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The doghouse

If you're worried about your pet's health, please speak to a vet or qualified professional.

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Original poster

Where does the law stand if my dog brings down a (wild) deer?

17 replies

UterusUterusGhali · 30/04/2013 23:46

just that really.

My dog saw a muntjack today on a disused railway line. She gave chase, but didn't reach it. Had she, I think she'd have Been in with a chance tbh.
Her recall is pretty poor once she gets a notion.

What's the protocol?

OP posts:

ThatVikRinA22 · 30/04/2013 23:49

a wild animal on land that is owned by someone?

it is classed as a sort of theft. i believe the term is reduced into possession but still classed a crime if the land your dog caught the deer on is owned by someone other than you.

i have a dog with a strong instinct to chase - so if i am on land on which she may see something she might want to chase i keep her on a lead.

maybe you need to consider doing the same?

Gomez · 30/04/2013 23:51

Good q. No idea. Mine chased two out of the woods and onto a golf course at the weekend. Luckily she came to the whistle.

Not sure she could have taken the deer or the golfers who were on the tee looking well pissed as the prey ran across the course and dog stopped on the wall.

I hurried away waving treats to ensure mutt kept coming with me.

ThatVikRinA22 · 30/04/2013 23:51

(am a police officer - though not "the law" unilaterally....

Gomez · 30/04/2013 23:52

Wild deer, common land in Scotland for me so not so sure that would hold Vicar.

But off to goggle.

bubbles1231 · 30/04/2013 23:53

Are muntjack on the pest list of species for England?

Gomez · 01/05/2013 00:00

Animals (Scotland) Act 1987 deer isn't classed as livestock so no defence to shooting of the dog, by a keeper, for example.

Not sure that helps however.

Original poster

UterusUterusGhali · 01/05/2013 00:25

It was common land, vicar, i believe.

I know tge poaching laws, kind of, but this was on a sort of public area. Luckily doggie didn't follow the deer onto the fields.

I walk her on the railway line because she's a bit of an unknown quantity. I've never seen a deer there before, although I know it's not uncommon in the sticks.

OP posts:

Lonecatwithkitten · 01/05/2013 07:41

The potential would be it could be seen as hunting with dogs. It's not the catching that's the offence, but the chasing.

VivaLeBeaver · 01/05/2013 07:50

D on't you neeed more than one dog for the hunting law to be invoked? A single dog doesn't count.

Lonecatwithkitten · 01/05/2013 08:55

So how does that stand with hare course Viva as often they are lone individuals?

Scuttlebutter · 01/05/2013 09:27

There is a lot of detailed information on this website. The number of dogs isn't important, but if your dog accidentally chases a wild quarry species you are not breaking the law.

In practice however, hare coursing is endemic in some parts of the country, and a lot of working sighthounds are still used for illegal quarry. High profile prosecutions of people like the Heythrop are a distraction and probably only help to generate donations.

Branleuse · 01/05/2013 09:30

keep her on lead till she's got better recall

Callisto · 01/05/2013 12:57

I doubt any landowner is going to worry about your dog bringing down a deer - roe and muntjack in particular are real pests and can do serious damage to woodland. The more pressing question is what are you going to do if your dog brings down a deer? I wouldn't fancy trying to put even a muntjack out of it's misery tbh. Do you have the stomach to slit it's throat?

A cautionary tail for you - I was out walking my two greyhounds and two jrt's (one mine, one a friend's) and they put a young roe up. My younger grey ran it down in the middle of a ploughed field. The other three piled in and although I would prefer that it had a clean death, I didn't have a knife or any other means to kill it cleanly so I left it for the dogs to do it for me. The deer was crippled and would have died a long, slow death anyway. Of course I ran into the game keeper on the way back - I had deer blood on me from the dogs, and he was very blase, asked if it was dead and went to find the carcass.

My other big worry with the greyhounds and deer/hare was always if they chased them onto a road, I don't know if that may be a consideration in your case?

Callisto · 01/05/2013 12:59

Tail - tale. My spelling is getting worse.

EasyToEatTiger · 01/05/2013 19:38

One of our dogs raced off after a muntjack... Luckily I was with DH who stayed out to look out for him. I went to wait at the village pond in case he got bored and wandered back home. He did. Up the main road through the village, with a traffic jam behind him . I talked to some other dog walkers while I waited. Apparently most farmers/ keepers won't miss a deer much, but the deer have a nasty kick and could easily win. It seems they have a fearsome reputation...

LtEveDallas · 01/05/2013 19:45

MuttDog was chased by a Muntjack . RottDog had sent it into the woods and it went crashing into MuttDog, it was obviously pissed off and butted her before giving chase. Mutt came crashing out of the undergrowth at top speed with her tail firmly between her legs.

I don't know who was more embarrassed, her or me

Original poster

UterusUterusGhali · 02/05/2013 12:43

Hehe, Lt!

I would. Have the stomach to slit it's throat tbh if I had dh's knives in the car. And I'd probably take it home for the pot.

Her recall isn't too bad, but once a terrier sees something tasty looking, they get in the zone, don't they?
It's for that reason I'd never have her off lead near livestock. (although she's fine with horses.)

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