Grousenomics

[Malcolm]

There was another eagle poisoned reported last week as well http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/home-news/golden-eagle-found-poisoned-on-estate-owned-by-royal-relation-1.1099902?localLinksEnabled=false

I'll try and watch that tonight.

[Wildfisher]

Personally I find it very  sad that so many sporting estates, fishery owners and even ordinary anglers  on fishing forums   appear  obsessed with the killing  of birds and animals that they imagine threaten their own narrow interests.

[guest]

Such an evil thing to do, what a death these beautiful birds must have. All for the pursuit of money. The people doing this should be bloody ashamed of themselves. As usual bugger all will be done to stop this happening.

[burnie]

As a former falconer,I've watched,studied and read a lot about birds of prey,known a lot of falconers who have hunted with both British and non indigenous birds.
The common conclusion is that apart from the Peregrine,British birds are mostly useless for falconry.
The reason is they don't take quarry that falconers disire to hunt,funnily enough,the same species that shooters like to take.
Small birds , which may be taken, are the ones that unfortunately,give the estates some reason to complain.Because the number of prey are in "un natural/managed"numbers,then the likes of Harriers and Short Eared Owls do take grouse chicks.In a natural situation,then a natural balance prevails.
Eagles and Peregrines will take the odd fully grown Grouse or Pheasant,but all the rest,Buzzards and Kites for example are primarily scavengers,that may take a young rabbit.
There are grouse moors that cater for falconers,they do not feel the need to kill other birds of prey.
Finally,poisoning is the most indiscriminate way to kill/cull and is quite barbaric and should carry a jail sentance as a minimum.If numbers are required to be controlled ,then shooting is the only clean and quick way to do it.

[Wildfisher]

I'm sure in one of the fishing mags there are calls for killing saw bills.  It might have been in FF&FT but I have read T&S recently too.

Quite frankly they, and other knuckle draggers who, in the name of sport, call for the killing of birds and animals whose only crime is to eat to survive,  disgust me.

[Scotaidh]

I'm sure in one of the fishing mags there are calls for killing saw bills.  It might have been in FF&FT but I have read T&S recently too.

Ardbeg

I do remember reading a letter in a magazine from one "gentleman" who was extremely upset that the RSPB had put nest boxes up for goldeneyes in Speyside because Goosanders nest up trees too and this could therefore increase their numbers.

[Wildfisher]

You know, sometimes when I read some of the narrow  minded, ill informed  trash in magazines, their  letters pages and on some other forums I really do have serious doubts about the long term future of angling. Some of these idiots appear hell-bent on destroying our relatively  good relationship with the wider non-fishing public. Once we lose that we are gone.

[Wildfisher]

I wonder if the Scottish government  will yield to landownership interests  as they did with indiscriminate snares?  Like element I would be tempted to destroy any such devices I came  across.

[Malcolm]

There's a well known cycle with glut which happens when the numbers of prey species increase. It goes like this:

1 Prey species increase - predators increase
2. Less prey but predators still high. Artificially high numbers of predators almost obliviate prey species
3.Predators move off elsewhere and often die.
4. Slow recovery of prey species
5. go to 1.
etc etc

The important point is that predators reach their peak numbers well after the peak of the prey species - that's what causes the extreme damage to the prey species.

It's more complex than this but you get the picture. Glut can be natural but it's seldom as accentuated as when man interferes. That's clearly what happened in the experiment on Langholm Moor which basically killed the moor off for years.

[Ythanjoe]

If I come across any of these bird traps that they showed at the beginning - I'd spend a few minutes crushing it with rocks and boulders to make my conscience feel better;E.

The police have contact No for local wildlife officers, reporting location promptly may one day lead to, or help with prosecution of the landowner, traps are cheap, a few weeks in a cell as 20stone tommy 'the hatchet's bitch, would make him think twice before repeat offending...
Joe