THE sick craze of organised deer hunting by gangs using vicious dogs and quad bikes has broken out in Dorset, it has emerged.

The illegal blood sport has sickened countryside wardens.

Deer expert Sam Hamer, of Dorset Wildlife Trust – the organisation managing 40 county nature reserves – says more than a dozen deer may have been killed at Purbeck’s Tadnoll and Winfrith Nature Reserve.

“We had about four or five incidents where evidence pointed to hunting,” he said. The odds are against pinpointing when and where an illegal hunt will take place.

Mr Hamer explained: “The problem is it comes in waves.

“You think you’ve solved it, then it comes back. I am sure the problem just moves from site to site across the south west.

“We don’t know what these people could be like – they could turn violent. There is potential for them to be using guns, but no evidence has been found of this.”

The illegal hunting is among a range of countryside crimes dealt with by police and nature reserve staff this year, including fly tipping, poaching and a number of heathland arson attacks.

“It was organised. They were using dogs and quad bikes. I think they were doing it for the sport. They were certainly not doing it to make money out of venison.”

The gangs turned up in the early hours of the morning with vehicles, trailers, dogs and quad bikes.

Mr Hamer said: “We had lots of evidence, including witness reports from residents who heard what was going on.

“They would sit on the hills with torches, shining them down, and when they picked up a deer the dogs were released.

“In some instances we found carcasses which had obviously been attacked by dogs – other times I am sure the remains were taken away.”

A knock-on problem is that fences are often cut and gates left open, putting the reserve’s conservation livestock at risk.

“You could have a case when you arrive at the reserve one morning to find your livestock had simply wandered off,” said Mr Hamer.

The incidents happened in the summer but have only just come to light, and conservationists fear they could recur.