The Killing of Raptors

[molehill]

I know Andy cares very much about our wildlife, that is proven by his dedication. We are probably on parallel tracks aiming for approximately the same outcome but with very different views on how to obtain it and what it should look like.

I'm sure I come from a different country background (hunting, shooting, fishing in a nutshell) and have a vastly different approach to achieving the end result. I look at the problem from a totally different perspective to Andy and yourselves and am highly critical of many statements from the "anti shooting brigade".

And why not, I know that Avery and Packham etc. use anything to further their case, so chucking a "bird flu" spanner in the works is justified IMO. Go ahead and disprove it, which is exactly what shooters are asked to do every time a raptor goes missing without evidence.

I am a strong advocate of mediation and dislike legislation/ acts that ban actions or items, the dangerous dog act to the hunting act are an ineffectual farce.
So we have to agree to disagree on how we achieve our ideals.

[wharfeego]

...So we have to agree to disagree on how we achieve our ideals.

Fair points molehill.
I too have a background of fishing and shooting, though I rarely fish these days, and I don't have rifles any more.
I catch moles for a living (a meagre living for sure) so I'm no 'squeamish townie type'.
Despite all that, I care very much about the Earth's fragile nature.
Seems that as I've got older I've quietly built up an aversion to the type of people who never appear to give a thought to what they do, not just in the shooting/hunting arena but in all walks of life, even questioning my own reasons for being on this planet.
It's probably some form of illness that I've got, perhaps an acute case of 'hipocriticalnessism'(made up word but you know what I mean!), and if anything it's getting worse.
So it's best not to take too much notice of my comments (I'm sure not many do anyway).

[molehill]

I expect your mole trapping gets you around a lot of countryside and farms not often seen by others. Certainly my squirrel trapping gives me free roaming in all sorts of wonderful woods and land that most never see and surprising what you observe when walking quietly day after day on your own. Off to do my traps now.

[wharfeego]

No conclusive evidence, but given the circumstances I would like to bet that bird flu wasn't the cause of this Goshawk's early demise...

https://raptorpersecutionscotland.wo...ingham-estate/

[William Clough]

No conclusive evidence, but given the circumstances I would like to bet that bird flu wasn't the cause of this Goshawk's early demise...

https://raptorpersecutionscotland.wo...ingham-estate/

I can't begin to tell you how mad that makes me, I'd better not say anymore or else I'll end up in the tower.

Whilst on the Isle Of Mull a few years ago, the wildlife ranger told us that local farmers are compensated to the tune of something like 6 lambs a year for raptor kills. Apparently the farmers are really happy with it. I don't know if it would work on the grouse moors though. The gamekeepers seem to be a law unto themselves.

[wharfeego]

...Whilst on the Isle Of Mull a few years ago, the wildlife ranger told us that local farmers are compensated to the tune of something like 6 lambs a year for raptor kills. Apparently the farmers are really happy with it. I don't know if it would work on the grouse moors though. The gamekeepers seem to be a law unto themselves.

The difference being that farming is a necessity for the public (debatable of course) whereas gamebird shooting is a total non-necessity, purely carried out for fun for a minority.

[shaunaneto]

On a closely related subject Mountaineering Scotland are have a public spat with its own membership

https://www.facebook.com/MountaineeringScotland

Related to a press release with the Scottish Gamekeepers Association

[wharfeego]

North Yorkshire - again!

https://raptorpersecutionscotland.wo...rth-yorkshire/

[wheezing donkey]

North Yorkshire - again!

https://raptorpersecutionscotland.wo...rth-yorkshire/

Although a large raptor, I was always lead to believe that buzzards are more inclined to carrion than taking live prey ..... if so it makes their persecution even more pointless.

[MattPo]

Reported on Grough - https://www.grough.co.uk/magazine/20...orth-yorkshire No bird flu affected this bird, twas lead shot!