Shooting deer out of season legally

spandit

Well-Known Member
Popped down to a local vineyard this afternoon to chat to the owner there. I've done a bit of rabbit shooting for him but whilst we were talking a roe buck appeared, which caused him much concern. He's asked me to shoot it :D

Now, I know they're in season at the moment but if they become a threat in early spring when the new shoots appear do I need to apply for a licence or can they be shot for crop protection without having to inform anyone?
 
Popped down to a local vineyard this afternoon to chat to the owner there. I've done a bit of rabbit shooting for him but whilst we were talking a roe buck appeared, which caused him much concern. He's asked me to shoot it :D

Now, I know they're in season at the moment but if they become a threat in early spring when the new shoots appear do I need to apply for a licence or can they be shot for crop protection without having to inform anyone?


Please shoot it know and save pages of quotes from the fire arms guidance notes.....

Also it is a bit late not to inform all who read this very popular forum lol


Tim.243
 
very difficult to get an out of season licence for roe,red and fallow yes but not roe.not a herding animal and not considered as major crop damaging species.not my opinion but that of a administrator in the natural england office. post corrected now
 
Last edited:
very difficult to get an out of season licence for roe,red and fallow yes but not roe.not a herding animal and not considered as major crop damaging species.not my opinion but that of a administrator in the english heritage office.


English heritage?? That may be where you're going wrong!
 
Surely if it's causing damage to crops and you see it doing the damage and you shoot it at the location the damage was occurring then you have a reasonable defence but like Tim said, why wait, get the job done now and it's not an issue
 
go back now and shoot it make a good discrete job of it leave no mess make no fuss and dont let anyone see what your doing and this includes the vineyard workers, offer the owner the carcase telling him if he wants another one shot you will keep that carcase (he will refuse the carcase as it will seem to much like a faff to skin and butcher it) the the owner will think your great and ask you to carry on and shoot what ever other deer you see, then in time he rents buys another peice or ground or even tells his farmer mate about you which you then take the stalking up on that ground and so on and so on.
 
go back now and shoot it make a good discrete job of it leave no mess make no fuss and dont let anyone see what your doing and this includes the vineyard workers, offer the owner the carcase telling him if he wants another one shot you will keep that carcase (he will refuse the carcase as it will seem to much like a faff to skin and butcher it) the the owner will think your great and ask you to carry on and shoot what ever other deer you see, then in time he rents buys another peice or ground or even tells his farmer mate about you which you then take the stalking up on that ground and so on and so on.

Good post ^^^
 
a countryman in service conducts his best practice which doesn't include his declaration of action or intent on an internet forum.
 
a countryman in service conducts his best practice which doesn't include his declaration of action or intent on an internet forum.

Please note at no time did I say I was going to shoot the deer out of season unless it was legal to do so. Please don't patronise me. The plan is to shoot this particular deer whilst in season but I was enquiring as to what could happen before it comes back into season again as from what I've read, the young shoots on grapevines are very tempting. As for informing anyone, I meant DEFRA or Natural England. Anyone reading this forum who is offended by my intention to shoot a deer is on the wrong forum.
 
Wouldn't this fall under section 7 of the deer act?

In other words, no license needed to shoot out of season as it's cultivated land and you have permission from the land owner to shoot deer.
 
Might be different in England, but check the terms of the general licences, the ones that allow shooting of pest species. In Scotland, they allow out of season shooting for crop protection on improved agricultural land and forestry, both of which are clearly defined.
 
Might be different in England, but check the terms of the general licences, the ones that allow shooting of pest species. In Scotland, they allow out of season shooting for crop protection on improved agricultural land and forestry, both of which are clearly defined.

Ur general licence only applies to bird species.

In Scotland it is very different and u don't need to apply for a specific licence to shoot out of season male deer (but u do need to be on the SNH F&C register)
I think the 'farmers defence' is the same which would also allow the use of a shotgun under certain conditions too.

Might be worth asking either basc/DI or bds wot the score is and who u'd speak to to get the relevant licence incase it does happen in the future.

End of day nature hates a void so if u shoot 1 another might just take its place, [possibly the sort of thing if got a dominat buck in the area who wasn't eating the vines u'd be a swell leaving it (the stand buck type principle)
 
Ur general licence only applies to bird species.


I think the 'farmers defence' is the same which would also allow the use of a shotgun under certain conditions too.

This has been covered lots of times before on SD and both BASC & BDS can advise on this. The key thing to bear in mind is that the farmer's defence is just what it says, a defence to use in Court after you have been prosecuted for shooting a deer out of season.

Under these circumstances the onus has shifted to the defendant to prove that they acted lawfully, whilst all the prosecution has to do is prove that it was you that killed the deer out of season. Consider also by this point Plod may have already seized your firearms and you have had the worry & expense of finding legal representation.

There is however another lawful method, by convincing Natural England to issue you with an out of season licence:- https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/deer-licences
 
Would the odd roe deer warrant being labelled an agricultural pest ...I can understand the fallow falling into that category given the numbers around here , but roe ? .
 
Yes
Example .... asparagus ... low yield high value product .... damage one roe can do to a section of that is mental .... fruit .... strawberries raspberries .... they go nuts for it and do lot of damage to plants themselves.


Paul
 
Last edited:
I have some experience of this as I used to grow fruit trees in a past life. The damage they can do to newly grafted tree shoots is quite heart breaking.

Yes, you can lawfully shoot them, just get it in writing from the landowner and cover your arse.
 
Back
Top