THE Quantock Deer Management and Conservation Group has defended its plans to carry out a "more organised" annual cull of the hill's deer population after facing accusations that its plans could lead to an indiscriminate bloodbath. The group has asked landowners across the Quantocks to consider taking part in a one-day cull to cut deer numbers in half. Experts believe there are up to 1,000 deer living on the Quantocks, while the ideal number for a healthy, manageable herd is just 500. Group secretary and deer biologist Dr Jochen Langbein said deer had to be culled in order to protect crops and ancient woodlands on the hills. He said annual culls had the support of both Natural England and the National Trust and the idea of a one-day cull was to make the task more focused. "We wanted to be a bit more open and let people know what was going on - we need to ensure the deer are a valuable wildlife resource rather than a pest," he said. "The numbers of deer are going up and we want landowners to take action on the same day to ensure an even cull. "We don't want people doing their own thing which can result in deer being completely shot out in one area. We're just trying something a bit different." News of the group's plan sparked a fierce backlash from animal rights campaigners who accused the group of organising a "killing spree". Kevin Hill of the South West Deer Protection Group said he was not against the principle of a cull but could not accept deer being shot indiscriminately. He said the first animals to come within range of a gun would be picked off and questioned why so many deer had to be killed.
