The results of the British Birds Survey for 2021 were published earlier this month and they highlight again the importance of shooting for maintaining biodiversity in the British countryside. The numbers show that, since 1995, numbers of Redshank have fallen by 49%, Curlew and Lapwing numbers have fallen by 48%,…
News
‘Disastrous’ Welsh general licences come into effect
The licences which were described by BASC as ‘a retrograde step for conservation’ have been altered to remove magpies, jays and jackdaws from the conservation licence (GL004) and to restrict carrion crow control to a ‘season’ running from the first of February to the 31st of August. Steve Griffiths, BASC…
The Game Fair 2022: the perfect place for us to flock together
As the first swallows appear in our skies, our thoughts naturally turn towards summer activities and spending time outdoors. Plans are made, with dates scribbled in the diary for family breaks, fishing trips, visiting friends, a day out to the coast or the annual bonus for those of us who…
Crackdown on illegal coursing, hunt trial failure and support for deer managers – this week in fieldsports
Another hunt trial collapses The case against a member of the Quorn Hunt has been dropped after the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) offered no evidence. John Finnegan had been due to appear before Leicester Magistrates’ Court on 20 June charged with hunting a wild mammal with dogs. The charge against…
RSPB accused of sensationalism and misinformation over report
The accusations from the Countryside Alliance came after it emerged that much of the information used by the RSPB was provided by a convicted animal rights extremist, some was demonstrably false and almost none was deemed worthy of investigation by DEFRA. The RSPB came under heavy criticism from countryside and…
Anti-shooting activism is taking a toll on the mental health of rural people, according to enquiry
The increasing pressure of online and real world activism on those involved in country sports has created an increasing challenge to the mental health of those in the rural sector in recent years. A Scottish gamekeeper told Shooting Times that the incessant pressure left him suffering from anxiety. The keeper…
Battle lines drawn as BASC rejects proposed lead restrictions
The association has set out a mixed position strongly opposing some elements of the proposals and less strongly opposing others. The HSE has proposed a phased withdrawal of lead ammunition over a time period between 18 months and five years. This includes lead used for shooting live quarry and targets,…
Damage to biodiversity and wildlife likely outcome of law changes in Scotland, say Parliament committee
The warnings of serious unintended consequences came in submissions to the Parliament’s Rural Affairs, Islands and Natural Environment committee, which is shortly to begin scrutinising the legislation. Among those slamming the proposals was the headkeeper of Strathspey estates, Ewan Archer . Strathspey is home to a nationally significant population of…
Airgun Shooter issue 162 is out now
To subscribe to Airgun Shooter Magazine, just follow this link: https://bit.ly/3i8YF9J Although it is heartening to see rabbit numbers bouncing back after several years of rapid decline due to viral haemorrhagic disease, they are still an agricultural pest and cause serious and costly damage. Faced with a serious influx and…
‘Fake’ Welsh ban claims, Brexit headaches, and more – this week in fieldsports
Park suspends trail hunting The Lake District National Park Authority has become the latest UK public body to suspend trail hunting on land it owns after the trial of Mark Hankinson (News, 27 October 2021). Hankinson, at the time director of the Masters of Foxhounds Association (MFHA), was found guilty…
Experts slam Labour Party Animal Welfare Society’s report on release of gamebirds
The report was written by the controversial academic, Professor Steven Harris, whose now largely discredited work was significant in the campaign to have fox hunting banned. Harris made little attempt at impartiality in the latest report stating openly: “It is my decision as to what evidence I wish to include…
Significant number of shoots cancelling days, according to reports
An outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza in France has led to restrictions on the export of chicks and eggs to UK shoots and game farms, which has greatly reduced the number of birds available to UK shoots. Meanwhile prices of essential shoot supplies such as feed and fuel have…
Win tickets to the GWCT Scottish Game Fair
We have five adult pairs of tickets for the GWCT Scottish Game Fair to give away, worth £40 a pair. You can enter for free now here. Attending the event Fans of the Scottish Game Fair will know that attendance is a must, particularly after the lockdowns of the last…
Legal battle over lead, good start for grouse chicks and bird flu – this week in fieldsports
EU legal wrangle over lead A legal fight has broken out over the proposed EU lead ammunition restrictions. FACE, the European Federation for Hunting and Conservation, requested a dossier of information that was held by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). However, the agency repeatedly delayed releasing the information. When…
Fresh questions around ‘Green Laird’ buyouts of sporting estates
In recent years, prices for sporting estates and hill farms in Scotland have skyrocketed in response to the emergence of a new breed of estate owner looking to ‘rewild’ while making money through carbon trading and timber production. These new owners are referred to as ‘Green Lairds’. In a recent…
Police Scotland climbdown over ‘deliberately shot’ buzzard
The bird was reported to police after being discovered in woodland near Ladybank in Fife in April. The discovery of the bird’s remains was accompanied by a press release from Police Scotland which claimed that the bird had been illegally killed and that it had died “a lingering death.” The…
Clay Shooting Classic 2022 – the winners revealed
Phil Gray came to win it all and he did, quite literally. He topped the podium in the Sporting event, claimed his Blaser F16, then almost accidentally won the Pool Shoot for a healthy cash pay-out and a pair of Pilla glasses. He made the Classic look easy, but his…
WhatsApp poacher avoids jail for illegally killing fallow deer
A poacher who was convicted after police read a ‘WhatsApp’ chat has avoided jail. Earlier Shooting Times reported the conviction of Mark Bond of Maidstone in Kent. Bond was found guilty of illegally killing a fallow deer and of causing unnecessary suffering to a dog. The cruelty offence related to…
Gamekeepers launch campaign to avert disastrous season
In an email to Shooting Times DEFRA explained that the 90 day restriction to movements came from the bird flu regulations which were transferred into UK law as part of the Brexit process. After Brexit, changes by the EU shortened the period for which movements were restricted to 30 days.…
Unwanted guns, wheat export ban and wildfire risks – this week in shooting
Amnesty for unwanted guns A firearm surrender programme run by all the UK’s police forces is under way. The scheme, which began on 12 May and runs until 29 May, allows anyone to hand over a gun at a police station without fear of prosecution. Superintendent Graham Barnett, from Surrey…