ARMED with crossbows and rifles they are targeting some of Hampshire’s most popular wildlife.

Deer have been left to endure a slow agonising death after being shot by the bolt of a crossbow fired from a poacher after its meat.

Now police are stepping patrols fearing an influx of poachers targeting wildlife across the New Forest.

They want to stop the area being used as a number one target for illegal hunting by organised gangs cashing in on the demand for cheap meat.

Poachers have often raided Forestry Commission land and large country estates, resulting in the loss of livestock worth thousands of pounds.

With Britain’s deer population at its highest level for centuries they are likely to return to the Forest during the build-up to the festive season. Poaching is classed as unlawful hunting and culprits can be fined as much as £5,000.

But a single deer carcass is worth at least £50 on the black market, which means gangs are capable of making hundreds of pounds a night.

Police officers involved in the Forest Watch campaign are planning to mount a series of special operations to tackle the menace.

Sergeant Louise Hubble said: “This time of year traditionally sees an increase in poaching. Hare coursing begins once the crops have been harvested, game birds are plentiful and deer become a target on the approach to Christmas.”

Police are urging people to dismiss images of Claude Greengrass, the loveable rogue in the TV series Heartbeat, set in 1960s Yorkshire.

“Modern-day poachers tend to work in organised gangs with 4x4s and have a number of dogs and weapons, including firearms,” said Sgt Hubble.

“They have scant regard for the countryside and no regard for the wildlife they injure or the land that they destroy.”

Poachers striving to remain as silent as possible tend to use under-powered rifles or crossbows, which often fail to kill the animal outright. However, they rarely bother to pursue an injured beast and put it out of its misery.