The impressive young animal - dubbed the Goodleigh Giant - was shot in north Devon.
Photo: SWNSHe was expected to become one of the biggest stags in the country when fully mature because he already had an impressive 19 points on its antlers - compared to The Emperor's 14.
The stag had become less wary as the rutting season approached and local landowners tried to keep him a secret for fear of trophy hunters tracking him down.
But rumour of the 200lb animal's presence spread and poachers descended on the region to get a glimpse or a shot at the stag, which would fetch thousands of pounds on the black market.
The death follows a series of stag slayings in the area as poachers target the impressive animals as trophies.
News of the animals' demise also comes almost a year to the day after the country's largest wild animal - the 300lb 9ft Exmoor Emperor was killed.
Experts branded the slaying as ''unnecessary'' and ''reprehensible''.
Peter Green, of Shirwell, near Barnstaple is veterinary advisor to the British Deer Society as well as the Royal parks of London and National Trust.
He said: ''Stags are removed either because they are poorer quality younger animals or when they become older and are no longer in their prime.
''There is nothing wrong with the shooting of a mature stag that is older and in decline, since he will already have left his genes in the population and he will no longer be able to compete with the more vigorous stags that are a year or two younger than him.
''There is therefore a legitimate place for the trophy shooting of older stags that have started to go back in condition and dominance, but the indiscriminate shooting of mature stags simply for trophies is reprehensible.''
Stags can only be shot legally during daylight hours by licenced people from August 1 to April 30 and there are strict controls upon the calibre minimum of rifle that can be used, so that deer are not wounded by inappropriate bullets.
Mr Green said he has previously chased hunters with rifles after they were spotted on his farmyard.
He added: ''On Monday October 17 the 19 point stag was found dead on private land locally.
''I examined the stag post-mortem to recover forensic material and found that he had been shot two or three times in the back and in the belly. He had undoubtedly suffered considerably from these wounds before dying slowly.
''He had travelled some distance from where he had been holding his hinds and had obviously managed to flee from the poachers, who had clearly taken indiscriminate potshots at him as he ran away.
''This was the very worst of cruel, senseless deer poaching.
''The stag was not an elderly animal and was not past his prime. He would have continued to improve in size and spectacle and would probably have had even better antlers next year.
''He had probably mated with very few hinds this season, as the rut is barely under way.
''Deer poaching is not just a slightly questionable countryside activity undertaken by wily countrymen steeped woodcraft and field skills, who take the occasional deer for the pot.
''It is a vicious and violent crime, committed by thugs with no thought of animal welfare or human safety.
''I am appalled and distressed by such killing. Not only is it cruel and illegal, but also it makes no sense for the long-term quality of the local deer.
''Every farmer knows that herds are improved by keeping the best ram or the best bull for breeding, yet the best deer are at greatest risk of being shot because of the emphasis upon trophies.
''The venison from rutting stags is poor in both taste and texture, it seems that the poachers were simply after the head of the stag to hang a trophy on a wall.
''In the event, all they achieved was the painful and lingering death of a fine animal and they went away empty-handed.''
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/wildlife/8852698/Giant-stag-killed-by-poachers.html
News of the animals' demise also comes almost a year to the day after the country's largest wild animal - the 300lb 9ft Exmoor Emperor was killed.
Experts branded the slaying as ''unnecessary'' and ''reprehensible''.
Peter Green, of Shirwell, near Barnstaple is veterinary advisor to the British Deer Society as well as the Royal parks of London and National Trust.
He said: ''Stags are removed either because they are poorer quality younger animals or when they become older and are no longer in their prime.
''There is nothing wrong with the shooting of a mature stag that is older and in decline, since he will already have left his genes in the population and he will no longer be able to compete with the more vigorous stags that are a year or two younger than him.
''There is therefore a legitimate place for the trophy shooting of older stags that have started to go back in condition and dominance, but the indiscriminate shooting of mature stags simply for trophies is reprehensible.''
Stags can only be shot legally during daylight hours by licenced people from August 1 to April 30 and there are strict controls upon the calibre minimum of rifle that can be used, so that deer are not wounded by inappropriate bullets.
Mr Green said he has previously chased hunters with rifles after they were spotted on his farmyard.
He added: ''On Monday October 17 the 19 point stag was found dead on private land locally.
''I examined the stag post-mortem to recover forensic material and found that he had been shot two or three times in the back and in the belly. He had undoubtedly suffered considerably from these wounds before dying slowly.
''He had travelled some distance from where he had been holding his hinds and had obviously managed to flee from the poachers, who had clearly taken indiscriminate potshots at him as he ran away.
''This was the very worst of cruel, senseless deer poaching.
''The stag was not an elderly animal and was not past his prime. He would have continued to improve in size and spectacle and would probably have had even better antlers next year.
''He had probably mated with very few hinds this season, as the rut is barely under way.
''Deer poaching is not just a slightly questionable countryside activity undertaken by wily countrymen steeped woodcraft and field skills, who take the occasional deer for the pot.
''It is a vicious and violent crime, committed by thugs with no thought of animal welfare or human safety.
''I am appalled and distressed by such killing. Not only is it cruel and illegal, but also it makes no sense for the long-term quality of the local deer.
''Every farmer knows that herds are improved by keeping the best ram or the best bull for breeding, yet the best deer are at greatest risk of being shot because of the emphasis upon trophies.
''The venison from rutting stags is poor in both taste and texture, it seems that the poachers were simply after the head of the stag to hang a trophy on a wall.
''In the event, all they achieved was the painful and lingering death of a fine animal and they went away empty-handed.''
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/wildlife/8852698/Giant-stag-killed-by-poachers.html
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