you can finish the deer with a shot. But if the deer has a jaw or leg wound they may be off before you can shoot, thats when you want a dog that will pull down or bay the animal.
Only wounded roe or small fallow should have a loosed dog on them.
www.prokennel.se
Only wounded roe or small fallow should have a loosed dog on them.
www.prokennel.se
Thar
Well-Known Member
While shooting the animal again is always the best option, the trouble is a wounded deer’s natural instinct is to head for cover, the thicker the better, or make down hill to water, but don’t bet on this as the buck I tracked last weekend went up hill away from water, but into thick cover.
It is quite impractical to try and shoot a animal again while you are crawling on your knees though thicket stage plantation, you will never no matter how quick a runner you are
kept up with a deer on 3 legs or jaw shot one so forget about keeping your dog on a line, if you want to put the deer out of its misery. An experienced medium dog sized dog will dispatch a roe very quickly, the reality is that once your dog catches up with the deer you will be out of the equation, it will tackle the deer its self, or bay the deer and wait for the rest of the pack, “you” to get there and assist. You will not have much input on the situation.
In Scotland do want ever is necessary to stop the deer’s suffering, you are covered under section 25 of deer act of Scotland.
ATB
Tahr
if you are refering to what deertracker had posted
then NO , he had acted in accordance to the law and also to moral standards aswell
there is no hunting act that prevents you from following up a wounded animal that you hav been called out to despatch with 1 or more dogs
but there is an issuse on what boundaries you are allowed to cross to finalise the act of humane dispatch
as Thar points out
in scotland the law allows you to cross such boundaries but also points out at times you need a good dog to cover up a rick that a rifle or shotgun leaves, RTA's are anotherecase
as you can seek crown exemption
but still may need a good aim or dog to prevent further suffering
Biggest problems with forums rather than talking face to face is that words can be misconstrued. I am not looking for a loophole to run deer on dogs and not casting libellous aspersions about what anyone else had posted! We all know that the Hunting Act is made of soggy cardboard but nevertheless i wanted to double check should a situation arise and I don't want to find myself in a position of having contravened rules unwittingly.
Hope that makes sense and thank you for your answers
Hope that makes sense and thank you for your answers
Ben, I would think the term "to bring to bay", rather than" bring down", would have served you better, just an opinion from an old f*rt on the sidelines! Steve,
Richiepolecat
Well-Known Member
How do you train the deer to do that?
Only joking, once shot you are allowed to use a dog to help find/catch a wounded deer, as with other quarry.
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