Goodleigh Giant' stag killed by poachers

A veterinarian who advises the British Deer Society says poachers have killed a young stag nicknamed the Goodleigh Giant on Exmoor in southwest England.Peter Green said the animal's carcass was found on private land Oct. 17. Green, who examined the stag, said it had been shot two or three times and had managed to get away from its killers before dying slowly.The poachers were probably trophy hunters, Green said. The stag, still immature and weighing only 200 pounds, had 19-point antlers."It seems that the poachers were simply after the head of the stag to hang a trophy on a wall," he said. ''In the event, all they achieved was the painful and lingering death of a fine animal and they went away empty-handed.''The largest stag on Exmoor, known as the Exmoor Emperor, was killed by poachers in October 2010.Hunting is legal on Exmoor from Aug. 1 to April 30 for those with permits. There are controls on the caliber of ammunition used to ensure animals are not wounded and left to bleed to death.Green said responsible trophy hunters will use their privilege to cull older stags, not those in their prime like the Emperor or still looking forward to it like the Giant.