Does anyone really "Care".

[terry pickford]

Today we are able to report one ex RSPB Regional Officer, together with one of Britain’s top Environmental Scientists are each suggesting driven grouse shooting in the UK should be stopped. It is claimed Gamekeepers employed on driven grouse moors are responsible for the huge negative impact this form of land management has on raptor populations throughout Scotland and England. This isn’t happening on a minority of sporting estates; criminal activity involving the persecution of birds of prey occurs on every estate where driven grouse shooting is practiced. Please follow the enclosed link to read the complete story> http://raptorpolitics.org.uk/?p=566#more-566

[Colin Key]

Interesting, and depressing, stuff Terry.

I know a few "well connected" and affluent businessmen in the U.K. who tell me that "corporate entertainment" (and "business and character-bonding exercises" :ohdear:) has moved away from golf towards shooting days or weekends.

I have it on good authority that the huge numbers of birds (Pheasant and Grouse mainly) killed has saturated the market in terms of restaurant and hotel outlets and that at one shoot (I cannot give details) a JCB is used to dig a pit and bury the large number of unwanted bird corpses.

To any "normal" human being, let alone a nature lover, this is a total disgrace driven by market forces.

Colin :realmad:

[Johnny X]

You can walk the moors in my area of scotalnd for days without seeing any of the expected raptor species...

I'd love to see the end of managed grouse moors. Apart from the raptor persecution, I personally don't like the monotonous open hill sides and would like to see them tend back to forest.

Of course it's a much more complicated story then this...loss of rural employment, loss of openland species, release of carbon from unmaintained moorland etc...