Unlimited Fines for Dogs Attacking Livestock. But What About Wild Deer?

I recently read the UK government's Dogs (Protection of Livestock) (Amendment) Act 2025, strengthening laws around livestock worrying.

The most notable change is the penalty. What was once capped at £1,000 can now result in an unlimited fine. Police also have greater powers to seize dogs suspected of attacking livestock and to enter premises to gather evidence.

For farmers, this is a long overdue step. Anyone who has seen the aftermath of sheep worrying will understand why stronger deterrents are 100% needed.

But as a deer stalker, it does raise a question that sits a little closer to home for us. What about the protection of wild deer?

Because the reality is that this law only applies to livestock. Farmed animals. Sheep, cattle and now even camelids like alpacas and llamas. Wild deer are not covered.

What We See on the Ground

Much of our work takes place in woodland and farmland across estates that sit close to villages and public access routes. Dog walkers are a normal part of the landscape. Most are respectful and we rarely have any issues. But since Covid, we have definitely noticed a huge shift.

As deer continue to expand their range, modern deer management can feel increasingly urban leading to a huge increases in potential public interactions.

More people. More dogs. And far more people straying away from designated paths.

It has almost become routine now to find ourselves pulling out the OS Maps App (a tool every deer stalker needs) on our phones before we think of an approach.

Someone will insist there is a public footpath where they are standing. Nine times out of ten it simply doesn't exist on the map. And occasionally the opposite happens. We end up being politely corrected and shown that a path does in fact run along the edge of our boundary.

Fair enough. It happens.

The Reality of Modern Deer Management

More and more permissions today are rarely large private blocks with no public access.

Many of the woodlands we manage have public rights of way running straight through them. Meaning modern deer management is not just about understanding deer. It also means understanding people.

Some mornings or evenings those quiet conversations are needed. Explaining where footpaths run. Letting people know when stalking is taking place. Working out which direction someone is walking so we can simply avoid each other.

Even if on private land we are told someone has permission from a landowner to be there, we will always approach things calmly and respectfully. At the end of the day we all share the same countryside.

But Dogs Roaming Free Is Different

Where things become difficult is when dogs are allowed to roam freely through woodland.

Completely out of sight of the owner. No recall. No control.

Often the explanation we hear is the same one. "We've walked here for years and there's never been a problem." Unfortunately that isn't always the case.

Dogs do exactly what they are built to do. They follow scent. They chase movement. They hunt.

It's not the dog's fault. But it is absolutely the responsibility of the owner. And most of the time they have their head in their phone with little to no understanding of whats going on around them.

The Impact on Deer

For deer, disturbance from dogs can be far more serious than many people realise.

Particularly in spring. Species like Roe begin dropping their kids from late April onwards and Muntjac even earlier. The young spend their first weeks hidden in vegetation while the doe feeds nearby.

A dog moving through that cover can easily flush the mother away or discover a hiding kid.

Sometimes they are chased. Sometimes they are killed outright.

The needless death of a Roe kid we discovered, clearly savaged by a dog.

And occasionally what we find later is simply the chewed up remains.

Cameras Don't Lie

One of the most useful tools we now use across our permissions is trail cameras. They are primarily there to monitor. Movement patterns. Population size and health. General activity within the woodland.

But sometimes they capture other things too.

Here's a dog roaming through a block of woodland with no footpath or owner nearby.

Dogs wandering through woodland on their own. Sometimes hundreds of metres from the nearest footpath. Occasionally at night.

Photos and footage like this helps build a clearer picture of what really is happening when no one thinks anyone is watching. And sometimes it helps us have the conversations that need to happen, it gets to that point.

A Changing Countryside

The countryside today is busier than it has ever been. Access is increasing. More people want to spend time outdoors. In many ways, that is a good thing!

But with that comes responsibility.

Most dog owners understand this. They keep their dogs close. They respect livestock. They respect wildlife.

The small minority who allow dogs to roam freely create problems not just for land managers, but for the wider conversation about access to the countryside.

A Simple Principle

Circling back, the new livestock legislation is a real positive step for farmers. But it also highlights to me the difference between how we view farm animals and our wildlife. Especially our wild deer (with the biases of welfare concerns I have towards them because of our job).

Wild deer do not have the same legal protections when it comes to disturbance from dogs.

That doesn't mean the impact isn't real. The simple principle remains the same:

If your dog is out of sight, you have no idea what it is doing. Once that dog disappears into the woodland or across fields, public or private, the damage may already be done.

I would love to hear your experiences with dogs whilst stalking and whether you too have had problems with dogs and general public on your stalking permissions?

From 18 March 2026, the Dogs (Protection of Livestock) (Amendment) Act operates as the primary framework for livestock worrying offences in England and Wales, via amendment of the 1953 Act. It is intended to deter irresponsible dog ownership, reduce financial and welfare impacts on farmers, and give law enforcement a clearer, more robust basis to investigate and prosecute incidents where dogs attack, chase or otherwise cause harm or distress to livestock, even without physical contact.