Police in South Yorkshire have stepped up their efforts to clamp down on poaching gangs, slaughtering calves, pigs, hares, and deer.
On social media earlier today (Friday, January 7th, 2022), the force asked the public to help rural communities.
Officers around the county, whilst on patrol, spoke to farmers, who said that they are experiencing a “significant” increase in poaching of deer and hares on their land.
Poaching
Police want the public to help dispel the myth that “they are just putting food on the table”.
“They are no longer your claud green grass one for the pot-type folk once seen in HeartBeat,” a spokesperson said.
“When a deer has been chased around farmer’s fields by quads and dogs before it is taken down and mauled to death, the meat is ruined. So, this practice is simply blood lust of certain individuals who come out at night.”
Damage to field and dogs
Police said people are causing “extensive” damage to freshly set crop fields through vehicular access, 4x4s and quads lamping during the hours of darkness.
“They are taking their running dogs with them to accompany the quads and vehicles to tackle any prey they may find.”
“This is not limited to just wildlife, badgers, hares, rabbits and deer. One farmer explained how they had had dogs thrown in with their calves by poachers as a bit of fun. Another reported dogs thrown into a pigsty to see what would happen.”
Awareness
The spokesperson said that these activities occur in the county’s rural areas at night. Therefore, it needs the eyes and ears of the wider community to be its “spotters”.
“If you see lamps in a field or vehicles in the dead of night where you think they should not be, let us know.”
“If it is a crime in progress and there is a chance we can swoop in and make arrests, then when you call, the keywords are suspected poaching, suspected wildlife crime or potential criminal damage in progress. We know this is not just anti-social behaviour or suspicious activity.”
Police advise that if you are a farmer and have damage your gates and fences and vehicular damage to your land, report it as criminal damage.
“Look into wireless driveway alarms online; they have a range of 3/4 mile,” the spokesperson concluded.
