BASC has been dealing with numerous enquiries about the Exmoor stag. Our position is as follows:
*The death of an iconic animal always gives a moment for reflection however the Exmoor stag was not the largest wild animal in Britain. The average weight of a red stag in the woods in lowland Britain is 400 lbs. In some areas they can reach 600lbs plus.
*BASC supports sound deer management plans which take into account the size and fitness of the deer herd in relation to the nature of the ground they occupy.
*It is unclear whether the Exmoor stag was shot as part of an overall deer management plan however he had reached a good age and may simply have become too big and too old for the area which he occupied.
*As long as the shooting was done in line with such a management plan then it is not out of the ordinary and would have been carried out for the good of the herd.
