A US poacher has been ordered to repeatedly watch the Disney classic Bambi as part of his sentence for illegally killing hundreds of deer.

David Berry Jr and his family killed the deer, mostly at night, over nine years – cutting off their heads and antlers and leaving the bodies to rot where they fell.

While the motivation for the poaching was financial motivation, authorities said collecting the deer heads was mostly about ego.

“Taking just the heads is their version of obtaining a ‘trophy’ and leaving the carcass behind is merely an afterthought,” Randy Doman, division chief of the Missouri Department of Conservation, told the Springfield News-Leader.

“While there are some cases where poachers go after the antlers for profit, with this bunch it was more about the thrill of the kill itself.”

Berry, his father, two brothers and another man who helped them had their hunting, fishing and trapping privileges revoked temporarily or permanently as well as a combined US$51,000 ($70,000) in fines and court costs.

When the Berry was ultimately sentenced, Lawrence County Judge Robert George apparently hoped the tale of Bambi would show him the error of his ways.

Court records show he was ordered by Lawrence County Judge Robert George to “view the Walt Disney movie Bambi, with the first viewing being on or before December 23, 2018, and at least one such viewing each month thereafter” while in jail.

Bambi, a 1942 animated classic, tells the story of a fawn born to one day replace his father as Great Prince of the Forest, who guards his fellow animals from the dangers of hunters.

Bambi’s mother is killed by hunters and the dangers of man are a prevailing theme throughout the movie.

Bambi tells the tale of a fawn and the tragedy brought by hunting. Photo: Disney

Mr Berry was also sentenced to 120 days in jail in nearby Barton County for a firearms probation violation, the Associated Press reported.

The Missouri Department of Conservation said information from nine-month investigation led to 14 Missouri residents facing more than 230 charges in 11 counties.

The investigation into the Berrys began in late 2015, when the conservation agency received an anonymous tip about deer poaching in Lawrence County.

Watch the original Bambi trailer below:

-with agencies