Hunting (as in Fox, Pheasant, Grouse, etc. Hunting)

That article is actually terrifying, when you think that the current PM of this country advocated breaking the law so casually. 
One rule for them, and another for the rest of us. 

I did enjoy reading the comments at the end of it.

My views have steadily changed as my vast time on marsh and moor (more than 9300 hours in over nine years) studying Short-eared Owls in depth, has progressed. From slavishly following many others in the anti-almost everything to do with most/all hunting and shooting etc. To a much-changed view.



Now that I've seen the reality of a significant percentage of what actually happens out on marsh and moor, including the very hard, and vital, work of predator control by gamekeepers at night, my views have changed significantly. More than half of my time studying the so-called daylight active Short-eared Owl, has been between dusk and dawn, when most are very active.



Yes, I've seen evidence of obvious raptor persecution, led by an evil, 'human' calling himself a gamekeeper. I reported what I'd seen to a local, supposedly very active raptor monitoring group, but never heard any more. I also reported one aspect of his despicable behaviour to the most senior politician in that UK country, with minimal response.



I've also been at a location where there has been very significant raptor and owl persecution, where there has recently started, what I have to agree is a fairly precarious, but still welcome, agreement between the local gamekeepers and the local raptor monitoring group. Which has seen the return of breeding Goshawk, Hen Harrier and Short-eared Owls. With the raptor group, to the full knowledge of the gamekeepers, using licences to diversionary feed the harriers when their young hatch.



Obvious to me now, are the enormous benefits to all ground nesting birds, of decent heather management and predator control on grouse moors. Where, very sadly, I have watched the devastating impact of predators, foxes in particular, after the gamekeepers were withdrawn from one. Short-eared Owl, Merlin and Hen Harrier nests became open season for foxes. And other, smaller predators, but it was the foxes that caused the most disturbance at night, and caused the highest level of losses of those bird species. Natural behaviour by the predators, some will say. Yes, indeed it is. And no problem when the British human population was vastly smaller than today’s 65 million. Whose activities have taken more and more suitable habitat away from the ground nesting birds I have already mentioned. Leaving us with the choice between doing nothing, and watching those species (and others such as Curlew and Lapwing), slowly become no more than a memory. Or take action that, to many is unpalatable, but keeps the most vulnerable bird species still breeding in Britain.



I've also found very large areas of heather moorland, ideal for Hen Harrier, Merlin and Short-eared Owl, with very limited breeding activity. I asked the question, is there any shooting here? No, was the answer. So, with no income to pay for them, no gamekeepers and therefore no predator control. Oh, not quite right. A very large organisation, were, at one point during my study of that area (ongoing when I can travel again), in semi-secrecy, hiring someone to shoot foxes, to, in the words of the person I spoke to who was closely involved, "get a pair of breeding Curlew back up here". That may have been one of the locations that caused quite a fuss a while back, and lots of resignations from that large organisation. In the words of a life-long birder and raptor monitoring group person, who has faced all that those evil gamekeepers who do so much harm to damage the reputation of all of them, said to me, “50% of the young Hen Harriers that come from the adults that do breed in that very large area, are taken by fox”.



So, I am a supporter of driven grouse moors that are properly managed. And a supporter of trying anything to get a sustainable balance between the shooting community and the security of breeding ground nesting birds. Including a long-term trial of brood management for Hen Harriers, the granting of diversionary feeding licences for the same species, and support for any local initiative that can improve the security of the birds I have already mentioned.



As for other shooting. I have a lot of admiration for wildfowlers, based on those I regularly see, and converse with, at one of my owl study locations. Many are farming folk who have shot some of their food for generations. They spend many hours in very uncomfortable conditions, including bad weather, for, at times, little reward. But, for them, it is an enjoyable time out on desolate marshland. And, like those wildfowlers, I despise those who come from the towns to shoot corn fed ducks that are perched around an artificially created pond.



Hunting? Nowt wrong with the sight of a hunt out on Britain’s countryside, it’s been part of British country life for centuries. As for the foxes being chased, and, in some cases, still killed? I have a love hate relationship with that animal. I once cut the bottom of my garden gate so that urban foxes can now access my wildlife friendly garden much more easily. They are welcome and much loved here in my garden. But, out on marsh and moor where I have seen them do so much damage to the rarer ground nesting birds, I have developed a very well-founded total hatred of them. I support their control, but certainly not to the extent they should be ripped apart by hunting hounds.



Yes, my views have changed. Based on the reality of what I have seen and recorded in the heart of the British countryside in those many thousands of hours.

I didn't know about this study until this morning, after I made my earlier post. If I had known about it much earlier, I would have submitted a summary of my relevant field notes to Aberdeen 


www.thejournal.ie/conserve-ground-nesting-birds-ireland-culling-5154810-Jul2020/?utm_source=All+Contacts&utm_campaign=c53fb47403-Morning+Briefing+210720&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_dd843c5cb6-c53fb47403-27609275&mc_cid=c53fb47403&mc_eid=c28684a829

I've observed the behaviour of Hen Harrier, Merlin and Short-eared Owl at night when a fox is around a number of times.



The nesting Hen Harriers and Merlins I have been aware of, stay quiet and, because I've never picked up thermal images of them flying, or heard any calling; I presume they hunker down. But the foxes still find them and take their young. Although in one instance it was reported that a fox found a nest which the female Hen Harrier then deserted, but the fox didn’t predate the young; Short-eared Owl females can desert if a fox finds her on eggs or about to lay eggs. That was what I almost certainly saw in fairly rare (for these days) Shortie breeding attempt in Kent not long ago. Back to the instance where a fox made a Hen Harrier desert her young. The young were then ‘checked’ by a Short-eared Owl, and finally predated by a Long-eared Owl. This all from a nest-cam set by Schedule One licensed field workers. All of that from my memory, I have it documented, but not sure where!



Shorties, presumably because they are a nocturnally active bird, with young on a nest, will attack a fox within maybe one kilometre. The so-called quiet owl, then uses a very large and very loud vocabulary of calls, plus frequent dives at the fox, hitting it with wings along with distraction displays (more vocal at night). Often both the male and female owls, and for up to 40 minutes or longer. I have seen (from thermal imaging use inside my car), and heard (from ears either side of my head, LOL), them drive foxes away, but, of course, leaving young unattended for a significant amount of time, and exposing them to other nocturnal predators, as well as the sort of bad weather that can frequently sweep across high moorland.



Foxes are excellent, intelligent hunters. If they are forced away by a pair of Short-eared Owls, they then know there is something being protected. And, again, something I have observed at night, they will come back on a subsequent night, and despite all the adult owls try to do, will predate their young.

Thanks. Added to my Wish List - which is a bit long but I'm getting through it. Already on the list are:
KILLING GAME: The Extinction Industry by Eduardo Gonçalves
Trophy Hunters Exposed: Inside the big game industry by Eduardo Gonçalves
and
Unfair Game: An exposé of South Africa's captive-bred lion industry by Michael Ashcroft (though I'm unsure about the author ... but I'll give it a go).

But the above are more about trophy hunting rather than the UK business.

Thanks
Ian