Home office guidelines state as follows;
13.31 The Deer Act also authorises the use of smooth-bore guns of at least 12 bore for shooting deer, firing a non spherical slug of at least 350 grains to kill deer on cultivated land, pasture or enclosed woodland if it can be shown that the deer were causing serious damage to crops, vegetables, fruit, growing timber or other property, that such damage was likely to continue and that that action was needed to prevent this. This provision was intended to allow farmers and crofters who own a shot gun but not a rifle to deal with marauding deer. Shot