The ‘shooting’ community guilt

[Pieces_of_Eight]

Don't think I've ever knowingly seen a Goshawk. Years ago I did find a pristine Barn Owl on the side of the road, probably bumped by a truck. It wouldn't have been difficult to make it look on an x-ray like it had been shot and deposit it on a footpath on some keepered land.

 

[Hampton]

As a keen shooter, I’m not sure why I, based 300 miles from where this crime took place, should feel any guilt over what some idiot illegally did to these goshawks.

 

[Bobby Spray]

Why would anyone dump them in a spot where they would certainly be found? sounds like a false flag.

 

[Dry Rot]

Why would anyone dump them in a spot where they would certainly be found? sounds like a false flag.

"The voice of he who will not be heard"?

Get the problem out into the open and get it discussed....so it will (hopefully) be solved?

It is quite clear to me that unless some balance is achieved it is nonsense to make criminals out of those who are merely trying to protect their stock, whether wild or domesticated. If politicians don't understand the nonsense of this, they deserve to be hauled out by the scruff of the neck and given a good shaking.

I thought the idea of a democracy was that the will of the people should be done, but tempered by the good sense of the wise and educated. The majority would like to have capital punishment, but Parliament has decided otherwise. Just a pity that today most of the the politicians seem to be townies and do gooders who don't won't understand the countryside.

 

[ollie989898]

There’s something in what you say. About 5 yrs ago in June/July I had a visit from the local wildlife officer investigating a dead buzzard. A cyclist had reported it.

Asked the officer where it was found and it had been “happened across” approx 50yds into a field of barley (at its full height) after the rider had wandered into the field following an interesting butterfly, at approx 6am.

Sounded like the biggest load of shite ever, and coincidentally came at the same time as a new syndicate had taken on the shooting in the neighbouring woods and had fallen out with a lot of dog walkers.

I've found the odd dead bird of prey, usually after harvest in the stubble. Can only tell what it was from the feathers and you'd never have known it was there as you say, the one you describe was a plant I'd agree.

I have known the odd keeper admit that they have shot the odd buzzard here and there if it was proving a nuisance. Would never in a million years impact their numbers as there are dozens of them about. Would not surprise me if bird of prey mortality was high mind as there doesn't seem to be many rabbits about in a lot of places. Years ago the verges and roads were alive with them. Only ever see a dead fox, deer or squirrel on the roads these days.

 

[Pieces_of_Eight]

It is quite clear to me that unless some balance is achieved it is nonsense to make criminals out of those who are merely trying to protect their stock, whether wild or domesticated. If politicians don't understand the nonsense of this, they deserve to be hauled out by the scruff of the neck and given a good shaking.

The problem now is that we have a list of species that have achieved a sacred status, to the point where any infidels who mention their exploding numbers and a need for management are branded as criminal sympathisers and apologists.

 

[Jon]

Reared birds can never be as important as native wild birds and the shooting community really should hang its head in utter shame; https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-suffolk-64316504.amp

SS

Have a look at the fieldsports youtube channel, they had a quick look at it.

They suggest another view point.

 

[Mickey mouse]

Reared birds can never be as important as native wild birds and the shooting community really should hang its head in utter shame; https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-suffolk-64316504.amp

SS

Some shoots only shoot wild birds, which are far healthier that chickens etc.bought from the super markets, which have antibiotics etc in them.
Also most shoots create habitats for pheasants , tree planting etc.that other wildlife benefits from.
Also they control corvids which steal song birds eggs.
So please, look closer before you criticize.
And Dont listen to the idiot Packam
Who's do more damage than good.

 

[Mickey mouse]

While this is very sad and regrettable, one incident should not tarnish the reputation of the whole shooting community any more than one farmer polluting a river should condemn the whole farming community. And I write that as a life time falconer who has bred goshawks in captivity and was actually a BTO ringer.

The RSPB and allied twitchers never mention that approximately 75% of raptors die from natural causes in their first year and about 50% of those that survive will die in their second year. These statistics are from The British Trust for Ornithologies own statistics from ringing returns. (The BTO is closely allied to the RSPB). I wonder how many of these are picked up dead and the death attributed to shooters because no tests are done?

100 hen Harriers were reared in England. Last year thanks to Defra and Basc.which is a shooting organization.
Most people that shoot are passionate about conservation.

 

[Mickey mouse]

It's not a one off incident though is it? The news is full of gamekeepers being prosecuted for this type of crime.

The birds in question were found in a heap, x-rayed and found to have been shot. Look at the picture.

There was a so-called shot eagle
Found dead on a estate.
Till the local vet examined it and found it had an old injury that he had treated when it was in captivity

 

[Humble Village Farmer]

There was a so-called shot eagle
Found dead on a estate.
Till the local vet examined it and found it had an old injury that he had treated when it was in captivity

And?

 

[Dry Rot]

There was a so-called shot eagle
Found dead on a estate.
Till the local vet examined it and found it had an old injury that he had treated when it was in captivity

So the truth spoilt a good story.....yet again. I don't know what things are coming to!

 

[ajcc]

Shooting and hunting sheds a bad light on the countryside, it portrays farmers as cruel people in the eyes of the general public.

Other then shooting predators such as foxes, there is no reason for activities such as bird shooting to take place in the modern world, where everyone and anyone has a camera to record instances of animal cruelty which will inevitably burden farmers further, with more regulations and restrictions.

Farmers have always enjoyed fieldsports. I shoot pheasants every winter week with 15 other local farmers and a couple of builders think they might disagree with your opinion!
Hunting and shooting are very, very important to a great many countrymen and women.
Gamekeepers protect their charges, same as farmers protect their crops and animals.
That said we all try and follow the law, bit like your average car driver really.

 

[Lowland1]

I know three people killed whilst hunting Buffalo.if you like guns and shooting things this is a much fairer type of sport. Waiting for a bunch of overweight semi wild chickens to be forced towards you is a bit gay really.

 

[suffolksmallholder]

A few shooting estates are good conservators. This is one of them with a great keeper.
The very first Osprey nest for centuries in Yorkshire, on the Bolton Castle Estate near Leyburn in Wensleydale
SS

 

[Dry Rot]

This is always going to be controversial. I have shot, fished, worked dogs, followed hounds, and flown hawks all my life but sadly "sport" is often a numbers game these days. But that is human nature. It is as galling for a gamekeeper to play host to a brood of goshawks in his pheasant coverts as it is for a shepherd to provide similar for lamb killing eagles, ravens, foxes, or badgers.

In theory, there are remedies within the law which allow those suffering the problem to deal with it under licence. In practice, these solutions don't work because human nature gets in the way. Nobody, with a grain of sense, is going to apply for a licence and risk the possibility of getting refused while drawing officialdom's attention to their problem. I have argued this for years. Far easier, just do it and say nothing. but probably not a good idea to make a "heap" of the corpses. (Someone is very very frustrated with not being allowed to do his job and protect his charges).

Personally, I find the sight of a group of scantily clad males chasing a piece of inflated leather around a field while others shout encouragement at the tops of their voices deeply offensive and I'd like to see it banned. But it won't happen, because that's human nature. The solution is probably fewer humans.

 

[Mickey mouse]

Farmers have always enjoyed fieldsports. I shoot pheasants every winter week with 15 other local farmers and a couple of builders think they might disagree with your opinion!
Hunting and shooting are very, very important to a great many countrymen and women.
Gamekeepers protect their charges, same as farmers protect their crops and animals.
That said we all try and follow the law, bit like your average car driver really.

Well spoken that man.
Keep the clones informed

 

[bottletopbill]

Many shooters do not kill for the fun of it most have total respect for a animal and who comes out to injured animals .
Yes we do not get paid for humane dispatch it cost me money to go on a course.


Please do not class us as all the same we care for our countryside.

 

[ajcc]

This thread is totally alien to me. Plenty of space for goshawk, just not around release pens. . . . plenty of room for foxes just not in lambing field, plenty of room for badgers just not in home cow pasture, plenty of room for rats just not in the farmhouse or buildings, plenty room for sparrowhawks just not alongside granny’s bird table.
OP is BBC report somewhat disproportionate alarmist bias, not exactly crime of the century somewhere on a par with setting fire to a waste paper bin or driving off without paying for petrol. . . . against the law but not exactly great train robbery.

 

[bottletopbill]

Pest control needs to be done.