GAMEKEEPERS on one of Scotland's largest country estates claim wild roe deer are being slaughtered for fun by gangs armed with dogs.
One professional stalker believes the problem has become so bad the population of the mammal in the Scottish Borders may have been halved.
The latest deaths were among the most horrific, with the mauled bodies of a female deer and her two fawn left behind in a field at Crailinghall, near Jedburgh, last week.
Tommy Heard, a hobby gamekeeper for Lothian Estates after 20 years of being employed in the profession, made the gruesome find and believes the deer were attacked by dogs.
He claims around 40 roe deer have been killed in this way in the Crailinghall area since the start of the year, with reports of similar incidents in Oxnam, Camptown and north Northumberland along the border.
He said: "They are not poachers and they are not even doing it for a sport. It is barbaric. The deer is attacked at the back legs by the dogs and torn apart.
"They are trained to kill and tear the deer to pieces. It is horrible."
The deer killers are believed to operate between midnight and around 3am. They use a beam of light to spot their target, before releasing two dogs, who work as a team to bring down the docile animals.
Mr Heard added: "These guys are often professionals – we caught one man in a field who was a building inspector in England.
"They are also damaging fields, stealing quad bikes and diesel. It is just another case of rural crime. It is the worst I have experienced and is getting worse."
The estate's head gamekeeper, Ed Bell, says night-time patrols with Lothian and Borders Police wildlife crime co-ordinator Ruaraidh Hamilton have caught suspected poachers, but failed to result in a prosecution.
Scottish SPCA chief superintendent Mike Flynn said: "Deer poaching and deer coursing are national wildlife crime priorities. They are incredibly difficult crimes to detect and anyone with information on deer poaching should contact local police or our Animal Helpline on 03000 999 999."
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