Our experts tackle more of your burning questions, including how to successfully fox in the dark

GOT A QUESTION?

Contact: ollie.harvey@futurenet.com or post your question to: Sporting Rifle, Future, Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA.

Sporting Rifle’s Experts

Foxing: Mike Powell

Professional gamekeeper and foxing expert

Optics: Chris Parkin

Target sports journalist and optics reviewer

Legal: David Barrington Barnes

Solicitor turned specialist firearms law advisor

LEGAL

Q May I shoot deer in their close season for crop protection purposes?

A David says: The 1991 Deer Act allows for the culling of deer in their close season in limited circumstances such as where deer of the same species have caused damage to crops and growing timber and it is likely that they may cause further serious damage. So, for example, serious damage to a crop of wheat by fallow deer does not authorise the shooting of red or roe deer. Further, the authority would not continue after the crop has been harvested as further damage to that crop could no longer occur.

Deer legal rifles should be used for this culling but the Act allows exceptions under which an authorised person can use a 12 gauge or heavier shot gun with either AAA shot or a single non spherical bullet. The latter must be on the user’s FAC but not the former.

Deer stalkers shooting for sport cannot use shotguns against deer of any species. The 1968 Deer Act as subsequently amended was intended to protect the welfare of deer by preventing the then common practice of deer driving to guns with shotguns, which caused a lot of injuries.