Mountain hare open season set to go ahead

[Conor O'Gorman]

BASC is expecting the retention of an open season for mountain hares this year as the Scottish Government continue to discuss a licensing scheme for their control.

The open season for mountain hares is expected to start, as usual, on 1 August in Scotland.

BASC Scotland Director, Dr Colin Shedden, said: “It is entirely appropriate for the mountain hare open season to continue until a workable licensing scheme comes into force. The amendment was rushed through without adequate scrutiny, and it will now take time to design a licensing scheme which will allow management to continue in a practicable way.

“High density populations of hares are associated with well-managed moorland and, to prevent damage, it is important for land managers to have the ability to control them, just as they need to manage other herbivores such as deer. Like other managed species, hares are an important but often undervalued food resource.”

The Scottish Parliament voted to abolish the open season following a late amendment to the Animals and Wildlife (Penalties, Protections and Powers) (Scotland) Bill, tabled in the name of Scottish Green Party MSP, Alison Johnstone.

The move attracted criticism from across the chamber, with numerous MSPs accusing Ms Johnstone of avoiding proper parliamentary scrutiny by tabling the amendment during stage 3 – the final stage before a bill becomes law.

Dr Shedden said: “We are extremely concerned about the way in which Ms Johnstone avoided scrutiny to appease party-political views. The delay in protecting the mountain hare is a direct consequence of the Green Party’s actions within the chamber.”

See: Mountain hare open season set to go ahead, says BASC | The British Association for Shooting and Conservation

 

[Liveonce]

Madness, we could look good by doing a voluntary ban until a licensing system is in place as it is you have made it open season to kill as many as possible before the licensing comes in.
Can read the headlines now and wild justice blog shooters show no mercy ahead of licensing and aggressively pursue and kill every mountain hare they can. Please give us your money so we can fight are campaigns.

 

[Freeforester]

vvv see below, double post.

 

[Freeforester]

Three eagle eyries up top end of Glen Doll, all have failed ever since the hare numbers crashed. They crashed because heather management (for hare and grouse) at that side ceased. Unrelated? They may best be careful for what they wish for, those Red greens. The fact is that ye may only cull hares in big numbers where they are found in bigger numbers, the funny thing being those well-managed areas are teeming with other species, yet they can stand a hare shoot every year, year in and year out - so why do the hares not run dry, as they have where they're not now shot??

The glass may be still but half full, yet what they propose (despicable political manoeuvring aside) is not going to refill the glass, but only help empty it.

Come to think of it, what have they done to help, raven numbers aside?

 

[bogtrotter]

Three eagle eyries up top end of Glen Doll, all have failed ever since the hare numbers crashed. They crashed because heather management (for hare and grouse) at that side ceased. Unrelated? They may best be careful for what they wish for, those Red greens. The fact is that ye may only cull hares in big numbers where they are found in bigger numbers, the funny thing being those well-managed areas are teeming with other species, yet they can stand a hare shoot every year, year in and year out - so why do the hares not run dry, as they have where they're not now shot??

The glass may be still but half full, yet what they propose (despicable political manoeuvring aside) is not going to refill the glass, but only help empty it.

Come to think of it, what have they done to help, raven numbers aside?

Hares flourish where moorland is managed for grouse this may not be the intention but it's a fact.

 

[kes]

I find myself wondering why this approach by BASC might be the wrong thing to do, past experience perhaps.
Interesting that we have probably never had so many "BASC are doing this" posts on SD, I wonder why?

 

[Utectok]

Interesting statement from basc but is it legal? I would have thought they are now protected (white hares) and would need something concrete from scot exec before I went out shooting them?

 

[Basil H]

Have a look at Matt Cross twitter. He explains the rather complex legalities clearly.

 

[Utectok]

Have a look at Matt Cross twitter. He explains the rather complex legalities clearly.

I’m not at all sure what a Matt cross Twitter is can You post a link

 

[Basil H]

Matt Cross is a freelance journalist who lives in SW Scotland. He contributes to "Shooting Times" and elsewhere. He is the man who exposed the puffin trophy hunting nonsense, and launched the excellent rewilding spoof The Hampshire Hyena Project. He has a twitter account which I find via Google - I do not really understand links. There is another of the same name who is some sort of professional wrestler but they are not easily confused. I hope this is of some help.

 

[Conor O'Gorman]

The Scottish Green Party have responded to BASC's expectation for the mountain hare open season to be retained this year until a workable licensing system is in place. Predictably, the response from the Greens is littered with inaccuracies.

Shooting lobby confirm mass killing of mountain hares will go ahead next week

Shooting lobby confirm mass killing of mountain hares will go ahead next week -

greens.scot

We have challenged a number of their statements on Facebook and Twitter. To support shooting and conservation in Scotland share the BASC Scotland updates:

https://twitter.com/BASCScotland

BASC Scotland

BASC Scotland, Dunkeld, United Kingdom. 4,697 likes · 261 talking about this. News and events from the BASC team in Scotland.

www.facebook.com

See also this new BASC blog "How not to make law – insights from the Scottish Green Party"

How not to make law – insights from the Scottish Green Party - The British Association for Shooting and Conservation

In this blog BASC’s Political and Press Officer in Scotland, Ross Ewing, reflects on the Scottish Green Party’s performance over the last few months, in which they have actively ducked scrutiny to satisfy their divisive agenda.

basc.org.uk

 

[Utectok]

The Scottish Green Party have responded to BASC's expectation for the mountain hare open season to be retained this year until a workable licensing system is in place. Predictably, the response from the Greens is littered with inaccuracies.

Shooting lobby confirm mass killing of mountain hares will go ahead next week

Shooting lobby confirm mass killing of mountain hares will go ahead next week -

greens.scot

We have challenged a number of their statements on Facebook and Twitter. To support shooting and conservation in Scotland share the BASC Scotland updates:

https://twitter.com/BASCScotland

BASC Scotland

BASC Scotland, Dunkeld, United Kingdom. 4,697 likes · 261 talking about this. News and events from the BASC team in Scotland.

www.facebook.com

See also this new BASC blog "How not to make law – insights from the Scottish Green Party"

How not to make law – insights from the Scottish Green Party - The British Association for Shooting and Conservation

In this blog BASC’s Political and Press Officer in Scotland, Ross Ewing, reflects on the Scottish Green Party’s performance over the last few months, in which they have actively ducked scrutiny to satisfy their divisive agenda.

basc.org.uk

when does the law come into effect?

 

[Liveonce]

This is exactly the bad publicity a voluntary ban would have avoided, with so many other battles to fight do we really want and need this? We have lost this battle, move on.

Shooting lobby confirm mass killing of mountain hares will go ahead next week

Shooting lobby confirm mass killing of mountain hares will go ahead next week -

greens.scot

Conor challenge what you like but the they passed a law and it just looks like sour grapes now on the shooting side.
Show some initiative go with a voluntary ban and work with them to get a licence scheme that is fit for purpose.

 

[Freeforester]

Afraid I can't agree with your view that it is a lost cause, Liveonce. The tail docking ban was overturned, primarily because it was inhumane, but also because it was badly made legislation, and admitted as such; this chicanery makes a complete and utter mockery of parliamentary procedures and scrutiny, quite apart from being mad, bad and wrong.

The lunatics take over the asylum when the babies are thrown out with the bathwater, to amass the metaphors.

 

[Mickeydredd]

Show some initiative go with a voluntary ban and work with them to get a licence scheme that is fit for purpose.

work with who, the Greens? I'm assuming not.
There was no need to impose a ban.
SNH were already being worked with when this ridiculous ban got imposed, and hopefully they will have a better understanding for producing sensible licencing as a result.

 

[Dan Newcombe]

I think that any hare shooting needs to be carefully considered this season. That’s not to say don’t do it but do it sensibly with evidence of large numbers being present to show it’s not some sort of ‘revenge’

Just going out and shooting hares is going to have bad consequences because regardless of the ‘justification’, the damage is already done with the emotive articles that are posted. There is a saying about consideration vs justification but I can’t recall it right now

It’s like the press releases saying that thebleak district vulture is in danger of being shot by game keepers - total rubbish and fabrication but it’s out there now and people will believe it because there is an element that you do assume people will not bare faced lie in the press.

The people putting this ban in place are not actually bothered in the least bit about hares - they are trying to stop grouse management. They deny numbers need to be controlled in and in the next breath say that significant deer culls are required because there are too many, we cannot win because they don’t actually care.

BASC are proposing killing hares, moorland groups are appealing for a sensible approach - I know who I agree with. The BASC release is very damaging and badly thought out in my opinion and shows a serious disconnect with reality.

 

[Liveonce]

Freeforster I commend your view, but what ever the process may be to overturn this it will take time, during which shooting needs to be on its best behaviour if we are to get the result we seek.
Mickeydredd, what ever the reason the ban was passed, is it not better to be part of process agreeing the licensing scheme who ever that means sitting down with, than just being a spectator.

We have a massive uphill struggle to change the image of shooting, we look to always be on the back foot, the size of the hole we are in just keeps getting deeper.
Somehow we need to be far more proactive regarding the benefits of shooting, but I know not how.

 

[countrryboy]

Afraid I can't agree with your view that it is a lost cause, Liveonce. The tail docking ban was overturned, primarily because it was inhumane, but also because it was badly made legislation, and admitted as such; this chicanery makes a complete and utter mockery of parliamentary procedures and scrutiny, quite apart from being mad, bad and wrong.

The lunatics take over the asylum when the babies are thrown out with the bathwater, to amass the metaphors.

Did the greens not also try to tag a new tail docking ban onto that same vote??
Was thrown out at last minate.

Think Dan has it spot on and that's the massive problem we have dealing with them they neither know or care about hares, deer or uplands in general.
They have there own political agendas which care not a joy for the uplands or the animals.
All they care about is breaking up the big estates and landowner classes.

Do u really think landowners/toffs/shooters would get away with wot the NTS has done at Mar lodge or JMT on West coast, would off been hell to pay in the tabloids/social media.


Just imagine basc releasing damaging advice???? Would never believe it.
Althou to be fair the Scottish branch is usually pretty good, mibbee head office has got involved??
It does seem slightly ironic basc volantered a lead ban with nothing on horizon yet with a ban looming on a very hot touchy subject they advise carry on as normal.