"We are going to be tortured" - farmers fears over poachers in Yorkshire
Date of alert:
Thursday 8 September 2022
Crime Ref:
Force:
North Yorkshire Police
Over recent weeks poachers have returned with a vengeance as they hunt animals such as hares and deer for what police are calling “trophy sport”.
Quite often they leave the animal carcass behind and even their own dogs to avoid being caught by landowners and police and have been known to threaten farmers with arson and assault if they try to stop them.
During Covid the crime figures for poaching and hare-coursing dropped but this year, despite a specialist Rural Task Force set up to tackle countryside crime, there is expected to be a spike in crimes connected to poaching as the season gets underway.
The onset of the harvesting season means crops have been cut and it makes it easier for dogs to chase down prey. In addition, following some periods of rainfall after a hot dry summer the ground is softer making for ideal conditions for dogs to chase without getting injured.
