Deer-weird

[Sean Howell]

I've been out and about alot in my local woods today and it's been quite weird.

Firstly I saw the massive white buck I haven't seen all year, which was great.

But then I found what I thought was a dead roe buck, curled up in a hedge by a path. He had lots of flies on it but when I looked nearer he blinked and I realised he was breathing. So I quickly phoned the RSPCA and returned home as they said I should. About 1 hour later they phoned me up saying they couldn't find him and sure enough when I got there..he was gone.

Lastly I went out again to hopefully see the fallow buck again. I returned to the same place but noticed that the gate that was always, always closed was open (this was on the footbath). But anyway I saw a herd of about 10 fallow deer does and 3 others on the opposite side of the field. I carried on (this time slightly off the footpath) and came across a second gate that was usually closed but that was open.

I then saw 2 more does's chasing each other round in circles getting nearer to me all the time. They then stopped looked at me and bolted straight at me they luckily stopped about 6 feet away and ran off.

I returned home but as I was walking back I heard loud gun shots coming from where I had recently been.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...sand-pubs.html

The buck I saw was bigger, and had slighty larger antlers than the picture in the link.

[Beekeeper]

Sean Howell

Before i had read all your post, the first thought i had was poachers, probably the deer you saw covered in flies had been shot and wounded and had stopped for a rest before going off to die somewhere, the gunshots could of course be a forestry commision deer culling team unless it is a nature reserve or privatly owned wood but i would think poachers.

The best thing to do in those circumstances is phone the cops straight away, deer poaching is a serious offence but not as serious as using a gun in a public place, they would be there in no time and you would not get into trouble for reporting it even if it turns out not to be poachers, better be safe than sorry, nothing worse than wounded animals.

BK

[Dogs]

I think it would be a rash decision to think poachers straight away... as its very unlikely a serious poacher would use a high power rifle, and especially during daylight hours. Much more likely pest control or deer management taking place...

I would strongly advise keeping to the footpaths on private land

[Sean Howell]

I don't think the roe buck had been shot by poachers, as it was in a hedge next to a small track with footpaths all around and no real area for it to have been shot.

There is however some private woodland relatively near to where I found the injured buck and the owners often hunt there so I reckon it could have been that.

The gunshots I heard were coming from an area that isn't privately owned, but by that time I was quite far away from where th shots were coming from so I could be wrong.

Can anyone explain about why the 2 doe's may have run at me:
2 more does's chasing each other round in circles getting nearer to me all the time. They then stopped looked at me and bolted straight at me they luckily stopped about 6 feet away and ran off.

[eeyore]

Originally Posted by Sean Howell

I don't think the roe buck had been shot by poachers, as it was in a hedge next to a small track with footpaths all around and no real area for it to have been shot.

There is however some private woodland relatively near to where I found the injured buck and the owners often hunt there so I reckon it could have been that.

The gunshots I heard were coming from an area that isn't privately owned, but by that time I was quite far away from where th shots were coming from so I could be wrong.

Can anyone explain about why the 2 doe's may have run at me:
2 more does's chasing each other round in circles getting nearer to me all the time. They then stopped looked at me and bolted straight at me they luckily stopped about 6 feet away and ran off.

probably running from something else then stopped when they saw you - i agree the gunshots probably werent poachers but another possibility would be nothing to do with deer such as pigeon or corvid control- deer will run from gunfire even if they arent the target.

did the shots sound like a shotgun (more of a bang) or a rifle (a flatter crack ) ?

[Sean Howell]

I can't exactly remember what it sounded like. It wasn't a clean straight sound. But was like a bang followed by a clatter.

[eeyore]

Originally Posted by Sean Howell

I can't exactly remember what it sounded like. It wasn't a clean straight sound. But was like a bang followed by a clatter.

shotgun fire into the canopy - the clatter is twigs and small branches being brought down by the shot - which supports the idea that this was birds being shot not deer.

[Sean Howell]

Thanks. I'm pretty sure it's a shotgun, which is good!

[eeyore]

Originally Posted by Sean Howell

Thanks. I'm pretty sure it's a shotgun, which is good!

shotguns can be used for deer poaching / control - hence the term "buck shot" - although most legitimate controllers use a rifle as it is more likely to kill clean

however as i say the after clatter is indicative of lots of small shot pellets being fired into the canopy - not of a few larger pellets being fired at a target on the ground.

[Sean Howell]

Ok, thanks. I saw 14 does and I think I heard 1 buck today. Which is roughly the same amount there has been the last few months. Which is a good sign deer hunting probably wasn' the noise.