Letter: Deer hunting

Sir: Those of us involved over the past 10 years in opposing the last remnants of deer hunting with hounds in this country are all too familiar with the battle cry of the pro-hunt lobby, "No hunting - no deer". Spokesmen for the hunts profess how much they love the deer and love seeing them about. Yet, like the child who takes his ball away when others refuse to play according to his rules, when the deer hunts see the end in sight, their tune dramatically changes and, as Nicholas Schoon states ("Bloody revenge for stag hunt ban", 25 November), "the slaughter, motivated by a combination of anger, greed and the desire to make a point" takes over.

In other words, if they are deprived of their little bit of fun - albeit fun at the expense of extreme suffering caused to the hunted deer - then they will make the most money they can from killing them off.

Perhaps the Government should revise any subsidies paid to farmers in direct ratio to the thousands of pounds we are told they have made out of killing off the deer (game dealers' records will show who they are).

If the Quantock herd is in danger of extinction within a few months, we shall all know where to look for the culprits - and it will not be the anti-hunt welfarists.

DOREEN CRONIN

Taunton

Somerset