scolopax

Four is it five BASC deerstalking schemes? Dozens of wildfowling clubs offering shooting through the BASC day ticket scheme . Zero pheasant shoots available directly through BASC schemes.

I am unfortunately coming to the sad conclusion so many on our side are dumb and reactionary. A fair proportion of comments on social media and online are from people who think BASC are ditching all insurance. I just really wish folk did some research and found out the facts as far as they can for themselves.

I think they quietly ditched it , it was their major selling point, nobody said boo. Now BASC do the same, even though it was only in place a few years, everyone wants out. Strange world.

How will crowd funding take on Wild Justice? They are taking the government to court, not shooters or shooting organisations. The shooting organisations just cannot take Wild Justice to court without a valid reason, neither can the goverment. If the time ever comes when there is potential to get WJ in court (but I think they are too clever for that), then I suspect millions could be raised from the shooting fraternity at short notice to cover all costs. But we need the opportunity to get ‘our’ day in court.

Just to show the gloating from the other side is a direct copy from Mark Avery’s blog: BASC obviously feels that it is in a corner and simply resorts to nastiness. Apparently crowdfunding for a legal case to challenge government’s inaction on environmental protection is ‘extremism’ in BASC’s view. Really? Using the law of the land is extremism? I don’t know whether we in Wild Justice will win or lose, but it’s clear that we have won so far – DEFRA were forced to agree that there was more that they could do on gamebird releases, DEFRA was forced by the Wild Justice case to do a review of gamebird impacts on nature conservation (which we have not yet seen) and a judge has ordered that the Wild Justice case should be heard before the end of October so that if it were successful any implications would be known in time to be implemented before the 2021 shooting season. None of this BASC wanted, all of this BASC sounded off about, but all of it is happening. I would think that DEFRA is rather embarrassed to have the likes of BASC associated with them (and if they aren’t, then they should be). That’s the thing about the law, all the bluster in the world is unlikely to influence the result. It will be an interesting court room if, by then, we are allowed to attend in person. I look forward to seeing DEFRA cuddling up to the NGO, BASC and the Countryside Alliance on one side of the court. Social distancing from the very rude BASC will not depend on the state of coronavirus. But if we can’t all get into court then watching the case by videoconference will be interesting too. Thay might get quite an audience. I’m not sure whether I hope that BASC is spending loads of its members’ money or very little of it, but so far it’s difficult to see that they are getting any value at all out of it. I spent half an hour or so yesterday evening talking to a journalist in Chicago about our case. It’s always entertaining to hear Americans’ complete astonishment when the British shooting norms are described. I think many Americans have a positive feeling towards hunting and they imagine that game shooting is rather similar, so when they hear that every year 47 million Pheasants are released into an area about the size of Michigan they are rather gobsmacked. And then when they realise that the British form of hunting involves waiting for captive-bred Pheasants to be driven towards a line of stationary guns who blast away at them you can hear their jaws drop even 4000 miles away. And when they hear that you don’t need a shooting licence in the UK, just a gun licence, to be able to shoot ‘game’ within season if you have the landowner’s permission they are amazed. And when they hear that there are no limits set on how many non-native gamebirds can be released or how many an individual can shoot they are similarly stunned. BASC and others will be interested to read the next two Wild Justice newsletters (hint, they will get a name check). The first will go out tomorrow as we are putting it together now, the second is likely to go out next Tuesday or so, as we are writing that one now too. BASC members might like to subscribe to get a more rounded view of what is happening in the world and if they do they will be very welcome. Click here to subscribe.

I see Wild Justice behind this, maybe not directly, but after last years GL fiasco NE will have been closely looking to see where there are any gaps in their current application of the regulations. This is part of the fall out, expect to see more effects around shooting on SSSI's and other sites of conservation interest.

if you read the link it explains why. Looks like a new policy of not granting a consent until the level of all shooting activity across the whole site is fully assessed, so on a large estuary where not all of the foreshore is controlled by clubs and many sections may be shot over privately or poached this will be almost impossible given the lack of resources and lack of ability NE have. Certainly by the start of the 2020 season anyway.

It never ends. NE have effectively stated they will not be issuing wildfowling consents. Some clubs face having no shooting this forthcoming season. https://basc.org.uk/basc-challenges-natural-englands-wildfowling-review/?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=SocialSignIn&utm_content=Press+content

Send in the Hussars, cleaved skulls tend to sullen the mob

Well some shoots parasite off big neighbouring 'commercial' shoots (I know...who would believe it), and even have the audacity to sell days. That is how cheap shooting can sometimes be obtained. Some shoots do not have to pay rent, and therefore they can, if they wish, sell cheaper days and still make a good margin.

Of all the birds which have suffered a population crash one of the worse if not the worse affected has been the turtle dove. They used to be common, especially around thorn scrub, but I am now lucky if I see a single bird a year. Last year saw none, year previous one, etc

Phil, they start breeding in February but continue right through until late summer. Peak breeding is around now. Now you have shot a few you can maybe you cannot see anymore until September ?

Just some common sense required. The nation relies on that now. The vast majority of folk who shot a milky vixen (hopefully for valid reason not just because it’s on there permission) would not put the picture on here. It is a big white hunter fail. Likewise if someone was to shoot a milky vixen I would hope the majority endeavour to find and deal with the cubs, although now the dog fox should be able to provide for them

Thorne/ Crowle moors have a good track record for attracting red footed falcons, and are hotspot for hobbies. It’s claim to fame is that it did for a year at least have bluethroats successfully nesting, but that was many years ago. A really strange piece of ground, an island of lowland bog in a big sea of dry arable

More concerned you shot two hares at this time of year, why?