Thread: Dogging deer under lockdown

I just watched this all unfold. We have a smallish population of wild fallow deer in our local area. I choose not to shoot them as they are nice to have around, and most of our neighbours have the same approach, but clearly not one of them. They live below us so if we choose to, we can see what goes on on their 15ha property. We've just watched them dog a fallow buck (we think the same one we were watching on our place yesterday) out of some trees and across the mudflats in front of their property, then into the sea. The dog then harassed the buck while the neighbour was trudging across the mudflats with a rifle, I assume hoping for a shot.

Thankfully the buck took to the sea and swam a big arc of about 2km and we saw it get back to land safely. All the while the neighbours are clambering along the shoreline with the rifle, I assume still hoping for a shot.

It might also explain the dead deer lying on the mudflats a week ago if their dog had a go at that one too (although not sure about that). I acknowledge that people have the right to safely shoot wild deer on their own property (although probably not under level four) but what we just witnessed was pretty disgusting. Thankfully the buck survived it's ordeal.