Culling deer out of season

243win

Well-Known Member
has anyone got experience of culling roe deer and the requirements that must be in place, the deer need to be culled now and not in november, any advice please

steve
 
When we got permission to cull sika out of season the case had to be made to the Deer Commission for Scotland.It must be in writing for a particular estate, person and there is always a welfare issue attached. I don't know who the relevant authorities are in England but the conditions for grant are pretty tough. Best of luck.
 
243win, I think the short answer is not to do it.
As far as I know, you need to demonstrate that there is significant damage to crops or woodland and that you have used every reasonable method of deterring the deer. If it is forestry this may involve fencing. I believe that DEFRA are the orthority involved with shooting out of season in England.
perhaps Leagle or Swampy know more.
 
Not got a clue mate sorry I am sure it's DEFRA as my mate had some Canada Geese causing problems and they made him jump through hoops as I recall, but there has to definately be an agricultral damage angle ussually.
Ask DEFRA they are ussually quite helpful, in their own way ;)
 
Having read the link, I would say that in england you can shoot the deer, but have to give it away. So, if the deer need culling, then cull but give the deer away. I may be wrong!
 
I would ring the DEFRA guys and get it in writing if I was going to undertake such an endevour

We have past dealings with these chaps, there are so many different views it is best to have it in black and white to cover your back.
 
243win, Something I thought of after my input.
Roe does will be dropping kids in the next couple of weeks and the possibility of finding them before culling the doe is pretty well impossible. Surely this is a good reason for leaving the cull until Nov. when roe are grouped up and much easier to accieve your aims.
 
Cull the Bucks, they are legally in season and you will be seen to be doing something positive.
If you follow Duncs advice you may find yourself in court.

HWH.
 
243win,

Have a look at this link it may help, look up LEGISLATION CLOSE SEASON SHOOTING at. www.thedeerinitiative.co.uk

Licence applications are made to Natural England, www.naturalengland.org.uk

You will have to put a very strong case forward for an out of season licence, a representative will inspect the ground/damage or whatever you have stated for the out of season licence, but they do/will issue them. I am looking at mine now.

I have their address and phone numbers, if you need them then PM me.

I have to agree with stag1933, if you follow Duncs advice you will find yourself dressed in your best bib n tucker and not for a family wedding either!! If a licence is granted you can sell the venison, however, the seller may have to offer proof that it is fresh (i.e. not frozen) and that the venison was obtained legally if it is offered for sale during the close season.

Hope this helps.

Regards
 
Thank you for the advice,
the management have contacted defra, DI they will do everything legal,
this is why they have pratted about since march with their committe's and steering groups. i and the farm manager got p@ssed off with them and ended up speaking to senior management where it has now taken 2 days to contact the official side, i personally was going to cull all of them in season, as the crops are now high, i am hoping they give me authority this week to start and cull the bucks, there is not alarge number we are talking about 10-12 deer, because this relates to a high value to the damage i feel they will grant a licence i personally do not want to cull deer with young that i can not find, hence the question about others on the forum who may have had the unfortuate task to cull does at this time of year

steve
 
Where deer are damaging property such as crops Section 7 of the Deer Act 1991 provides a “farmers defence” whereby authorised persons may, in certain circumstances shoot deer if they are causing damage in the close season (see the Act for details of the types of situations covered).

Section 7(1) allows an authorised person (see below) to shoot deer out of season on
cultivated land, pasture or enclosed woodland provided that the conditions in section
7(3) apply. These conditions are:
(a) deer of the same species are causing or had caused damage
to crops, vegetables, fruit, growing timber or any other
form of property on the land;
(b) it is likely that further serious damage would be caused; and
(c) action was necessary to prevent it.

You can not sell it if you are not a game dealer. If these conditions are not met, then there should be no reason to shoot the deer. Reading that "Farm management" are dithering then I can only assume that it is arable/ forestry that is getting damaged. So I don't think you will get in to trouble. Deer: Law and liabilities by Charlie Parkes and john Thornley!!!!

or page 39 oflevel 1 training manual.
 
Duncs
it is scientific reasearch, this is why they will have to be culled when management eventually authorise someone to shoot them, the cost is £100k's and possibly iriversible damage if they do not authorise someone soon, forestry commision have already told them to shoot them, but we all know what some managers are like for taking responsibility for something that is not seen in their world as normal,
for instance they do not even know what happens to deer after they have been shot, they now know they go down the game dealer

steve
 
Best of luck.......with the managers, and with the cull. When I have shot anything out of season ( males) I get over the "quilt" by ensuring that it is quick and clean. Luckily I have not been asked to shoot females out of season.
 
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