Poaching

We’re asking our rural communities across the Wells area to be alert to potential poaching activity, particularly during the darker evenings and early mornings when offenders often operate.

Poaching is illegal and can lead to significant harm to local wildlife, farmland, and livestock. It frequently involves trespassing, property damage, and can be linked to wider rural crime.

What poaching can look like:

• Illegal hunting of deer, hare, or game
• Entering private land without permission to take wildlife
• Using lamps, lurchers, or other equipment to hunt at night
• Activity in fields or woodland outside permitted seasons

Signs to watch for in our rural villages and farmland:

•  Vehicles parked in gateways, tracks, or laybys late at night
• Strong lamps or torches sweeping across fields
• Dogs or equipment associated with hunting
• People walking on farmland where they shouldn’t be

How to help us protect the countryside

Your reports help us build intelligence, plan patrols, and work with landowners to deter rural crime.

Call 101 to report suspicious activity
Dial 999 if you believe a crime is in progress
Reports can also be made online via the Avon & Somerset Police website

Thank you to everyone who continues to support us and our rural communities. Together we can help keep our countryside safe.

— Wells Rural Neighbourhood Policing Team