Police are investigating claims of illegal hunting after video footage surfaced showing a deer being chased by people on horseback and on foot in Somerset. The footage, released by hunt saboteurs, shows a stag leaping over individuals who were running and shouting along a road during the incident on Broad Oak Hill near Taunton on 24 August. The Dorset Borders Hunt Saboteurs, in collaboration with North Dorset Hunt Saboteurs, described the chase as "the most disgraceful treatment of a stag" by the Quantock Staghounds, a registered staghound pack. They claimed the stag was pursued for four hours without rest and may have died from shock or exhaustion afterward. The Quantock Staghounds, one of three registered staghound packs in the UK, has disputed the timeline presented in the video, stating it appears to have been edited out of sequence. The British Hound Sporting Association (BHSA), which represents such groups, has referred the matter to Avon and Somerset Police, as is standard for such allegations. Oliver Hughes, managing director of the BHSA, said the organization will consider regulatory action once the police investigation is complete. He emphasized that the Quantock Staghounds have a long-standing role in deer welfare, including providing a live-deer casualty service for injured animals. The incident has sparked debate among members of the Quantock Deer Management and Conservation Group (QDMCG), a coalition of local landowners and environmental groups focused on managing the deer population in the protected Somerset Hills. The National Trust, which owns land in the area, said it would bring the matter up for discussion at its next meeting. It reminded that hunting deer with dogs has been illegal in England and Wales since 2004 under the Hunting Act. The Trust emphasized it cannot comment on the incident, as it occurred on neighboring land, and urged questions to be directed to the landowner and relevant authorities. Forestry England, which manages deer in national forests to protect young trees and wildlife habitats, stated that its professional wildlife managers do not handle deer in the manner shown in the video. The organization also confirmed it had not allowed access for stag hunting. As the investigation continues, the situation highlights the ongoing tensions between traditional hunting practices and modern conservation efforts in the region.