Anyone noticed a change since stripey numbers were reduced?

[Dunwaters]

Just wondering, has anyone living in a badger cull zone noticed any increase in ground nesting bird breeding success rates once badger numbers were reduced?
We are finally waking up to the impact of predation here, just wondering if you guys have noticed any difference?

 

[Apthorpe]

Just wondering, has anyone living in a badger cull zone noticed any increase in ground nesting bird breeding success rates once badger numbers were reduced?
We are finally waking up to the impact of predation here, just wondering if you guys have noticed any difference?

We noticed conspicuous increases in hedgehogs and hares. There are too many other predators of ground nesting birds to have noticed a difference.

 

[finnbear270]

Hedgehogs are back flat on the roads round here, So seems my efforts have helped some.

 

[Smellydog]

Same here, hares a plenty, hedgehogs.
The meadow pipets and larks are doing well to.
Bit surprised really, I was told they only eat worms and peanuts

 

[devon deer stalker]

More hedgehogs around for sure.
I will be interested in cases of tb in cattle.
An unexpected result of COVID is the rise of deer numbers and associated TB prevalence, although I haven't found any I am aware they are showing up more often
Cheers Richard

 

[Cottis]

Our area finished the second year of culls towards the back end of last year. I would say the cull was not hugely successful in the first year in our immediate area and by that I mean the few hundred acres of our farm and also adjoining farms where we know the owners. They are all mostly livestock, with plenty of cattle. We all shoot at night with thermal, so being out and about a lot with the right tech, we get a very good idea of numbers.

The first year (so post winter 2020) we did not see significant reductions in badger numbers, nor did I personally see any significant change in the local fauna. Fast forward a year and post Winter 2021 cull, I have not seen a badger in ages in either day or night. They must have been far more efficient in our area than the first year. I cannot say I am yet to see a noticeable increase in nesting birds or hedgerow wildlife (still a crap ton of maggies about which I need to deal with) but what I have seen is a significant increase in hare and especially rabbit numbers. The actual holes and areas where I know the badgers were, were also adjacent to all the rabbit warrens. Holes were dug out and various exacavations could be seen over recent years which were clearly not rabbits. Rabbits are a resiliant bunch but if their young are being munched on, even they struggle. I suspect the large badger numbers were making inroads in to the breeding patterns of rabbits, along with disease knocking them in to the bargain. I suppose they might have gotten over the disease but their sudden presence coincides with a huge drop in badger numbers.

Suddenly rabbit numbers are noticeably higher in all areas of the farm where we used to see them. To put it in perspective, i got through over 1000 rounds of .22LR in 2017-2018 and barely any since. Will be interesting to see if I need to start buying 40grainers again.

I cannot prove it but I have never felt that badgers are a balanced animal to have around unless it too suffers predation. Which as we know, it does not.

Recent cattle TB testing has been better with fewer reactors although I sense it is too early to gauge the overall success rate. Will also be interesting to see if remaining badgers move in to the area.

 

[old keeper]

We've had a very successful cull hereabouts, however, this will be the last year, so badger numbers will soon get back to where they were (probably)

 

[I. Farticus]

Stick them under AOLQ, with off seasons, and they can be managed competently

 

[Buchan]

More hedgehogs around for sure.
I will be interested in cases of tb in cattle.
An unexpected result of COVID is the rise of deer numbers and associated TB prevalence, although I haven't found any I am aware they are showing up more often
Cheers Richard

There is downward trend in cases (new herd numbes and reactors). The rise in TB form deer - have you some data for that please, it's new to me

Roadkill is a good proxy for species count, so more squashed headgehogs is, bizarrely, a good thing.

 

[devon deer stalker]

There is downward trend in cases (new herd numbes and reactors). The rise in TB form deer - have you some data for that please, it's new to me

It has come from more than one stalker in Devon, I assume data will feed through in the future.

 

[Ratel]

So many stripes round here, you can't walk half a mile without seeing a sett. Every time I go to get fuel there's a couple dead on the road. I suppose it's that time now when last year's young get kicked out. 4 New setts in the last year on 2500 acres

 

[Free range rob]

I wish to god they would include my area in the cull, we are rife with them and so are all my cattle farmers, not a hedgehog seen on my farm for 5 years now, around the same time badger population exploded.
Both myself and the local farms would love to have a cull in this area, nothing to see 20-30 every night

 

[Jelen]

End of the second cull and the targets were reached in both years. Now seeing hedgehogs in the thermal (first one I saw I wondered what the hell it was). Rabbit numbers have increased from being a rare animal 3 years ago to lots of sightings now. Too early to see if the ground nesting birds have recovered. So, anecdotally, yes there is a positive difference.

 

[Smellydog]

I wish to god they would include my area in the cull, we are rife with them and so are all my cattle farmers, not a hedgehog seen on my farm for 5 years now, around the same time badger population exploded.
Both myself and the local farms would love to have a cull in this area, nothing to see 20-30 every night

Doubt it will happen now. Mrs Johnson don't like it!

 

[plonker]

I think this year is the last year that new licenses will be handed out

 

[foxdropper]

We are in the extended license period .I was party to to the massacre ,something I regret if truth be known .
When the cull details were set out it was understood we were to cull 70% of what was on the ground .
What wasn’t mentioned was the almost total eradication in our area and still another two years of extended license .
Im a countryman and realised something had to be done but never signed up for eradication .
They are part of nature ,have a place ,admittedly not in the numbers previous seen but to hammer them into oblivion wasnt my intention either .
Ive voiced concerns but met with sneers so gave up on it .
The upside is that the fox population went through the roof second year and each year thereafter ,rabbits made a comeback and plover of both species were seen once again on the plough .
I miss seeing and watching them at night ,I’m going to miss watching them this summer because there are none .
Undoubtedly there is a link with bovine Tb but what’s never discussed is farm hygiene and other wildlife links namely deer .
The badger has been used as a scapegoat ,whether to good effect or not but I don’t see any change in farm hygiene or deer numbers to further offset Tb losses .
Farmers all clamouring for the last one gone did nothing to put me at ease so I left the project .

 

[Free range rob]

We are in the extended license period .I was party to to the massacre ,something I regret if truth be known .
When the cull details were set out it was understood we were to cull 70% of what was on the ground .
What wasn’t mentioned was the almost total eradication in our area and still another two years of extended license .
Im a countryman and realised something had to be done but never signed up for eradication .
They are part of nature ,have a place ,admittedly not in the numbers previous seen but to hammer them into oblivion wasnt my intention either .
Ive voiced concerns but met with sneers so gave up on it .
The upside is that the fox population went through the roof second year and each year thereafter ,rabbits made a comeback and plover of both species were seen once again on the plough .
I miss seeing and watching them at night ,I’m going to miss watching them this summer because there are none .
Undoubtedly there is a link with bovine Tb but what’s never discussed is farm hygiene and other wildlife links namely deer .
The badger has been used as a scapegoat ,whether to good effect or not but I don’t see any change in farm hygiene or deer numbers to further offset Tb losses .
Farmers all clamouring for the last one gone did nothing to put me at ease so I left the project .

My sentiments exactly although not involved in the cull.
I would not want them wiped out, nor the deer, or anything, I believe there is a place for most everything in the right numbers, removing one thing from nature is not the answer as that just creates problems elsewhere, it’s a balancing act.
All 4 of the farms I have in mind have a very high cleanliness and hygiene policy, and the deer are managed very well (I would say that wouldn’t I ).
What I have seen is badgers coming out the cattle sheds when I have been foxing with the thermal.

 

[Redders]

Our area finished the second year of culls towards the back end of last year. I would say the cull was not hugely successful in the first year in our immediate area and by that I mean the few hundred acres of our farm and also adjoining farms where we know the owners. They are all mostly livestock, with plenty of cattle. We all shoot at night with thermal, so being out and about a lot with the right tech, we get a very good idea of numbers.

The first year (so post winter 2020) we did not see significant reductions in badger numbers, nor did I personally see any significant change in the local fauna. Fast forward a year and post Winter 2021 cull, I have not seen a badger in ages in either day or night. They must have been far more efficient in our area than the first year. I cannot say I am yet to see a noticeable increase in nesting birds or hedgerow wildlife (still a crap ton of maggies about which I need to deal with) but what I have seen is a significant increase in hare and especially rabbit numbers. The actual holes and areas where I know the badgers were, were also adjacent to all the rabbit warrens. Holes were dug out and various exacavations could be seen over recent years which were clearly not rabbits. Rabbits are a resiliant bunch but if their young are being munched on, even they struggle. I suspect the large badger numbers were making inroads in to the breeding patterns of rabbits, along with disease knocking them in to the bargain. I suppose they might have gotten over the disease but their sudden presence coincides with a huge drop in badger numbers.

Suddenly rabbit numbers are noticeably higher in all areas of the farm where we used to see them. To put it in perspective, i got through over 1000 rounds of .22LR in 2017-2018 and barely any since. Will be interesting to see if I need to start buying 40grainers again.

I cannot prove it but I have never felt that badgers are a balanced animal to have around unless it too suffers predation. Which as we know, it does not.

Recent cattle TB testing has been better with fewer reactors although I sense it is too early to gauge the overall success rate. Will also be interesting to see if remaining badgers move in to the area.

We hit our area hard and thought we had done a good job second year we shot more than we were expecting but theres barely any left round by me after year two best sport ever going out after the black and white creatures

 

[Redders]

I wish to god they would include my area in the cull, we are rife with them and so are all my cattle farmers, not a hedgehog seen on my farm for 5 years now, around the same time badger population exploded.
Both myself and the local farms would love to have a cull in this area, nothing to see 20-30 every night

There in biblical numbers in some places arent they

 

[foxdropper]

My sentiments exactly although not involved in the cull.
I would not want them wiped out, nor the deer, or anything, I believe there is a place for most everything in the right numbers, removing one thing from nature is not the answer as that just creates problems elsewhere, it’s a balancing act.
All 4 of the farms I have in mind have a very high cleanliness and hygiene policy, and the deer are managed very well (I would say that wouldn’t I ).
What I have seen is badgers coming out the cattle sheds when I have been foxing with the thermal.

I’ve seen foxes do same though mate and cats ,rats and hedgehogs ,all capable of transmitting bovine Tb .