Fact sheets › Wildlife crime
Wildlife crime
Deer poaching
Deer poaching is the illegal killing or pursuit of deer, often at night and frequently using dogs, vehicles and lamps. It causes serious suffering and is linked to wider rural crime.
About deer poaching
Poachers may shoot deer out of season or without permission, run dogs at them, or use vehicle headlights and lamps to dazzle them at night.
It often involves trespass, criminal damage and the illegal sale of venison.
Signs to look for
- Lamping at night — bright lights swept across fields and woodland edges
- Vehicles parked up at night near woodland with dogs
- Gunshots at night, or a deer carcass with the best meat removed and the rest abandoned
- Cut fences or damaged gates around farmland and woodland
The law
The Deer Act 1991 sets close seasons and makes it an offence to take or kill deer without authority, or to use prohibited methods such as certain weapons or vehicles.
Causing unnecessary suffering to deer can also be an offence under the Animal Welfare Act 2006, alongside firearms, poaching and trespass offences.
How to report deer poaching
If you've witnessed deer poaching, please report it to us. Give as much detail as you can safely gather — what you saw, exactly where and when, descriptions of any people, animals or vehicles involved, and any photos or video. Do not put yourself at risk or confront anyone.
If an animal is in immediate danger, or a crime is in progress, call 999.