malkiserow Posted March 23, 2008 Report Share Posted March 23, 2008 Isn't it all a balance and the balance is seen differently by different farmers (I'll ignore gardens for this) interested parties. Our shooting is a balance of farm specific problems of pests and our enjoyment of sport shooting. Each of my farms has different issues and I move between them balancing their wishes to control pests with my enjoyment of shooting and my consience. I do love the countryside and wildlife. I also love to eat good meat from the countryside. I try to balance all these issues. So as Tiercel asks.... when is a pest a pest, then I agree it constantly changes in our very un-natural environment, don't we need to decide what it the right action to take in each micro situation and the macro view at the same time .........? There will always be different views and conflicting interests but can we balance these? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Down South Posted March 23, 2008 Report Share Posted March 23, 2008 I live in town and have had foxes visiting my garden for years. I shoot foxes, but not in my garden. Generally they don't cause a nuisance. However, this one has taken my neighbours pet rabbits and guinea pigs, not a problem for me as I told them the fox was about and they did nothing to make their enclosures strong enough. What will cause me to take action is if this fox keeps scent marking my garden as the weather gets better and I spend time in my garden. Some days the stink is sickening. Cage trap will do the job and then I'll send it to a better place! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bunnybasher100 Posted March 23, 2008 Report Share Posted March 23, 2008 i think the reason that pest are pest is because they have intent to do damage or take stock. they also have a habbit of adapting to diffrent situation and areas to well sometimes. this is seen throught history and studys, like rabbits if left untouched they do loads of damage, foxes have adapted to towns, pigeons in winter flock to damage crops and this goes on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dusk2dawn Posted March 23, 2008 Report Share Posted March 23, 2008 (edited) When is a pest a pest? When I read this thread. It made me think. A weed in my garden is a wild flower in the hedgerow down the road. If a species is not causing damage does it still retain its pest status? Is a fox on arable land that lives of rats, a pest? Because of VHD one island of the Welsh coast lost all the rabbits that lived there, now the Puffins have left because the grass has grown too tall and they do not feel secure. The pest status of rabbits is without question but in this case they were part of a bigger picture of ecology. Without a shadow of a doubt pests have to be controlled. My question is, do you feel that there is a time where culling is not warranted? TC I totally see your point although others are looking at it more from a defensive attitude, I think it is correct in saying that with ever increasing development spewing onto green belt land can only mean one thing, and that is us as a race have invaded the natural environment in which creatures once lived and along with that comes responsibility. Every area and species as a result need individual attention and conservation, and in a lot of cases culling to keep populations in check is paramount but in a lot of cases sheer abundance in those populations gives us good sport! Its a very good question and IMO SH sums it up well, resposibility is the keyword, if I were in danger of wiping out the population of any species on any of my shoots I would undoubtably ease off, personally I dont shoot during the breeding season unless called upon to deal with a rabbit, rook or fox problem by local farmers, that is my personal choice and I am the happier for it. As said by Harsner I have two, sometimes more, fat woodies on my lawn they are doing me no harm and I have an opportunity to study them close up but I dont feel the need to kill them, later in the year I shall shoot hundreds but for now I let nature get on with it. We have trapped, shot and ferreted hard up until this month and will do again next season. Meanwhile its approaching the time to get the fly rod out and seek out some fresh local asparagus to go with the trout. D2D Edited March 23, 2008 by dusk2dawn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harnser Posted March 23, 2008 Report Share Posted March 23, 2008 Pests and vermin only become pests and vermin when man says so . W e class them as pests and vermin when they interfer with mans orderly world and cost us money .In the animal world there are no pests only the hunters and the prey .Man being at the top of the food chain can dictate what species are pests and deal with them accordingly . Some might say that this is not fair . Harnser . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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