Jump to content

243deer

Members
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    991

  • Joined

  • Last visited

 Content Type 

Posts posted by 243deer

  4. Gamekeepers - have you done this?

    in General Licence Discussion

    Posted

    In case there are some gamekeepers - full time, part time , paid or unpaid  - on here who are not receiving emails from the NGO for whatever reason - please see this message to members below -  The NGO have to submit to DEFRA by end of play Monday so there is not much time left to contribute if you have not done this. It does not take very long!

    Dear Member 
     
    General Licences fiasco strengthens need for gamekeepers to complete survey
     
    As you are probably aware, the NGO together with the Scottish Gamekeepers Association is currently carrying out a nationwide conservation survey and the results of this could not come at a more opportune moment.
     
    As you all know, we are in the midst of the most difficult time for gamekeepers in living memory.  Predator control - our one vital tool that helps protect gamebirds and other ground nesting species - has been made extremely difficult by Natural England’s decision to suddenly revoke General Licences. The results of our conservation survey should help to provide the evidence and strengthen the case for a workable licensing system that enables us to protect our game and other vulnerable wildlife from the increasing risks posed by common predators.
     
    However, our 2019 conservation survey will not have the rigour that it needs to prove our case unless you all complete the questionnaire.  With all of you backing this, we hope to present a scientifically proven report written by the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust that will really show the full range of benefits that game management contributes to conservation in the UK.
     
    Completed survey forms are now trickling in to the GWCT but it is absolutely vital for our profession that all our gamekeeper members and those of the SGA return their completed questionnaires as soon as possible.  It will just take 10 minutes to complete and I have already submitted mine.  How are we going to fight our ongoing battles unless we have robust evidence to show clearly what we do and what this achieves and how the British countryside would be a much poorer place without our efforts? We will then present these results to policy makers, the general public and the media. We need all of you to get involved for the sake of our profession now and in the future.”
     
    For those that would prefer to receive  a hard copy of the conservation report by post, please get in touch with Tina Brough on: 01833 660869.  Alternatively, the survey can be completed online by using the following link: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/CST6TZV
     
    Please do get in touch with us if you have any queries on this. 
    With very best wishes
     
    Liam Bell
    NGO Chairman

  7. BASC

    in General Licence Discussion

    Posted

    10 hours ago, Wasabi said:

    I'm not suggesting BASC morf into the NRA. What I'm suggesting is that they become more proactive. Why were they not pointing out the moorland fires on Ilkley potentially being caused by a lack of management by keepers. Why was it that the NFU was on radio 2 today rather than BASC. Why have I only ever seen Dig Haddoke and *********** on mainstream TV promoting the benefits of shooting. We need to be drowning out the whinge of Packham and co through a concerted media campaign on national levels and on social media. I honestly believe the old boys club at the helm of our organisations does not understand how to go about this.

    Like many folk who use social media I have spent more time reading than working the last couple of days and I believe Wasabi's post does highlight weaknesses that need urgently addressing.

    I have seen a great deal of organisation bashing without the balance of ideas on how to change things for the better so here are just a few ideas that I have based on my current experience of working for a very long established company whose directors still ask "what is the benefit of social media?"

    1. The protection of shooting should be treated as a war. It is no good simply being reactive. Each of our organisations need to employ strategists who can see where the next attack is coming from and prepare a suitable defence to all scenarios well in advance. I would have hoped that the chairperson of each of our organisations would be such a person but it appears not. The lack of this activity since January has shown a weakness in our organisations that needs addressing and I do not mean the sacking of anyone but rather acknowledging the weakness and acting upon it rapidly. Should they achieve this new way of thinking then this event could end up being the greatest own goal ever scored by the antis.

    2. There is a clear lack of media personalities publicly supporting what we do. The funds are available to ensure that such folk in the public eye have their expenses covered to enable them to be available as a balancing voice in interviews. If no such voice is requested by the media company then our organisations need to have someone on the ball at all times raising official complaints both to the organisation concerned, their governing body and to MP's.

    3. Communication - our organisations need to employ a public relations company to teach them how to communicate all the the good work that they are doing to their members and to the public. The old excuse often quoted to me when I have complained in writing is "a lot of work goes on behind the scenes". Well that is the way it used to be done. Our opponents do not do things this way at all anymore they do things very publicly - it is time we did the same. Our organisations publish magazines for their members, I think almost everyone would agree that the list of the activities per area seem disproportionately small - tell us everything that you are doing.

    4. Our organisations really do need to start working together, sharing costs and resources. The challenge to all the current chairs is to achieve at least a broad outline of this in the next 3 months.

    I would be interested to see other positive ideas and turn this thread into one that the PW massive could be proud to show to the chair of each organisation.

     

  8. Stop / start engines

    in Motoring Section

    Posted

    If you look at the really big picture all of our recycling and fuel saving in general it is simply slightly slowing down the timescale for humans to make the planet inhabitable for our own species. Our population explosion seems to be being ignored by folk. Only a complete change in cultures leading to a significant reduction in world population will  reverse the damage so whilst it is great that folk feel better by doing their bit it is only really worth doing if we also work on fixing the root cause of the issues.

  9. fac licence

    in General Shooting Matters

    Posted · Edited by 243deer
    add last para

    1 hour ago, NoBodyImportant said:

    So can you buy 150 rds every day or are you only allowed the own 150 rds. 

    You are only allowed to have in your possession at any time a maximum of 150 rounds.

    Specifically your possession means the total of all rounds that you have with you and at home so if you have 35 rounds left at home you could only purchase 2 boxes of 50 and not 3. Likewise if you have 57 rounds left at home you could not then be given 2 boxes of 50 by a friend (with suitable entry on certificate) but he/she could give you 93.

    Sorry I should add there is no reason why you cannot buy 150 rounds, use them and then purchase 150 more. You could possibly do this more than once in a day - at which point, with good reason, you could respectfully request an increase in allowance.

     

  10. Stupid is as Stupid does! PILLOCK!

    in Off Topic

    Posted

    11 minutes ago, Vince Green said:

    Nobody gets a custodial sentence for a first offence of breaking and entering 

    then maybe we should trial having a mandatory 2 week sentence for all 1st offences so miscreants get a taste of what is to come if they continue to misbehave. No idea if it would work or not but I suspect it would at least make a few think twice about repeat offending.

  13. Play on words - Retail traders

    in Off Topic

    Posted

    On 24/03/2019 at 11:20, ditchman said:

    on the opposite side to that burger van is another layby....which i used to stop at every morning driving to Cambridge...i was having a sausage sarni and a cuppa about 6 in the morning and i looked over the carrigeway to the other layby ...and a artic pulled up....as soon as it stopped the doors opened at the back and a dozen or so migrants jumped out and ran across the fields.....the driver got out closed the doors and calmly drove off.....there were 3 of us just standing there with our mouths open.....when i drove off about 10 mins later there were a shed load of flashing cop cars tearing up the road....they were way toolate ...the migrants ran for it like scalded cats..

    I grew up near Dover - the layby on the A2 just before the Halfway House was a favourite drop off point - we regularly used to see 30 or so.

  15. Mole trap markers

    in Other Pest Control

    Posted

    I have had a similar problem in fields with cows in. I can spot my mounds ok where I have set traps as I put a small piece of turf on top and the mounds are distinctive, until a cow kicks one that is. So I also tie a piece of white ribbon in the fence at 90 degrees. First wire up - up to 10 paces, second 10 to 20 paces etc. As most traps are set on the way out to feeding areas or along fence/hedge lines where the moles are travelling between feeding areas and are close to fences in general this works for me.

  17. Police speed van at night

    in Motoring Section

    Posted

    Respect your country, respect your laws, respect your speed limits, respect your community  - there appear to be quite a few on here who are selective in their respect.

    In my experience aggressive and impatient driving often goes hand in hand with speeding as well as tail gating and putting other folks lives at risk through no fault of their own. My 38 mile each way commute now feels like I am on a racetrack in an F1 race - there was a time not that many years ago when it felt considerably safer.

    If you do not like the speed limits become an MP and change them.

    I lost my best friend at school to a driver speeding past the school, which one of you hero drivers that speed would like to defend that incident? He had been done for speeding several times over the years and had become an habitual speeder, he was obviously very sorry after the event when he went to jail. 2 families lives ruined.

    My challenge to all of you who speed is to time your normal commute then on the same journey stick to the speed limits, keep a decent distance between you and the car in front, sit back, relax (and save yourself a bunch of stress), put the car on cruise control if you have it and time your journey. More than 5 minutes difference on a normal commute? 

  19. White deer

    in Off Topic

    Posted

    37 minutes ago, clakk said:

    There,s 2 or 3 knocking about Horsham way surprised they last must be a poacher,s dream a animal that stands out in the dark

    I saw a couple up on the hill from Mannings Heath 20 years ago when out on a walk so I guess it could well be relatives/descendants. A herd of about 30 in all came to within 30 feet as I stood still until they winded me and cleared off. A wonderful memory.

  20. What strimmer to buy

    in Off Topic

    Posted

    Had an einhell for the last 5 years after my ryobi died after 1 year - usage is 1/2 an hour a week around the garden in the summer and  3 - 4 solid days on the shoot each year running a blade - still starts easily and runs fine. Just over half your budget  search for Einhell GC-BC 25 AS 27 cc Two Stroke Petrol Engine Brush Cutter and Grass Trimmer - Red on Amazon - lovely light machine 

  24. Gun Safe-Which bolts??

    in Guns & Equipment

    Posted

     rawlbolts that need a 14mm hole use 8mm bolts and are more than strong enough, reason I know is that I have had to remove a locked cabinet with no keys (long story) from the wall. Needed a big bar and lots of wood for pressure spread to overcome them.

    8mm rod fits easily through the predrilled holes in the back of your cabinet and allows you a little wriggle room. If you are chemical fixing you can simply put cabinet against the wall then drill then fix rod allow to cure then add washers and nuts and the job is a good 'un - no trying to line up lengths of rod at different angles!

    just my opinion

×
×
  • Create New...