Just several weeks ago he hit the headlines after some lucky photographer managed to take some photos of him.
At nine feet tall, the Emperor of Exmoor, or the Exmoor Emperor, was Britain's largest wild land animal. The giant red deer stag weighed as much as two men - a whopping 24 stone - and lived on Exmoor National Park in Devon.
But now, the Emperor is dead. The 12-year-old beast was legally shot dead by trophy hunters last week in the middle of the rutting season after the landowner was paid for the shooting rights.
If properly stuffed and mounted, the head and antlers of the Emperor of Exmoor could fetch as much as £2000 and are probably destined for the wall of a hotel or country home.
Peter Donnelly, a Dulverton based deer management expert with a lifetime’s experience, says: 'I am very concerned that people are stalking and shooting deer in the rut.
'It’s a disgrace that this magnificent animal has been shot at this time because it could be that he didn’t get a chance to rut properly this year - therefore his genes have not been passed on this time round.
Wildlife photographer Richard Austin, who photographed the Emperor earlier this month, was contacted by a local naturalist last week after he spotted a stag lying close to a busy main road, surrounded by people.
The eye-witnesses, who asked not to be named for professional reasons, had been part of a group of stalkers who heard two shots earlier that morning.
Members of the group identified the Exmoor Emperor’s large head of antlers as it was being taken away, the eye-witness said.
Another witness reported hearing two shots from a high velocity rifle before seeing the stag's crumpled body lying near Rackenford, north Devon.
The Emperor's exact whereabouts on Exmoor were being kept a secret to prevent hunters easily finding him.
The red deer is Britain's largest wild land animal, and the Emperor was the largest red deer of them all. It is thought that there are approximately 2 million red deer in Britain, double what there were in the 1970s and around the same level as during the Norman Conquest.
Giant red stag was gunned down 'legally for his antlers' which experts say could fetch £2,000
By David Derbyshire
26th October 2010
Daily Mail
A giant red stag cut down in his prime was apparently shot legally after the landowner was paid for the shooting rights - and his mounted head could be sold for £2,000, it was claimed.
Towering nine feet tall and weighing as much as two adult men, the Exmoor Emperor was Britain's largest wild animal.
Local wildlife lovers say the huge stag was shot by trophy hunters last week in the middle of the mating season - and that his head and antlers are destined for the wall of a hotel or country home.
The Emperor is thought to have been shot by licensed guns, rather than poachers, making his death legal.
Killed: The Emperor, shown here in one of Mr Austin's photo taken earlier this month, was the largest red deer stag on Exmoor and was thought to be the biggest wild animal in the UK
Experts believe the stag's head and antlers could fetch as much as £2,000 if properly stuffed and mounted.
One of Britain's leading taxidermists based in Devon who didn't want to be named said: 'Deer are being shot for their meat because prices are very high at the moment but if it's got a good head then that's a premium.'
The shooting has enraged wildlife enthusiasts who believe wild red stags should be protected during the rutting season.
Peter Donnelly, a Dulverton based deer management expert with a lifetime’s experience, says: 'I am very concerned that people are stalking and shooting deer in the rut.
'It’s a disgrace that this magnificent animal has been shot at this time because it could be that he didn’t get a chance to rut properly this year - therefore his genes have not been passed on this time round.
'The poor things should be left alone during the rut - not harried from pillar to post. If we care about deer we should maintain a standard and stop all persecution during this important time of the year.'
Popular: The Emperor with his female companions during this year's annual rut. It's thought he was killed by sportsmen looking for a 'trophy head'
Red deer stags are the largest wild native animals in Britain and the Emperor was reckoned to be the biggest of the lot.
He weighed around 24 stone and was estimated to be 12 years old. He lived in a secret location near the Devon-Somerset border and has been seen by only a handful of deer stalkers.
Wildlife photographer Richard Austin, who photographed the elusive stag earlier this month, was contacted by a local naturalist last week after he spotted a stag lying close to a busy main road, surrounded by people.
The eye-witnesses, who asked not to be named for professional reasons, had been part of a group of stalkers who heard two shots earlier that morning.
Members of the group identified the Exmoor Emperor’s large head of antlers as it was being taken away, the eye-witness said.
Another witness reported hearing two shots from a high velocity rifle before seeing the stag's crumpled body lying near Rackenford, north Devon.
Mr Donnelly said wealthy hunters were prepared to pay a small fortune for a trophy stag.
'There are people who are prepared to spend quite ridiculous sums of money to have a trophy on their wall,' said Mr Donnelly.
'People talk about £1,000 for a good head, but I’ve heard there are those who will pay a lot more.'
A local farmer, who didn't want to be named, added: 'No one knows who killed it, but rumours have been circulating around here that the hunter came from abroad, probably Europe.'
Older stags need to be culled because they find it difficult to survive once their teeth wear down. Deer populations also have to be controlled to stop damage to farms, woods and gardens.
Conservationists say the UK's deer population has doubled since the 1970s and is now close to two million - a level not seen since the time of the Norman Conquest.
According to new figures, deer have become so common they cause 74,000 road accidents each year - and kill up to a dozen drivers and passengers.
'It is kindest to kill them in older age because a deer’s incisors get worn down and they can’t eat properly,' said Mr Donnelly.
'They can only hoover up food and that won’t be good enough so they are going to die a slow death of starvation in the winter - there are no longer natural predators around to kill them quickly.'
'Yes, The Emperor was starting to get past his best, but he was definitely not at that stage yet,' he added.
Mr Donnelly says he has seen a very large young stag in the past few days - a magnificent specimen that may well be the result of the Exmoor Emperor’s activities during a previous rutting season.
A taxidermist, based in Devon, who did not wish to be named said venison prices were high.
'It would cost around £500 for a shoulder mount of a stag and it can take some time to make a mount but that depends on the methods people use,' he said.
'It’s not necessarily a bad thing to shoot a large stag. If you’re looking for a healthy deer population you don’t necessarily want big stags.
'If you are a responsible stalker you will shoot a deer that’s going back which means that it’s past it’s prime.
'You can tell this from the deer’s antlers.
'If it’s past its prime it’s no loss for the deer population because it allows the more up and coming stags to breed.
'If the stag is established and been around for a long time then you have got the problem of inbreeding so if someone shot The Emperor then it’s not necessarily a bad thing for the health of the deer population.
'It’s not a tragedy biologically but visually it is. People may want to see it and take pictures but it should be making way for other younger stags.'
dailymail.co.uk
At nine feet tall, the Emperor of Exmoor, or the Exmoor Emperor, was Britain's largest wild land animal. The giant red deer stag weighed as much as two men - a whopping 24 stone - and lived on Exmoor National Park in Devon.
But now, the Emperor is dead. The 12-year-old beast was legally shot dead by trophy hunters last week in the middle of the rutting season after the landowner was paid for the shooting rights.
If properly stuffed and mounted, the head and antlers of the Emperor of Exmoor could fetch as much as £2000 and are probably destined for the wall of a hotel or country home.
Peter Donnelly, a Dulverton based deer management expert with a lifetime’s experience, says: 'I am very concerned that people are stalking and shooting deer in the rut.
'It’s a disgrace that this magnificent animal has been shot at this time because it could be that he didn’t get a chance to rut properly this year - therefore his genes have not been passed on this time round.
Wildlife photographer Richard Austin, who photographed the Emperor earlier this month, was contacted by a local naturalist last week after he spotted a stag lying close to a busy main road, surrounded by people.
The eye-witnesses, who asked not to be named for professional reasons, had been part of a group of stalkers who heard two shots earlier that morning.
Members of the group identified the Exmoor Emperor’s large head of antlers as it was being taken away, the eye-witness said.
Another witness reported hearing two shots from a high velocity rifle before seeing the stag's crumpled body lying near Rackenford, north Devon.
The Emperor's exact whereabouts on Exmoor were being kept a secret to prevent hunters easily finding him.
The red deer is Britain's largest wild land animal, and the Emperor was the largest red deer of them all. It is thought that there are approximately 2 million red deer in Britain, double what there were in the 1970s and around the same level as during the Norman Conquest.
Giant red stag was gunned down 'legally for his antlers' which experts say could fetch £2,000
By David Derbyshire
26th October 2010
Daily Mail
A giant red stag cut down in his prime was apparently shot legally after the landowner was paid for the shooting rights - and his mounted head could be sold for £2,000, it was claimed.
Towering nine feet tall and weighing as much as two adult men, the Exmoor Emperor was Britain's largest wild animal.
Local wildlife lovers say the huge stag was shot by trophy hunters last week in the middle of the mating season - and that his head and antlers are destined for the wall of a hotel or country home.
The Emperor is thought to have been shot by licensed guns, rather than poachers, making his death legal.
Killed: The Emperor, shown here in one of Mr Austin's photo taken earlier this month, was the largest red deer stag on Exmoor and was thought to be the biggest wild animal in the UK
Experts believe the stag's head and antlers could fetch as much as £2,000 if properly stuffed and mounted.
One of Britain's leading taxidermists based in Devon who didn't want to be named said: 'Deer are being shot for their meat because prices are very high at the moment but if it's got a good head then that's a premium.'
The shooting has enraged wildlife enthusiasts who believe wild red stags should be protected during the rutting season.
Peter Donnelly, a Dulverton based deer management expert with a lifetime’s experience, says: 'I am very concerned that people are stalking and shooting deer in the rut.
'It’s a disgrace that this magnificent animal has been shot at this time because it could be that he didn’t get a chance to rut properly this year - therefore his genes have not been passed on this time round.
'The poor things should be left alone during the rut - not harried from pillar to post. If we care about deer we should maintain a standard and stop all persecution during this important time of the year.'
Popular: The Emperor with his female companions during this year's annual rut. It's thought he was killed by sportsmen looking for a 'trophy head'
Red deer stags are the largest wild native animals in Britain and the Emperor was reckoned to be the biggest of the lot.
He weighed around 24 stone and was estimated to be 12 years old. He lived in a secret location near the Devon-Somerset border and has been seen by only a handful of deer stalkers.
Wildlife photographer Richard Austin, who photographed the elusive stag earlier this month, was contacted by a local naturalist last week after he spotted a stag lying close to a busy main road, surrounded by people.
The eye-witnesses, who asked not to be named for professional reasons, had been part of a group of stalkers who heard two shots earlier that morning.
Members of the group identified the Exmoor Emperor’s large head of antlers as it was being taken away, the eye-witness said.
Another witness reported hearing two shots from a high velocity rifle before seeing the stag's crumpled body lying near Rackenford, north Devon.
Mr Donnelly said wealthy hunters were prepared to pay a small fortune for a trophy stag.
'There are people who are prepared to spend quite ridiculous sums of money to have a trophy on their wall,' said Mr Donnelly.
'People talk about £1,000 for a good head, but I’ve heard there are those who will pay a lot more.'
A local farmer, who didn't want to be named, added: 'No one knows who killed it, but rumours have been circulating around here that the hunter came from abroad, probably Europe.'
Older stags need to be culled because they find it difficult to survive once their teeth wear down. Deer populations also have to be controlled to stop damage to farms, woods and gardens.
Conservationists say the UK's deer population has doubled since the 1970s and is now close to two million - a level not seen since the time of the Norman Conquest.
According to new figures, deer have become so common they cause 74,000 road accidents each year - and kill up to a dozen drivers and passengers.
'It is kindest to kill them in older age because a deer’s incisors get worn down and they can’t eat properly,' said Mr Donnelly.
'They can only hoover up food and that won’t be good enough so they are going to die a slow death of starvation in the winter - there are no longer natural predators around to kill them quickly.'
'Yes, The Emperor was starting to get past his best, but he was definitely not at that stage yet,' he added.
Mr Donnelly says he has seen a very large young stag in the past few days - a magnificent specimen that may well be the result of the Exmoor Emperor’s activities during a previous rutting season.
A taxidermist, based in Devon, who did not wish to be named said venison prices were high.
'It would cost around £500 for a shoulder mount of a stag and it can take some time to make a mount but that depends on the methods people use,' he said.
'It’s not necessarily a bad thing to shoot a large stag. If you’re looking for a healthy deer population you don’t necessarily want big stags.
'If you are a responsible stalker you will shoot a deer that’s going back which means that it’s past it’s prime.
'You can tell this from the deer’s antlers.
'If it’s past its prime it’s no loss for the deer population because it allows the more up and coming stags to breed.
'If the stag is established and been around for a long time then you have got the problem of inbreeding so if someone shot The Emperor then it’s not necessarily a bad thing for the health of the deer population.
'It’s not a tragedy biologically but visually it is. People may want to see it and take pictures but it should be making way for other younger stags.'
dailymail.co.uk
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