Police are investigating reports of a deer's death after an animal died in Woolverstone.

The report was made as anger broke out online surrounding a hunt in Woolverstone – but those taking part said an animal being killed was “the last thing” they would want. 

On Monday, a video was shared by the Suffolk Action for Wildlife group on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. 

The video was filmed by a volunteer for the group and shows her approaching a huntsman and a dog through a woodland area. On the ground, a muntjac deer is lying stationary. 

The huntsman can be heard saying a “little accident” has happened, while the woman angrily replies, “they’ve just killed a deer”. 

Ipswich Star: A screenshot from the video posted on X, which shows a muntjac deer lying on the ground.A screenshot from the video posted on X, which shows a muntjac deer lying on the ground. (Image: Suffolk Action for Wildlife)

Foxhunting with a pack of dogs has been illegal since the introduction of the Hunting Act 2004. Instead, dogs can be used to simulate hunting where mounted riders hunt the trail of an artificially laid scent with hounds. 

Anna Bye is the chair of Suffolk Action Wildlife, formerly Suffolk Against Foxhunting.

She explained that volunteers monitor all hunts taking place in Suffolk and Essex. They were ready and waiting for the hunt in Woolvestone to begin at 6am on Monday morning. 

She alleged hounds had "rioted on" an animal but didn't catch it before the incident with the deer and feared other animals may have been impacted if volunteers had not been there. 

The chair said: “They’re just basically hunting as usual. They're very much playing lip service to the actual hunting ban.” 

However, hunt master for the Essex and Suffolk Hunt James Buckle strongly denied this. 

“The last thing we want is for our hounds to kill a deer,” he said. “I can’t stress that enough. Especially if they are puppies, because if they do it once, we’ve got a real issue if we’re not careful. 

“We obviously move animals on in front of us, because that’s what happens when you make noise in a countryside environment, but normally they just run on.” 

Complications arise, he said, when the hunt meets with other people. “[The animals] get turned back into our hounds, and everything gets tense,” he said.  

A Suffolk Police spokesman said: “We received a report of a muntjac (deer) being killed in a wood this morning (Monday) and have begun an investigation.”