Farmers are being reminded not to take the law into their own hands, after a spate of poaching incidents around Otago's Middlemarch

The ODT reports up to 50 people attended a police-organised meeting about the issue.

They spoke of brazen poaching attempts - with reports of livestock being shot, and people entering private property during broad daylight hours.

A rural police officer who attended the meeting, says several arrests have been made, and farmers should leave policing to the officers.