Night shooting in England

[Jvoelcker]

Do you think we will ever get to the stage in England when we will be allowed to shoot deer at night?

 

[User00040]

Do you mean legally?

Everyone in England-shire will have to mail their FAC's in to get another 'condition' added too...

 

[mealiejimmy]

Aaah - gralloching in the dark - great fun
Could be made legal in Scotland before too long without a special licence if some folk at NatureScot (daft fe**in name) get their way

Cheers

Bruce

 

[AGR]

One of the most common DSC1 answers to the question 'what should you do immediately after shooting a deer?', must be, 'switch the lamp off!'

 

[paulbshooting]

Let's hope not. The failing price of NV and thermal is bad news enough for deer in the wrong hands yet alone night shooting becoming the norm.

 

[kieran222]

The only thing that will ensure that deer aren't totally wiped out is the price of venison.

 

[griff]

Don't worry, they are releasing Lynx into Kielder, soon there will be no deer night or day..

 

[Hayduke]

Don't worry, they are releasing Lynx into Kielder, soon there will be no deer night or day, or sheep on the farms about..

There, did you see what I did,
fixed it!

 

[Jvoelcker]

Do you mean legally?

Everyone in England-shire will have to mail their FAC's in to get another 'condition' added too...

Yes legally.

With the rising deer numbers I was wondering it had been considered.

 

[Jvoelcker]

Don't worry, they are releasing Lynx into Kielder, soon there will be no deer night or day..

Or sheep, cats, etc.

 

[shakey jake]

i dont really see the issue with deer at night, only a matter of time i guess if numbers keep rising

 

[Jvoelcker]

Let's hope not. The failing price of NV and thermal is bad news enough for deer in the wrong hands yet alone night shooting becoming the norm.

I was assuming it would be introduced under license as it is in Scotland, which should provide a level of control.

 

[User00040]

One of the most common DSC1 answers to the question 'what should you do immediately after shooting a deer?', must be, 'switch the lamp off!'

Lamp? This is 2021!

Picture of blokes from the local deer management group

 

[sikamalc]

Friend of mine secured a night licence for a 500 acre farm in West Sussex. However first year he took 50 head off, last two years hardly a deer has appeared. Fallow, they soon learn where its safe and where its not, even at night.

 

[Jvoelcker]

Friend of mine secured a night licence for a 500 acre farm in West Sussex. However first year he took 50 head off, last two years hardly a deer has appeared. Fallow, they soon learn where its safe and where its not, even at night.

I guess it will be a bit like foxes where they will move around a lot more during the rut??

 

[jcampbellsmith]

I guess it will be a bit like foxes where they will move around a lot more during the rut??

No, fallow respond to pressure at any time of year, by moving to a less hostile area. Collaborative culling is the only way to make a permanent reduction in fallow numbers.
Regards
JCS

 

[sikamalc]

I guess it will be a bit like foxes where they will move around a lot more during the rut??

Not really mate, they obviously congregate on or near to rutting stands in October, but once the rut is over and the winter months progress you will find that they will often join up in large herds, mostly does and last years fawns. But prickets will often be in with them too. You are right in that they move around a lot, throughout the winter months. Fallow, along with Sika are the most difficult deer to manage the numbers of in my opinion.

The farm in question is nearly all open fields of crops, with a lot of public access, and of course non access that people ignore. Three years back he showed me a video he took on his phone from the cab window of his truck, and there must have been 200 plus Fallow on a 50 acre field. Since hitting them hard the first year, they have not been back in anywhere near the numbers, and this farm is opposite to the estate I lease. We shoot between 50 and 60 a year, more if possible.

 

[Loler UK]

Night licences already are issued in England, and in some instances they have been refused on the grounds that one is not required as the deer act provides for the reasoning submitted.

As Malc said, they will soon learn, and fallow have a hell of a range. There are ways and means to minimise the stress and disturbance caused by it, sadly I'm not sure everyone does their upmost to do so.

 

[baguio]

I think that it will be a long time before it become legal without a licence. However, getting night licences will become easier. The world has changed a lot in the last 12 months. Deer numbers will be up and deer RTCs will go up with it. When humans start dying in numbers there will be consequences.

 

[Jvoelcker]

No, fallow respond to pressure at any time of year, by moving to a less hostile area. Collaborative culling is the only way to make a permanent reduction in fallow numbers.
Regards
JCS

Ok, didn't realise that, although we don't see so many around us.