great stag hunt
record a stag beetle sighting
To record 2013 sightings of stag beetles please visit the great stag hunt pages which also contains a fantastic gallery of images sent in by our great stag hunters!
You can also create and record a log pile.
latest results
The Great Stag Hunt III was run over 2006 and 2007. You can click here to read a short update or read the full GHS III report here.
about the great stag hunt
Historically, the stag beetle has been recorded throughout much of Western Europe, though in many countries it is now thought to be very rare or even extinct. As a consequence, the stag beetle is protected here in the UK.
One of the ways to ensure its survival in this country is to keep a check on whereit is found and try and maintain and increase the number of beetles.
In 1998 we launched the hugely successful Great Stag Hunt and received sightings of stag beetles from thousands of volunteers across England. We followed this up with Great Stag Hunt II in 2002 to check that their numbers had not reduced further. More than 8,000 people joined in the hunts and reported over 14,000 stag beetle sightings. As a result, we have been able to draw an accurate map of where they are and learn a lot more about them. In 2006/7 we ran another successful Great Stag Hunt. Read the results on the GSH results pages.
How have they been doing in the meantime? Please keep an eye open for this spectacular creature throughout the coming summer and let us know about your sightings by taking part in our survey .
Please look particularly in woodlands and in the countryside, places from where in the past we have received only a few records. Is this because there really are fewer beetles in these habitats or because there are simply fewer people to report them? You are likely to see them in towns and dead on roads but, wherever you live, the most likely place for a sighting is your own garden!
