A new set of general licences has been issued by DEFRA, following the outcry over their revocation by Natural England after pressure from campaign group Wild Justice. The new licences have been welcomed by shooting and countryside organisations but problems remain over shooting on protected sites. The move marks a…
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Exclusive – Sporting Gun asks Dr Mark Avery the questions we want answered
Seven weeks after Natural England revoked the general licences GL04, GL05 and GL06 on April 25, following a legal challenge from Wild Justice, the wildlife campaign group has submitted a further challenge. This latest legal challenge has arrived while the shooting and farming world is still waiting for Defra and…
New £10,000 bursary scheme available for young keepers and stalkers
A generous new bursary scheme which supports young keepers or stalkers in the first five years of their career has been announced by Holland & Holland. The company is keen to support natural resource management and to this end will give £10,000 to a successful applicant showing the desired credentials…
Sporting Gun talks to Dr Mark Avery of Wild Justice about general licences
Sporting Gun: What provoked you to initiate your legal challenge to Natural England (NE) about the general licences when you did? Wild Justice: NE issued the licences on 1 January each year and to seek a judicial review one has to go through various steps inside three months – so…
We asked a Natural England representative to answer your questions on the practicalities of the new general licences. Here’s what she said ….
1) Despite repeated attempts at scaring, a farm suffered serious damage to a pea crop throughout the growing season. Can the farmer arrange for the [wood] pigeons to be shot over the pea stubble to reduce numbers and prevent damage next growing season? A: Yes, assuming that a crop…
The truth about pigeon damage
Perhaps this is a good time to pause and ask a question: do we really need to shoot woodpigeons? If the general licence fiasco has reminded us of anything, it is that for pigeons to be controlled, they must be doing not just damage, but serious damage. So is this…
Tell Defra what you think about the impact of Natural England’s decision to revoke three general licences
All shooters, keepers, farmers and landmanagers are encouraged to take part in submitting evidence to Defra to state how the sudden Natural England ruling on general licences has affected them. Defra has launched a call for evidence on the impact of the recent @NaturalEngland decision to revoke three general licences.…
The new individual licences from Natural England – what’s been the experience of shooters so far?
Staff at Natural England have been working through more than 1000 applications from farmers gamekeepers and pest shooters since the previous system of general licences was scrapped a week ago. The individual licences have been welcomed as clearer and much less restrictive than the new general licence for carrion crows…
Why you should pay a visit to the Northern Shooting Show 2019
The Northern Shooting Show is back. Now in its fourth year, once again it will be held at the Yorkshire Event Centre, just off the A1 to the east of Harrogate, on 11 and 12 May. It is the perfect show for anyone with a passion for shooting and showcases…
This photograph of Michael Gove with Chris Packham surprised us
< My meeting with @michaelgove this morning started well – two Red Kites soaring from his office window , as did our cordial discussions about @ExtinctionR @WildJustice_org , the Peoples Manifesto for Wildlife and the need for more regulation in environmental care . pic.twitter.com/8bbeEmPIcW — Chris Packham (@ChrisGPackham) May 1,…
General licences latest update – what happens now?
The revocation of the general licences from midnight on the 25th of April means that in most situations it will be a criminal offence to kill any wild bird in England unless you hold a personal licence issued by Natural England. This includes crows, magpies, jays, gulls, parakeets, Canada geese…
The latest reactions to withdrawal of the general licences
Farmers, gamekeepers and recreational shooters have reacted with a mixture of anger and confusion to the decision by Natural England to withdraw the general licences for England with just two days notice at the height of the lambing and nesting seasons. The decision follows a legal challenge by the campaign…
Shooting pigeons, crows, rooks, magpies and Canada geese to become illegal in UK as general licences revoked
Natural England has announced that General Licences GL04 (for the prevention of serious damage to crops and livestock), GL05 (for prevention of disease and ensuring public safety) and GL06 (for conservation purposes), will all cease to exist from ‘sometime’ on 25 April 2019. The shock announcement was made late on…
Threat to general licences
The general licences that allow for the shooting of pest bird species, including crows, feral pigeons, Canada geese and lesser black-backed gulls, are to be challenged in the courts by a campaign group. Wild Justice, a private company set up by TV presenter Chris Packham, raptor blogger Dr Ruth Tingay…
Test your shooting knowledge and WIN!
In association with Shooting Times, the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT) is running a monthly competition to win a GWCT apron. So you can cook those game recipes in style and show off your mastery of shooting and rural matters at the same time. You’ll find the quiz every…
Numbers point to a record year for Big Farmland Bird Count
The Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT), which organises the Big Farmland Bird Count, said the results were dropping in every five minutes. Jim Egan of the GWCT said: “We look like having a record year in terms of the number of counts returned. I can say that, so far, 127…
Are you eligible for Woodcock Club membership?
It has been a vintage year for the Shooting Times Woodcock Club, with 39 new members — compared with 19 last year — and applications still coming in, which brings current membership to over 1,400. The increase in applications, which are sent in by those who have shot a…
What to look out for at the British Shooting Show 2019
Thousands of shooting enthusiasts will descend on the NEC in Birmingham for the 2019 British Shooting Show. Shooting Times asked organiser John Allison why the show has proven increasingly popular. He explained it simply: “We get to know our visitors and find out what they want.” The show brings something…
Happy hunting memories
A rare chance to view an archive of hunting photographs should prove nostalgic for followers of West Country packs. The late Eric Green, who was a regular contributor to the West Somerset Free Press and manager of the forestry estate at Combe Sydenham, was a familiar figure with all the…
Dumped pheasant video provokes strong reaction from shooting organisations
The video was allegedly taken in November 2018 at Cotesbach Game farm in Leicestershire. Although it was found that the birds had been breasted, shooting organisations have united to condemn the activity shown. Liam Bell, Chairman of the National Gamekeepers’ Organisation said, “The National Gamekeepers’ Organisation is deeply dismayed by…