crosshair

Jasper we don't all have the need to google what happens in the countryside, as I said a lot of their answers are contradictory. I rely on personal observation and I don't mock those with a better knowledge than myself. But then if you have nothing better to do !!!

Yes the black variety, but I won't go so far as to say we have more in this country than anywhere in the world.

There are reliable sightings of an adult with a cub in this area, I will agree there have been tricks of light and false illusions. With our dense local forests these cats are not seen on a daily or even a monthly basis, but where they are seen is usually very remote areas, that is areas where people do not go very often.

Why is it that people who don't know the answers to the questions revert to asking Mr Google. The answers are usually given by armchair journalists who spend a couple of weeks looking for the big cats, then decide they are afraid of the dark, so their conclusion is they don't exist. For the non believers, if you are told by some of my local farmers that they have seen them, then you had better believe them, and don't make them out to be liars, unless you already have false teeth. Remember you can find conflicting answers on Google, and if asking for an answer on there is your only experience with the countryside, you want to get out more.

They have been seen too many times in my area by myself and reliable witnesses to be discredited. The question I asked a well known fox hunting man, why haven't the hounds ever risen one. He said that one day they were hunting dense forestry and the hounds were in the thick cover hunting, the riders and followers were waiting on the edge of the wood, when one pointed to the top of a forty foot Spruce. And there at the top and partly hidden was a big black cat. I think he said this was in Devon, but the same would apply in the dense forested area of South Wales or anywhere else.

Can't afford to go to the Midland Terry, poor farmer !!

Ah, so you can watch porn in moderation, I'll e-mail you some !!

Who makes these laws ?. It's well known I live on a remote farm, and it's well known my sheepdogs don't take prisoners. They are a deterrent to the theiving community, and apart from being working dogs they do protect their patch. When I go to neighbours farms I understand that their dogs are the same as mine, protective of their property, it is a hard call to prosecute every dog owner, especially if all they are doing is being protective of a remote farm. If silly laws like this become law then shooting permissions might just become a lot harder to get.

Glad you had the good news old chap, bang on !!!

Keg, It's typical, some of the loony questions I get asked by those who are supposed to have a knowledge of the countryside.

Beef and sheep farmer, and carefully watched by the EU, anti's, and everybody else that think they know more about farming than the farmers.

All the best Terry, and wishing you a speedy recovery, bet the crows are smiling up your neck of the woods .

I agree, and I'm getting worried, too many agreeing with each other on this topic

No country has ever solved their TB problem in cattle by only culling the cattle. The wildlife also has to be culled, as they are the carriers.

Gassing infected setts was banned, even though the results showed it did work and TB was reduced in that area. In France if they get a TB outbreak in cattle the local hunt culls the whole area of Badgers.

a14x Your point of possibly vaccinating surrounding areas is not viable and too expensive, as you say vaccinating "infected badgers" does not work, and I agree. With regards your comment putting them on the general license is'nt the answer as a lot of the country isn't affected, we have to realise it will not be long before the unaffected areas will become affected, at the moment it is spreading accross the whole country. Most people I talk to including vets and farmers, are of the opinion that they should no longer be protected. I have heard comments from the unaffected areas that the reason is because.... well, they do have less Badgers because they are kept in moderate numbers by the people in the area. When the government refuses to act sensibly these people who are losing their livelihood will take desperate measures.

The authorities seriously underestimated their numbers, obviously done by some bods that have absolutely no knowledge of the countryside. And I agree Terry, take them off the protected list, as they are not endangered. And I have not heard that the Welsh Assembly are going to stop vaccinating, but if they do, it is because they have finally seen some sense in culling.

Glad you are feeling better Terry and hope the worse is over, speedy recovery mate.

Good luck Terry, hoping all will be OK.

The cage trapping and vaccinating stops during the Spring when the female Badgers have cubs. So if a communal sett has an infected badger, then the cubs will be infected before they are jabbed. So all those infected will continue to spread TB for the rest of their life, as there is no cure. Looking at it that way, how long will it be before every badger has TB, and will it lead to them becoming extinct. There are lots of rumours about some taking the law in to their own hands, badgers do have a sweet tooth and are very partial to sugar beet and peanut butter, sugar beet fed dry swells in their stomach causing death. Peanut butter stuffed into the cats eyes in the middle of the road is also rumoured to be very effective. Badgers prior to the 70s were kept under control by the country folk, putting them on the protected list has seen their numbers explode, man's interference has not helped their cause.

The cost per jab is over £600 per animal, and it has to be repeated annually, that is if you can catch the badger the second time. I would think it would be cage shy after being caught once and jabbed with a needle. And reports say it is only 30% effective. Complete waste of money, and the TB incidents continue to rise. TB in cattle, they know the cause, and they know the cure, and as sure as hell a jab does'nt cure it, or even guaranteed to prevent it.

Malik I see your point, but they were expected to pay silly money for dogs of some considerable age, needless to say they went elsewhere and bought a young dog, and they were all experienced dog owners.

I know a few people that have gone to the local RSPCA kennels wanting to have a dog, they were told the price was almost £200, they have all walked away, RSPCA said it was to cover their costs.

The heatwave continues here in sunny south wales,, I hate the lightening, I've had a couple of direct hits on my transformer, that destroyed every electrical appliance, and shattered the fuse box.

They are one charity that I will never contribute too.