Time to ban gun sports

blubber

I deplore senseless killing e.g. Trophy hunters. Shooting pheasants and grouse is for FOOD. The grouse would disappear if the moors were not managed i.e. Burned at regular intervals. We kill sheep, cows, goats, chickens etc for food so what is the difference except the pheasants and grouse have had a natural life unlike the poor farm animals.

Have you not read the thread?

I deplore senseless killing e.g. Trophy hunters. Shooting pheasants and grouse is for FOOD. The grouse would disappear if the moors were not managed i.e. Burned at regular intervals. We kill sheep, cows, goats, chickens etc for food so what is the difference except the pheasants and grouse have had a natural life unlike the poor farm animals.

A sport which has the intention of killing an animal is a blood sport. Do clay pigeon shooting or archery if you want to play games outside which don’t involve death or cruelty. Trying to dress it up as some sort of benefit to wildlife is just glossing over the fact that the enjoyment comes from killing. That it also involves killing much other wildlife in order to facilitate the kill is an additional reason to dislike it.

NoddingGanGan, the tag had been cut from the corpse of the bird, which was not found. It was wrapped in sheet lead to deaden the signal then thrown in the river. When the water was low a walker found it and thanks to contact details on the tag conservation workers were able to ascertain which bird it came from. I live in the Peak District where we no longer have eagles since they were exterminated (the last eagles's nest in England was on the cliff I can see from my house) but we do have hen harriers. Only one pair bred in 2019 and all three of their (tagged) chicks mysteriously vanished soon after leaving the nest. Read up on raptor persecution, it is very depressing

Absolutely, positively, not true ! The burns damage the environment in many ways .

youtu.be/262Cv9rbm8M

to Noddinggangan - Sheet lead would be used which is used in roofing and would be readily available on an estate , either new for repairing or scraps from a damaged roof . The reason the tiny tag would be wrapped is to stop the signal and then thrown in the river to take it away from the scene of the action - the tag was found in a river . Seems obvious to me and sadly only the last in a long series of other incidents of illegal persection .

PS. Blood sports.

Badgers don't know any different, though.

Field sports, Not Blood sports. By the way, you like hedgehogs?? Good badger food.

So all the traps set on grousemoors for predator animals are all put there by poachers? Why would poachers want to kill foxes, stoats, weasels, crows and the like which are not protected anyway. Nothing to do with “ managing” the moor?

Of course we should ban all blood sports. I find them all deplorable. However it will not happen as there is big money involved.

biba70

Totally agree with your mum. However, the fact grouse moors are managed in a way that kills all wild predators, including all birds of prey- rather takes away from that“

Her experience is of Richmond Park, not too many grouse Moors in SW London ? Mum is friendly with the rangers there and has had many discussions over the years. The cull is very publicly posted so she keeps away during those weeks.

It’s necessary and well managed though, with the meat going to licensed local butchers.

Can anyone explain how the words pleasure and kill can be used in the same sentence?

Totally agree with your mum. However, the fact grouse moors are managed in a way that kills all wild predators, including all birds of prey- rather takes away from that.

As for pheasants, they are reared in awful conditions, in their 1000s- then released, weak and without a clue - to be shot. Not very 'natural' for sure.

I don’t eat meat or eggs, but I want a ban on battery hens, halal meat,

phoenix

Agree in pricipal, but have concerns about abolition of deer culling.

Deer have no natural predators, and can seriously hinder the development of woodlands, (and we all need trees) by eating young saplings.

Plus venison is a very healthy meat option.“

Agree. My mum is a vegetarian of 50 plus years but says she would much rather people ate free range meat from an animal that had lived out a full life in the wild.

Lots of game shooting goes on round here but 'strangely' very few raptors. Instead of giving game keepers measly fines when they are caught out, perhaps their land owner employer should be sent to prison.
I do support Phoenix in relation to deer culling and is target shooting acceptable if kept to shooting ranges?

It is illegal to shoot/kill golden eagles and hen harriers so no responsible landowner would allow it. Hen harrier numbers are actually going up gradually - at one time they had almost been wiped out.

It was probably a poacher who shot the golden eagle.

Halal slaughter ?

vegansrock

Golden Eagles, hen harriers, foxes, stoats, weasels and other wildlife are killed by shooting and trapping so that the grouse have fewer predators so folk can enjoy a jolly day out blasting them out of the sky.

And how many are killed by poachers?

animalogic.ca/blog/the-dark-and-depressing-world-of-british-poaching

Golden Eagles, hen harriers, foxes, stoats, weasels and other wildlife are killed by shooting and trapping so that the grouse have fewer predators so folk can enjoy a jolly day out blasting them out of the sky.

What has murdering a Golden Eagle got to do with gun sports??!
Burning the heathland actually preserves habitat as it’s the new growth of the plants provides food and effective shelter for wildlife unlike the woody old stems.
We can learn a great deal from ancient civilisations (such as Aborigines) who have been doing controlled burning for centuries to manage the land and maintain a food source.
Uncontrolled heath fires - which are more likely to occur when land is not managed- are what do the damage

NoddingGanGan :

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-tayside-central-54295035