Badger cull to be replaced by vaccines in bovine TB fight

[Greenmist]

Simplest solution for badgers, leave it up to the land owner, some will be killed but plenty of areas don't mind them, easiest way to establish a balance and won't cost the tax payer a penny

 

[Odders]

And that, AFAIK, means that the EU now won't accept meat or milk products from such vaccinated animals. Or can anyone advise correctly?

The reason vaccination was dismissed was down to the TB test being unable to differentiate between a positive reaction to TB & a positive to the vaccine.
Apparently either the vaccine or the test have been modified so this is no longer the case.
Apart from TB (& the odd hedgehog dinner), why should badgers be placed on the general licence?
AFAIK they don't eat lambs or decimate poultry.

 

[macfarlane]

Unusual point of view seeing that most permissions relate to the lanndowners requirements and I have yet to hear a farmer require the total eradication of a species (its not possible anyway). They usually ask for them to be 'tidied up'. Here, around lambing time, its see one shoot it, but not for the rest of the year. Here though dogs running sheep are simply shot - no excuse, just dead. Given the farmers margins on sheep, one cannot blame them.

Honestly I'm all for shooting them, if I'm stalking deer and see a fox ill forget about the deer and go after the fox, Got a few farms I shoot over have sheep so the foxys get hammered, and up until mayby 4/5 years ago I was out 7 nights a week shooting them till one night I had 20 odd in the back of my pickup vixens, dogs, cubs and I suddenly thought what the fluck am I doing there was simply no need to be shooting them. Mostly on arable land and stubble fields where there probably doing more good than harm. Keeping rats, mice, rabbits in check. Never been the same since.

 

[BLUEROLL]

The reason vaccination was dismissed was down to the TB test being unable to differentiate between a positive reaction to TB & a positive to the vaccine.
Apparently either the vaccine or the test have been modified so this is no longer the case.
Apart from TB (& the odd hedgehog dinner), why should badgers be placed on the general licence?
AFAIK they don't eat lambs or decimate poultry.

I presume you didn`t see the springwatch footage of the Badger at RSPB Minsmere then ?

 

[Freeforester]

Now some 'expert' researchers are looking into the decline in hedgehogs both in town and (to a greater degree) in the countryside, to see if its traffic that is to blame, ffs!

All evidence from badger cull areas seem to show a comeback by this prickly badger delicacy. What happens when people go to academic places of learning, do they insist on all candidates having a common-sense bypass? Or is it a ploy to ensure yet 'more research/fundingis required' by the predation-deniers of the piece?

Laughable!

 

[bogtrotter]

The reason vaccination was dismissed was down to the TB test being unable to differentiate between a positive reaction to TB & a positive to the vaccine.
Apparently either the vaccine or the test have been modified so this is no longer the case.
Apart from TB (& the odd hedgehog dinner), why should badgers be placed on the general licence?
AFAIK they don't eat lambs or decimate poultry.

You have obviously never lived here where they do kill both lambs and poultry.

 

[kes]

Badgers killed my poultry in Cheshire. I went out one night to find 2 badgers trying to get into one coop. One was actuallu on top of a long triangular coop maybe 3 feet off the ground. I applied for a licence to control them but NE said I would have to badger fence 500m to exclude them from where the chickens were. approval was denied.
In NE, the lunatics have definitely taken over the asylum. Here in SW I have yet to see a badger whilst out - mind there's a lot of woodland on my bits.

 

[TURNBOLT]

The reason vaccination was dismissed was down to the TB test being unable to differentiate between a positive reaction to TB & a positive to the vaccine.
Apparently either the vaccine or the test have been modified so this is no longer the case.
Apart from TB (& the odd hedgehog dinner), why should badgers be placed on the general licence?
AFAIK they don't eat lambs or decimate poultry.

They will and do eat Anything they come across.Lambs are not safe from badgers nor are young muntjac and roe fawns.They should be added to the open list and their numbers reduced drastically.Far from being a lovely animal they are dirty filthy things .

 

[rms364]

The reason vaccination was dismissed was down to the TB test being unable to differentiate between a positive reaction to TB & a positive to the vaccine.
Apparently either the vaccine or the test have been modified so this is no longer the case.
Apart from TB (& the odd hedgehog dinner), why should badgers be placed on the general licence?
AFAIK they don't eat lambs or decimate poultry.

I’ve had badgers killing lambs both here in Worcestershire and when I used to go lambing up to Scotland. And that’s one of the pluses of thermal, you can observe animals In their natural state going about their business. I interesting evening back in December watching brock work a field chasing rabbits. Didn’t catch any but sure put the frightners up a few! Then there’s the ground nesting birds to think about that we all have to consider in our farming practices(quite rightly). What’s the point with encouraging nesting birds only for them to be mopped up by brock whilst in the nest?? It’s all about balance and it’s us who must do it...

 

[Mick Miller]

I’ve had badgers killing lambs both here in Worcestershire and when I used to go lambing up to Scotland.

Such lies, they only eat earthworms. They're too slow to eat anything else, I would imagine those young lambs were already dead, or dying and anyway, they would only go to slaughter in a few months anyway.

 

[finnbear270]

Badgers are, ..... Just super heavyweight foxes, .. without gloves, and tougher than ammunition boots ... .25-06 117 grain engine room shot ... six lanes of maizebulldozed.

 

[Davee]

Whilst vaccinating cattle against BTB is relatively straight forward, the mind boggles about how is the badger population going to be vaccinated. I can't see them lining up for it and, if done with a dart gun, how will the operator know which ones have been done and those who haven't? (tongue in cheek) are we going to see another qualification BI 1 etc?
Around here it is mostly arable, but I see more Badgers than Fox and Rabbit at night.

 

[enfieldspares]

If done with a dart gun how will the operator know which ones have been done and those who haven't?

By using the aiming point as illustrated below perhaps?

 

[Deermanagement]

Such lies, they only eat earthworms. They're too slow to eat anything else, I would imagine those young lambs were already dead, or dying and anyway, they would only go to slaughter in a few months anyway.

A bit tongue in cheek? Take a look at WH308's reply to the "Badger Vaccination!" post. Not too slow that one

 

[Primate]

Whilst vaccinating cattle against BTB is relatively straight forward, the mind boggles about how is the badger population going to be vaccinated. I can't see them lining up for it and, if done with a dart gun, how will the operator know which ones have been done and those who haven't? (tongue in cheek) are we going to see another qualification BI 1 etc?
Around here it is mostly arable, but I see more Badgers than Fox and Rabbit at night.

They catch them in cage traps to jab them, and spray mark them. Derbyshire Wildlife Trust have been doing it for a few years around here. They only catch a small percentage of the badgers. As you can imagine, once a badger has seen his pal in a trap, the others aren't so keen to slip up in the same way. It's a complete waste of time, Since they have been vaccinating, all of the neighbouring farms have gone down with TB They love to blame the deer, yet we have never come across a single one with any signs of TB. All of my carcasses go to a small local abattoir and are thoroughly inspected by a Vet.

 

[devon deer stalker]

The reason vaccination was dismissed was down to the TB test being unable to differentiate between a positive reaction to TB & a positive to the vaccine.
Apparently either the vaccine or the test have been modified so this is no longer the case.
Apart from TB (& the odd hedgehog dinner), why should badgers be placed on the general licence?
AFAIK they don't eat lambs or decimate poultry.

From what I understand apparently your first paragraph is correct, and thats the reason they plan on phasing out the cull.
But vaccination of the Badger, really? How do they plan on catching them in traps when the farmers had so much difficulty in doing so?
The last sentence is incorrect, the Badger is just as much an opportunist as a Fox, if a free meal comes along he will take it, whilst they might look like slow lumbering animals they are not, a new born lamb is a nice takeaway on a Saturday night for a Badger.
Cheers
Richard

 

[foxdropper]

Do not underestimate the badger as a predator ,seen plenty to suggest those carnasal teeth arnt for show .

 

[Mick Miller]

A bit tongue in cheek?

Follow the links, info from the fwuffy wuffy badgers are our friends site.

Yes, definitely tongue in cheek.

 

[nightcrow]

Add them along with Pine Martins, no need for them to have total protection anymore either, they’re everywhere and people wonder why there’s no Caper.

Or grey partridge,hedgehog etc.

 

[Primate]

Follow the links, info from the fwuffy wuffy badgers are our friends site.

Yes, definitely tongue in cheek.

Phew, You had me worried for a moment!