SPORTING ANSWERS
Deer season extension
STALKING
Q I have taken up stalking and I have seen that the season for females was only extended to the end of March quite recently. Why was that, and is it not unethical to stalk females when they are so heavily pregnant?
A The close seasons for female deer in England and Wales were shortened in 2007 from the beginning of March to the beginning of April. This was because the Government recognised that more deer needed to be culled, and the longer days of March, when the woods are quiet after the end of the game shooting season, presented a valuable window. The opportunity was also taken to align a new close season for Chinese water deer alongside the April to November close season, as it difficult to distinguish males from females in the field.
At the time, some stalkers expressed distaste over the culling of heavily pregnant females in late March. However, provided a humane and accurate shot is made, there is no welfare issue in culling a heavily pregnant female because the foetus dies almost instantaneously. It is much better that the female and her unborn fawn or calf are culled together in March than for the female to be shot and her possibly still-dependant youngster to be orphaned in November. GD
How much food, when?
GAMEKEEPING
Q We have caught and penned a few pheasants to
