A KEEN deer hunter from Burwash has hit out at plans to severely cull the animals over this summer.

Small voluntary organisations such as Southern Counties Deer Management have announced that due to requests from landowners in areas across East Sussex, including Burwash, they will be shooting large quantities of deer.

This has been criticised, not only by animal lovers, but also by hunter Rob Mepham, of Burwash Road, who is appalled that the killing will take place during the off-season when mothers will have dependent fawns.

"During the close season these female deer will all have fawns and when deer feed in a field they leave their young hidden in the thicket. If their mothers are killed then these fawns will die of starvation," he explained.

"I am a hunting man, I shoot deer through the winter, probably between 200 and 300 but during the close season we put our guns away," he added

In response to this concern, Toby Randle, a member of the Southern Counties Deer Management which works on a voluntary basis on the request of farmers and landowners, has given assurances great care is taken in picking targets.

"That concern is a very valid one," he said. "We are very careful to make sure we don't take any females who are carrying dependents.

"We can shoot pregnant ones, which I know sounds unpleasant but we know it won't have a dependent child, we shoot males, yearling females and old females. Deer welfare is of primary importance to us."

He also sought to explain that they would not be roaming Ashdown Forest shooting deer, but would only enter land by the invitation of the land owner.

While the news of deer culls have shocked some, others are disappointed it is not being carried out on a larger scale.

Tom and Denise Bennett, of Peeps Lane, Rotherfield, wrote to the Kent and Sussex Courier to point out the danger they pose to drivers and stated: "As householders and gardeners in Rotherfield for the last five years we have been stunned by the damage deer cause, but it is illegal for us to do anything about it.

"These pests are unique, they are protected by the law. You can't poison them, you are not allowed to use a gun that would kill them. The council will remove rats, but deer do far more damage and the council refuse to do anything.....how useless."

For more information about Southern Counties Deer Management visit www.deercontrol.org.uk