A LACK of understanding of field sports has led to the vitriolic treatment of a TV presenter who was taking part in a legitimate cull, say his supporters.

If readers of te Western Gazette were not aware, Location Location presenter Phil Spencer was filmed shooting a deer as part of an organised cull on the Fieldsports Channel.

Animal welfare groups such as the League Against Cruel Sports, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals and One Kind claimed Mr Spencer was getting his kicks out of the kill.

LACS spokesman Louise Robertson told The Daily Mail: "To allow a celebrity shooter to kill a deer purely for the entertainment of others is appalling."

Another spokesman for Peta said Mr Spencer should go undergo a "psychiatric evaluation" and accused him of being a "small person who enjoys traumatising, hurting and killing animals who are minding their own business."

Phil Spencer probably regrets having that picture taken of him standing next to the deer with a huge grin on his face but as I understand it, he was with a trained hunter.

It is easy to express raw emotion about this subject on a knee-jerk basis but it is also worth remembering to be detached about this and to explain why there is a need for deer populations to be controlled.

I know the thought of shooting birds and other wildlife is unacceptable to some readers in the Western Gazette but the food chain in man-made environments such as the English countryside has to be managed.

If one part of the biomass pyramid is fat in the middle and this leads to not enough food and too many animals, this will lead to cruelty.

Andy Crow, the farm manager he was being shadowed by, claims he had lost two ten-acre fields £40,000 worth of corn due to grazing by an over-populated deer population.

Mr Spencer refutes the allegation that this was a trophy kill and was part of a legitimate cull.

He said: "I was asked if I wanted to help and was taken out by an experienced deer hunter Andy employs on the farm. Around 100,000 deer are culled annually – not purely related just to crop protection – but this is an absolutely necessary precaution against over-population. I took this wild fallow buck home and it has since fed around 35 people.

"I'm sorry if killing such a beautiful animal is difficult for some people to stomach, but I would also hope that any person who enjoys eating any type of meat stops to appreciate that their chicken, cow, sheep, pig etc also had to die to end up on their dinner plate."

Back in December 2009, the Countryside Alliance and the British Association for Conservation Shooting raised concerns that a legal shooter could be killed by police marksmen due to some members of the public being confused about the sport.

In July of the same year crop circle enthusiasts, who were allegedly trespassing on farmland in Wiltshire, called in the police after seeing a gun being used.

Ken and Sid Wilson were swooped on by three armed patrol cars and had their guns confiscated.

The brothers were legally shooting pigeon on the land near Devizes with the blessing of the landowner. When officers realised their lawful activities, charges were dropped and their property was returned to them.

Richard Crompton, who was head of rural affairs for the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) at the time, said: "Considering the popularity of shooting in the countryside, complaints like this are extremely rare.

"We have a very good relationship with BASC and I would be more than happy to discuss any concerns they have."

I am perfectly aware that in raising this subject, it will provoke strong reactions but it is extremely important to understand what you are criticising before just piling in.

Shooting is an integral part of countryside management that generates jobs and prosperity for Dorset and Somerset and we must never forget that.