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Badger cull


Benthejockey
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It looks like the cull may well be extended to Shropshire which for a few of the places I shoot can only be a good thing! The one farmer is despairing he’d been down with Tb for 3 years, he missed two years growing maize and the population of badgers dropped and he went clear for the first time in a long time for about 9 months. Then the following season his neighbour planted a load of maize and they’re back down with it again and he’s desperate for the cull to come his way so I can thin them out a good bit for him. I can’t find a whole lot about taking part in the cull online funnily enough! Probably to do with the nutters in balaclavas. Does anyone on here have any idea about getting involved?

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23 hours ago, wymberley said:

I believe you'll need to get in touch with the NFU as a starter. Whether you intend free shooting or trapping for either you'll need to attend and complete a training course and having done so you'll be given a Contractor Number. This assumes that a cull will take place where you are.

It must also be remembered that the cull takes place under license from NE. To obtain a license in an area ,90% of farmers must sign up (although dispensations may apply) to the scheme and form a company, financed by the farmers, which in turn obtains and operates the cull. Sufficient funds to operate and complete the cull for the minimum duration of 4 years must be deposited by these farmers into a designated bank account prior to the cull beginning.

It is possible for a farmer to nominate who culls on his land, but in practical terms, it is more cost effective and practical to have designated shooters operating over a large area. Remember, it is the farmers who will be paying for their training and expenses and who are responsible for compliance with the regulations.

Your easiest point of contact would be a friendly farmer who has or is signing up and would be able to put you in touch with whoever locally is coordinating the application.

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On 13/04/2018 at 14:37, wymberley said:

I believe you'll need to get in touch with the NFU as a starter. Whether you intend free shooting or trapping for either you'll need to attend and complete a training course and having done so you'll be given a Contractor Number. This assumes that a cull will take place where you are.

wymberley is spot on. Then after you have your proof of passing the course, you then have to send off your cert to the police for a variation to have Badger put on as LQ for you otherwise it is still illegal. Then it is not every one you can cull it is on a quota, and there are rules and regs, there is a min calibre to. That is what I have been told anyway true or not I don't know, but makes sense.

Edited by tonker
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57 minutes ago, tonker said:

wymberley is spot on. Then after you have your proof of passing the course, you then have to send off your cert to the police for a variation to have Badger put on as LQ for you otherwise it is still illegal. Then it is not every one you can cull it is on a quota, and there are rules and regs, there is a min calibreto. That is what I have been told anyway true or not I don't know, but makes sense.

The AOLQ condition will suffice. The fact that you have a NE license to cull and that you are on the AAP list makes badgers, for you, a legal quarry.

The number of badgers culled is set and monitored by NE, who will tell you when to stop. NE's aim is to  reduce numbers by at least 70% in the total cull area. 

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2 hours ago, haynes said:

What a faff. Why can't we just have open and closed seasons. Our neighbour has just gone down with tb, so yet another tb test for us.

Quite simply, because the cull is not designed to impact detrimentally on badger population survival in the long term.

 

 

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I don't want to wipe them out. Just thin them out a bit. NE want to reduce the population  by 70percent in affected areas. Our farm used to have a few badgers. One set. Now we have several set dotted all over. 

Just hope they are clean. And don't mix with those over the hedge.

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4 hours ago, haynes said:

What a faff. Why can't we just have open and closed seasons. Our neighbour has just gone down with tb, so yet another tb test for us.

To me, having open and closed seasons, as well as stipulations on method and minimum calibre for badgers would be a sensible way to go.

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17 minutes ago, ShootingEgg said:

Being able to shoot fox all year round doesn't seem to wipe them out so why would it be any different for badger? Having a season would work in my opinion. 

exactly. Not every landowner shoots foxes and not every landowner would be interested in shooting badgers, but farmers who have an interest in protecting their livelihoods would have the option to.  

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35 minutes ago, wymberley said:

Depends who does the stipulating.

20 bore or minimum of 38g and 160 ftlbs at the muzzle.

Just don't kill the messenger.

I would imagine there would habe to be consultation on that. I've never shot a badger so I wouldn't have any comment on what may be deemed an acceptable minimum calibre. 

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11 minutes ago, ClemFandango said:

I would imagine there would habe to be consultation on that. I've never shot a badger so I wouldn't have any comment on what may be deemed an acceptable minimum calibre. 

The figures given are/were the legal requirement. However, picked up from a previous employment, I understand that the Cull figures are at the other end of the scale.

 

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4 hours ago, ShootingEgg said:

Being able to shoot fox all year round doesn't seem to wipe them out so why would it be any different for badger? Having a season would work in my opinion. 

Quite simply because no government is ever likely to withdraw the badgers protected status. You only have to look at outcry the current cull has caused to realise that it would be political suicide to try to introduce legislation to do so.

And, I have to say, bTB aside, why would one wish to remove their protection,  providing another species people can shoot for a bit of sport is hardly a good reason. 

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26 minutes ago, Kalahari said:

bTB aside, there is a good reason for reducing the badger population. They do a huge amount of damage to ground nesting birds! This includes the RSPB's very own "iconic" Hen Harrier, though they won't admit to the problem.

 

David.

Remember also the massive effect on hedgehog numbers, another problem they wont admit to.

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From DEFRA Best practise guide.................

 

A minimum of .22 centre-fire calibre, using expanding ammunition with a minimum bullet weight of 50 grains and minimum muzzle energy of 1000 foot-pounds The minimum rifle calibre required to satisfy the ballistic criteria is a .222 REMINGTON.

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5 hours ago, ClemFandango said:

exactly. Not every landowner shoots foxes and not every landowner would be interested in shooting badgers, but farmers who have an interest in protecting their livelihoods would have the option to.  

Agreed but sadly that's not how it seems to work here. Common sense does not have the power that secretive lobbyists do behind the scenes. Individuals not accepted to have common sense to control their own situation?

 

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1 hour ago, Old farrier said:

Plenty of other things can carry btb 

I’m sure in some areas where they are overpopulated a cull is required 

however no need to put them on the open license along with vermin 

all the best 

of 

plenty of other things carry Btb that's true but it's the transmission of the disease that Badgers excel at. 

Actually many of the other mammals that can carry and transmit TB to cattle are legally allowed to be controlled, Foxes and Deer for example. 

Badgers aren't now, nor have they ever been a rare species in the UK. The Badger legislation was originally brought in as a measure against cruelty, hence the reason their setts have such protection in law, to stop people digging them up, breaking their jaws and then putting them to their terriers etc. 

As has been said their are more reasons than just limiting the spread of TB that a landowner may wish to control badgers for, sound conservation reasons included. 

It's never going to happen as I imagine it would be political suicide for any party to adopt that approach but for me it would make the most sense as far as managing numbers of Badgers goes. 

1 hour ago, the enigma said:

From DEFRA Best practise guide.................

 

A minimum of .22 centre-fire calibre, using expanding ammunition with a minimum bullet weight of 50 grains and minimum muzzle energy of 1000 foot-pounds The minimum rifle calibre required to satisfy the ballistic criteria is a .222 REMINGTON.

Again. I have never been involved with a badger cull so shoot me down in flames but this seems reasonable to me. 

Coupled with a close season and trapping guidelines I personally can't see a good argument against letting landowners make their own mind up about managing Badger numbers on their land. 

Edited by ClemFandango
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