Now it's the gun-toting poachers being hunted
ARMED police have begun night-time patrols to crack down on a rise in poaching.
Officers with rifles will team up with gamekeepers, landowners and farmers to protect deer and game birds in Robin Wood, near Melbourne.
An increasing number of poachers with guns and hunting dogs have been illegally shooting game in the wood.
Police believe they are being driven by the recession and the approaching festive season because people are buying meat on the black market to save money.
PC Chris Fearn is behind the initiative, called Robin Wood Watch, which starts next week.
Every night up to 16 people will patrol the area, including four armed police officers.
PC Fearn said offenders from Chaddesden, Breedon-on-the-Hill, Stoke and Coalville are suspected of shooting and stealing birds and deer worth nearly £2,000 since the end of October.
He said: "Since the clocks went back two deer have been killed and more than 70 pheasants and partridges taken from Robin Wood.
"This is a sophisticated set-up – not someone taking the odd bird for themselves – and the poachers are armed with high-powered rifles and hunting dogs.
"Our inquiries lead us to believe the meat is being sold by word of mouth on the black market as people look to save money because of the economic climate. The recession is definitely a major factor."
The authority to shoot in Robin Wood is held by the Forestry Commission, which leases the land.
A gamekeeper is employed by a private syndicate of hunters based on the Isle of Man, who have permission from the commission to shoot there.
Each year, around 17,000 birds are bred for hunting in the South Derbyshire wood. Eggs and chicks are imported from France and fed and raised ready for the shooting season, which runs from September 1 to February 1.
PC Fearn said the gamekeeper at the wood told him the cost to raise each bird was £25.
He said: "Because the deer run wild it is difficult to estimate how many of them are in the wood, but we have found the remains of two so far this season.
"There are teeth marks in their pelt which indicate specially-bred hunting dogs – probably bull lurchers – have been used to kill them before they have been butchered and sold.
"Our initiative will see night-time patrols looking for suspicious activity.
"We have night-vision goggles and will be linked by radios for high-speed response to anything we find.
"It is obviously dangerous as the poachers are armed, but we need to get the message across that this type of rural crime will not be tolerated and we will prosecute those responsible."
PC Fearn said those caught could face jail, large fines and having their firearms licences revoked.
Richard Hayden is a wildlife expert at the Forestry Commission and said poaching was inhumane and traumatic for the animals targeted.
He said: "The main concerns about poaching from the Forestry Commission's perspective are safety and animal welfare.
"As well as the more obvious risks, badly-managed or poor-quality deer meat entering the food chain can potentially lead to contamination issues.
"Because poaching is illegal it is almost always opportunistic, unprofessional and indiscriminate. As such, poaching can lead to a number of long term issues for the area as well as being inhumane and traumatic for the deer.
"Deer control should only ever be undertaken humanely by skilled specialists with a full understanding of all of the issues.
"The Forestry Commission is very happy to be supporting the police in this initiative targeting poachers in South Derbyshire."
Simon Clarke is a spokesman for the British Association for Shooting and Conservation, the UK's largest shooting organisation.
He said: "The image of poaching as one man looking for some tea for his pot is long outdated and these days it is seen very much as a nasty business.
"Annually, we see an increase in poaching in November and December in the run-up to Christmas as people steal meat to sell on the black market.
"Often gamekeepers find themselves in threatening and violent situations and we believe it is critical that the rural community get behind initiatives such as this and bring these people to justice."
Anyone who suspects that poaching may be happening in their area is being urged to call the police on their new non-emergency number 101.
10 Comments
by robbo66123
Sunday, November 20 2011, 8:39PM
“Totally Agree With Donsfan,The Shoot purchase all Birds From France,and Rear In Pens Till Relelease,The Partridge Are Released 1 Week before Shooting so they Dont Stray Far,And there Big Bag Days for the Guns,same for the Pheasant Thats why they Use The Valley in Robin Wood, So the shoot High Birds,so you get a back slap, good shot old boy
The Beaters Get £20 per Day Cash in Hand,at the end of a Days Shooting a Refridgerated Truck Picks all the Birds Up,and There taken to be sold in France,not a brace for the Beaters,
Obviousley The The Chief of Derbyshire Police must be A syndicate Member, to allow Officers to Have a Jolly on Overtime to Police this Shoot,were no Income whatsoever Comes to the UK”
by martynofderby
Sunday, November 20 2011, 8:18PM
“we often have poached pigeon and we catch them by tying loops out of cotton on the ground,no need to shoot them”
by old_skool_mak
Sunday, November 20 2011, 7:51AM
“It doesn't matter who owns the land, poaching is stealing and stealing is a criminal offence, the police need to be drafted in whenever and wherever there is criminal activity! Thats my initial thought, but....... This is private land, leased by a syndicate of millionaires for profit. Why dont they pay for their own security, a gamekeeper is fundamentally a security guard! Pay a few more to protect THEIR investment.... Not mine!!!”
by afcdonsfan
Saturday, November 19 2011, 7:33PM
“After writing my previous post I suddenly remembered who owns Robin Wood: The Church of England.
So we have access to the wood reduced for the general public so that an Isle of Man syndicate can shoot there. It beggars belief.
I also find it surprising that farmers wish to protect the deer (as quoted in the article) as one very local farmer told me last year how much a pest they were and that they would be better off without them.”
by Stev8
Saturday, November 19 2011, 6:44PM
“Exactly afcdonsfan. 4 armed policemen? Must be the chief constable's shoot.”
by Roger_S
Saturday, November 19 2011, 6:39PM
“This annoys me for the points that afcdonsfan makes, but also as if shooting syndicates are professional in some way. Half of them are ****ed when they go out! The poachers are probably better shots than the idiots who are there legally. Please don't patronise people with talks of animal welfare when half of these shoots are poisoning everything that moves (legally and illegally) that may compete with their blessed pheasants (which aren't even indigenous to this country).”
by afcdonsfan
Saturday, November 19 2011, 1:15PM
“I don't have any truck with poaching but am not a great fan of organised shoots either.
It is very interesting that the shooting is linked to a company in the Isle of Man which is miles away from Robin Wood and famous for tax dodging millionnaires.
If you visit Robin Wood you will see a large sign saying that the lease has been restricted and there is no longer any public access to the wood, I wonder if this restriction is linked to the shooting syndicate's activities. At one time Robin Wood was basically open access to walkers, riders and bikers. The sign at the Melbourne end of the wood is in fact illegal as a public bridleway passes right past it but the Forestry Commission makes no attempt to mark this route. Now I know why.
I also think we need to ask searching questions about why we are using four police officers to protect a rich man's hobby when they should be protecting the tax paying citizens of South Derbyshire.”
by janine2011
Saturday, November 19 2011, 1:08PM
“Instead of poachers shooting animals for whatever reason perhaps we can hope the police will shoot poachers, seems like a fair compromise to me.”
by tigger1946
Saturday, November 19 2011, 11:23AM
“i dont agree with hunting in general .especailly with dogs its sadistic.kill for your own pot if hungry /but this story is contradictive .they stop one man having a meal .but the forestry say they are against hunting .yet it states the lease the hunting out to a group that kill for sport more or less thats worse still .a friend of mine owns property in the region .when these shoots take place many a stray shot have hit his house and barn ,yet the police do nothing .im quite amazed how many people in chadesden and sinfin have gun licences ,.they are just the ones i know of. why do they need guns .it should be left to farmers to prottect thier crops from rabbits ,yet they kill foxes that eat rabbit mice and rats .why not let nature sort it out .these organised shoots are barbaric .they give the pheasant no chance just sheer perversion and ego boosting.if they want them for food breed them and kill them humanely /oh i forgot royalty and bigwigs are top of those lists on shoots ..quite right they dont want the man from chad having a bit of cheap meat it spoils thier sport /”
by JulieFulep
Saturday, November 19 2011, 9:18AM
“The image of poaching as one man looking for some tea for his pot is long outdated and these days it is seen very much as a nasty business.
Maybe so, but it's a way of life for many Eastern Europeans, whether for pot or business. Increased immigration, increase in poaching. Or am I just a racist?”