I was grateful to Lewis Thornley and Matt Dutton from BASC - The British Association for Shooting and Conservation, for telling me about the work they do in education and conservation and for the bird box they gave me to help give birds a safe place to nest. I have never fired a gun before. They make me nervous which is why it’s so important that people have licenses, know how to do it properly, and use them in accordance with the law. I was grateful to have been shown by someone properly trained how to shoot a clay disc flying through the air at Lowes Lane Shooting Ground. But as well as being used for sport (I do not see hunting animals for fun a ‘sport’) as demonstrated here by me in my first clay pigeon shooting lesson, they play an important role in conservation. As was explained to me the grey squirrel eats song birds and can destroy trees when their sap is at its sweetest. And as we’re in the The National Forest and have majority of trees at 10-15 years old, controlling the number of grey squirrels is really important. They already wiped out red squirrels across most of the country. The muntjac breeds all year round and can impact the regeneration of woodland impacting the survival of other breeds of animals and the delicate eco-system. They have no natural predators in this country and so their numbers have to be controlled. I appreciate this may feel upsetting a thought to many but if you enjoy a walk in our gorgeous forests there are people trained to help maintain the balance. BASC also plays a key part in educating police to help them with to combat rural crime.
She should share to all her mates.
She should share to all her mates.
