Welfare implications of culling red deer (Cervus elaphus)

In southwestern England red deer, Cervus elaphus, are culled by rifle ('sta lking') or by hunting with hounds ('hunting'). We compare the welfare costs of the two culling methods. Observations of hunts revealed that likely str essors such as close proximity to humans and hounds, active pursuit, noise, obstruction and physical restraint prior to despatch were very common. Oth er stressors, such as wounding, were rare. The blood profiles of hunted dee r were compared both with injured deer, which were put down because they we re thought to be suffering, and with stags stalked in the rutting season, w hen mature males rapidly lose weight and may be damaged in fights, Extensiv ely hunted deer did not differ from severely injured deer in measures of mu scle disruption. in hunted deer measures of red blood cell damage and psych ological stress were higher. Hunted stags killed during the rut showed mark edly higher levels of measures of blood and muscle cell disruption, psychol ogical stress and fat reserve mobilization than stalked stags killed during this season. Estimates of wounding rates by stalkers showed that 11 per ce nt of deer required two or more shots to kill, 7 per cent took 2-15 min to die and 2 per cent escaped wounded Overall, we judged that the welfare cost s associated with hunting red deer were higher than those associated with s talking, and reducing the welfare costs associated with hunting was much le ss feasible than reducing those associated with stalking.