We must preserve game birds (at all costs)

[Inchlaggan]

Fantastic idea!  These irresponsible bastards who release tame birds that are a genuine hazard to road users need to to be held to account for their selfish actions.

They can be, or at least it can be tried. I was driving a company car when I hit one, busted an expensive lot of the front of a Toyota Corolla (why don't they fit bumpers anymore?) The insurance company collected the details and required that I confirm that there was a field of reared birds by the road, and the address of the estate with the intention of pursuing the owner. I do not know exactly what happened thereafter but something must have transpired as I later discovered that I did not lose my "no claims".

[Wildfisher]

A fitting punishment might be to release Sir Torquil Knob-Tugger and his 'keeper onto the central reservation of the M74 during the evening rush hour.................................   :lol:

[Wildfisher]

I can see the point though,average  shoot employs a keeper or two on minimum wage + untaxed tips and maybe 10 beaters @ £30 per day , mostly on dole or pension dodging tax - Scotland's economy would no doubt collapse without shooting :lol:

A truly MASSIVE  area of the Scottish Highlands is given over to grouse shooting. The moors are burned preventing natural regeneration of native trees and scrub, raptors are illegally killed, anything with hookled beak, tooth or claw is under constant threat.

This farce of a "sport", supposedly the apex of game bird shooting, brings in a measly  £20M to Scotland's economy. How much of that ends up in the exchequer for the good of the nation?  It is economically irrelevant, could vanish tomorrow, few would miss it and fewer still would care.

On the other hand knowing Salmond and his kowtowing crew it might be replaced by the windfarms and super-pylons he loves so much, so if that were the choice grouse shooting  is probably the lesser of the two evils.

[emc]

Personally I would like to see all pheasants tagged so a claim can be made for damage to cars from the pillock who released the poor buggers to wander our roads.
ATB Colin 

Outstanding idea! I'd vote for that, having hit one at well over the national speed limit on the way to an emergency. Cost more in car repairs than I made for the emergency call Couldn't even take it back as roadkill for the cat - looked more like Peking Duck with lots of hard fragments in it.

[Scotaidh]

Different twist:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-18609752

That quote sent me into a fit of rage.

[Fishtales]

My reply to him would be, "It's nature, live with it." He's probably a lifetime member of the RSPB too  :roll:

[Wildfisher]

Yes, that's nature, tooth and claw. That's the way it works. These game preservation dick heads  will attempt to latch  onto anything.

[tomcatin]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-18609752

That quote sent me into a fit of rage.

Well those guardians of nineteenth century countryside puritanism the Scottish Gamekeepers Association have once again jumped on their victorian band wagon, and are busy making hay:

http://www.scottishgamekeepers.co.uk/content/shock-buzzard-filmed-taking-osprey-chick

One of these barmpots come out with:

This incident, unfortunately, will come as no surprise to anyone who operates daily in the countryside. It is not just Ospreys but endangered birds on the conservation list, like waders, that are under increasing pressure of predation from buzzards.

Buzzard numbers have reached record heights and, for the good of other wild birds and for Scotland's biodiversity, something needs to be done to restore a balance.

If nothing is put in place to redress an issue which has clearly moved beyond a tipping point, the loser will be Scotland's skies and its wild bird population.

Considering the shooting estates contribution to destroying bio-diversity with their barren grouse moors, overgrazed deer forests and lodges filled with "trophies" is just makes you want to scream

Idiots!