Shooting Deer Out of Season
- Thread starter Roebuck9
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Tell them that you would love, to but there are too many antis with nightvision and you would lose your license, 6 months prison and a level 5 fine, £5,000. Plus the land owner could be accused of complicity and then suffer similar.
That usually ends the discussion.
That usually ends the discussion.
Tell the landowner that it's his responsibility to apply for the necessary permit, and that once he's done that you'll be happy to discuss the practicalities.
Deer: apply for a licence to shoot them (A16 and LR16)
Apply for a licence to shoot deer during the closed season or at night and find out how to report your actions.
£150 per deer plus VAT
TringSaint
Well-Known Member
There is a qualifying question that no one has sought to ask - what species of deer are they?
If they are munties, then fill your boots.
If they are roe or fallow bucks, then fill your boots.
Just because you can’t take everything doesn’t mean you can’t take something now, assuming it’s in season, and then taking others in, let’s say 11 days time!
If they are munties, then fill your boots.
If they are roe or fallow bucks, then fill your boots.
Just because you can’t take everything doesn’t mean you can’t take something now, assuming it’s in season, and then taking others in, let’s say 11 days time!
shakey jake
Well-Known Member
get a fence
The English permitting system does not provide for a licence to shoot in the closed season for the reason of damage to property.Tell the landowner that it's his responsibility to apply for the necessary permit, and that once he's done that you'll be happy to discuss the practicalities.
Most will not want the hassle of applying for the permit, or the resulting scrutiny, so that'll probably be the last you hear about it.Deer: apply for a licence to shoot them (A16 and LR16)
Apply for a licence to shoot deer during the closed season or at night and find out how to report your actions.www.gov.uk
The only option for shooting out of season is to work under S7 of the Deer Act 1991.
StephenToast
Well-Known Member
This is correct.
As TringSaint says this is species dependent but I assume as you are asking about out of season you mean does/hinds.
I'd probably ask him to wait the 11 days until the 1st of November then do as he asks. Not really an issue until 1st of April then is there?
In the meantime familiarise yourself with the deer act. Assess the damage deer are doing, if there are any other options such as scarers or fencing and then decide whether you are comfortable or it is even necessary exercising Section 7
HonestJohn
Well-Known Member
Farmers are a simplistic bunch, you can talk yourself out of a permission easily and he will get someone else to do it - just tell him you will sort the problem FOC, then go about it within the seasons 
Closely look at the individual situation and at section 7 of the deer act. Is there serious damage to fruit or cereals or growing timber, as examples (not just limited to those, look at the act). Can you gather and file photographic evidence. Not only this but can you pin down the species in question and get evidence of that species doing this damage. Have other preventative methods been exausted. Why aren't the numbers being dealt with in the season. If yes, the guy will need to say in writing and give you authority under sect 7 of the deer act , to cull the species in question for the damage being caused to whatever it is that is applicable in that instance. A letter perhaps separate from the landowner also talking about the damage caused and the monetry value lost in the past year due to the species. Keep that file with all of this, on you at all times, in a backpack or whatever. If you agree to do it, that is the only way how and it isnt a free for all, if stopped for doing it.. it is a defence and you will have to explain yourself in full. I have no idea if this has gone to court or been tested etc etc. The act isn't ultra specific in how exactly, to the letter, you defend your actions. Place yourself in the position of a knowledgeable police officer or wildlife crime officer that stops someone and asks why they have a dead out of season animal and what would satisfy you as evidence and defense..
For anyone just saying its a no go, section 7 exists for a reason and serves a purpose. It is a niche purpose but a purpose nonetheless and it is why it exists, you just have to be serious about it and how you go about it. In many cases it can be avoided but in some, its hard to avoid also.
However with the laws changing, like they have in Scotland, what with last years English consultation on deer... it may just be worth saying everything you would need to do above and say it holds risks still and politely explain due to the risks, it may be better to wait a short while and stick to seasonal for now because England's deer laws may well be changing anyway. The law on male deer may be extended indefinitely and night shooting laws may be laxed in some respect.. (but we won't know this for some time) giving you more time to cull species that are in season and giving 50% more access to species that were previously completely out of season i.e males not females. If that makes sense. And as rightly mentioned above, from November does are in anyway, if we are talking about now and not generally future reference.
Talk to Basc's deer department if you are a member. What you want are cold facts. Forums aren't good places for legal information... it is mostly opinion/conjecture and not facts all that often. Always print and keep whatever advice is given in writing/email from your shooting legal advisor, whatever organisation gives it.. I do.
For anyone just saying its a no go, section 7 exists for a reason and serves a purpose. It is a niche purpose but a purpose nonetheless and it is why it exists, you just have to be serious about it and how you go about it. In many cases it can be avoided but in some, its hard to avoid also.
However with the laws changing, like they have in Scotland, what with last years English consultation on deer... it may just be worth saying everything you would need to do above and say it holds risks still and politely explain due to the risks, it may be better to wait a short while and stick to seasonal for now because England's deer laws may well be changing anyway. The law on male deer may be extended indefinitely and night shooting laws may be laxed in some respect.. (but we won't know this for some time) giving you more time to cull species that are in season and giving 50% more access to species that were previously completely out of season i.e males not females. If that makes sense. And as rightly mentioned above, from November does are in anyway, if we are talking about now and not generally future reference.
Talk to Basc's deer department if you are a member. What you want are cold facts. Forums aren't good places for legal information... it is mostly opinion/conjecture and not facts all that often. Always print and keep whatever advice is given in writing/email from your shooting legal advisor, whatever organisation gives it.. I do.
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I would say wait a couple of weeks and I will shoot everything in season on sight
nun_hunter
Well-Known Member
It is only a defence though and not a permission as such.
You're placing a lot of faith on how you'll be dealt with if caught shooting out of season. You could be lucky and show all the "evidence" to the officer who responds to the incident and they say "oh brilliant, crack on you're all covered" or they aren't too familiar so size all your guns and FAC and it takes you weeks or months of to and fro with the FLD to get everything back, or you even end up in court having to prove you weren't breaking the law.
shakey jake
Well-Known Member
police dont investigate burglary, if you have the land owners ok and not dealing with a game dealer, how are you going to get caught? plant a few raspberry canes and shoot the lot if you want
nun_hunter
Well-Known Member
Just pointing out that's the person doing the shooting is taking all the risk while the landowner sits back doing nothing, or worse threatening to replace the stalker with someone willing to take those risks.
If you or others want to risk it then crack on but if you do get caught where do you think the landowner will be? Fighting your corner, desperate to help you or forgetting you existed and getting someone else in to keep on shooting.
The police aren't going to stumble over you out in the fields but it only takes one neighbour to shop you in, and if the landowner is having such an issue it's probably because their neighbours aren't shooting deer or certainly not enough.
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