The British Deer Society have felt the need to publish their official statement on hunting deer with hounds. Whether due to increased public pressure or the heightened exposure of the cruelty and law breaking taking place in the South West, the statement is welcomed by the majority of the public who are against trophy hunting.

For two decades the three remaining staghound packs have continually broken the law and had free reign terrorising stags and hinds. Thankfully the tide is now turning and the spotlight is well and truly fixed on their organised crime. Following on from the exposure by direct action groups and monitors, campaigns such as ours and Wildlife Guardian, and the Channel 4 expose, the British Deer Society can remain silent on the matter no longer, hence the release of their statement.

Part of their statement addresses the new and utterly pathetic excuse that hunt supporters have been using, “hounds are able to detect or select diseased deer that appear healthy to experienced humans.” The BDS states that there is no evidence to support this and the excuse holds no weight. They also address the fact that it is humans that pre select the stag or hind to be hunted which contradicts the excuse of hounds detection.

As we already know hunting a deer to exhasution is cruel and callous and the BDS just reiterate this fact, stating that they support the police in any investigation and taking appropriate action if legislation is breached in any way, offering their expertise and advice, which we would encourage any police force involved in stag hunting investigations to make full use of.

Once more the investigation conducted by Professor Bateman is referred to, which details the impact hunting deer has on their physiological and psycological state before they are killed, in comparison with those deer who are dispatched using the clean shot method, where no chase is involved. The report, which triggered the National Trust to ban hunting on their land, proves that hunting deer in this manner is unneccesary and one of the highest forms of animal cruelty. Deer subjected to prolonged chases have such strain put on their bodies and minds that by the time they are killed they can no longer move and their fight is lost in an undignified and cruel manner.

The BDS summarise their stance by stating that they are “unable to justify the deliberate pursuit of healthy deer with hounds as an acceptable method of control.”

Basically, this ‘sport’ is redundant and the public opinion reflects the level of distate for this barbaric activity. The statement addresses some key issues and makes it clear where the BDS stand on the topic of stag hunting. The fact that the BDS have even felt the need to release a statement speaks volumes about the level of pressure mounting against deer hunting.

The spotlight is well and truly fixed into place and the heat is rising, with police investigations and national news coverage the three remaining stag hounds know that no matter what levels of violence and intimidation they use the campaign against their cruelty will not stop until they do!

Read the British Deer Society statement here!

If you want to help bring the staghounds reign of terror to an end then please visit our ‘What can I do to help?’ page.