Deer poaching

Deer poaching

Hello Resident,

We have received reports of suspected deer poaching in the Telford area, specifically near Limekiln Woods. We understand that such incidents can be distressing to witness, and we want to assure the public that we are investigating this matter thoroughly.

It is illegal to:

hunt for deer on land without permission from the landowner

remove deer carcasses from land without permission from the landowner

hunt deer with spears, arrows or similar types of missiles, whether used as weapons or as ammunition in a firearm

hunt deer using poisons, muscle relaxants or drugs that make them sleepy or confused

hunt deer using ammunition that contains stupefying drugs, poison and muscle relaxants

use traps, snares or poisoned bait

hunt wild deer during their closed season or at night, unless you have a licence to, or the deer are damaging your land (a landowner can authorise someone to kill the deer when their land is being damaged)

capture deer for science, education or relocation without a special licence

Under current legislation, fallow deer can only be lawfully hunted during certain periods, depending on the purpose of the activity.

For stalking purposes (i.e., controlled hunting), the shooting season is typically between 1st August and 30th April for bucks and 1st November to 31st March for does.

Culling (population control) can be carried out outside of these dates if there is a clear need and the activity is in line with land management and conservation efforts.

Anyone wishing to shoot or hunt fallow deer must ensure they have the appropriate permissions and comply with The Deer Act 1991.

Poaching is a Serious Crime

Poaching is a criminal offence, and any individual found hunting deer illegally will face serious consequences.

If you come across a deer or any evidence of poaching, we kindly ask that you follow these steps to help us investigate:

don’t disturb the scene

don’t touch or remove dead animals or birds (in the case of some protected species, if you take possession of the dead animal, you could be committing an offence)

record as many details as you can; date, time, location, details of anyone involved

if possible, take photos or video of the scene

write down any registration numbers of any vehicles involved

don’t put yourself at risk and don’t approach anyone, contact us

Note the What3Words location and share this with police.

If you think a wildlife crime is being committed then contact us by reporting a crime online.

If a crime is happening or someone is in danger, call 999. If you have a hearing or speech impairment, use our textphone service 18000 or text us on 999 if you’ve pre-registered with the emergencySMS service.

We’d rather you contacted us and we investigate, than not hear from you.

You can also report wildlife crime anonymously to Crimestoppers by calling 0800 555 111.

Your support is invaluable in helping us protect wildlife in our community. Together, we can ensure that these crimes are investigated thoroughly, and we appreciate your cooperation and vigilance.

Kind regards,

Sian

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Message Sent By
Sian Thomas
(Police, Rural and Business Officer, Problem Solving Hub Telford)