BASC response to proposed Scottish deer management changes

[Conor O'Gorman]

You know what ? There are going to be deaths of stock and perhaps persons via allowing thermals. Already we have seen this in lancs an Cumbria by a fool breaking the law and he ended up shooting a pony ! I have no qualms about Spotlight culling as a team of two and have done it under licence quite a few times over the years 2 or 3 men one with the light one with the gun . This i firmly believe will lead to persons and stock , domesticated animals getting a bullet and persons and properties similar . Its a step too far. Until really pressed hard and continuous deer take a long time to wise up to the light if your not missing and wounding ( especialy if there is some traffic passing through ) . Out of season culling of stags - Will effect the numbers of hinds/does killed and its the number of female deer not being shot that creates overpopulation, well done on that front!
I know the issues with BASC councils but really matters like this should go to folks that actually know what they are talking about as they are easily mis-lead . Gosh its just like when support was given by the council to all year round Graylag initially at least !
I can hear the masses chomping at the bit but very , very few of the masses in membership numbers will get more shooting out of this , indeed the exact opposite
Bullet weights have also be over played by too long by too many , the only thing that matters is bullet construction and
design not weight . Placement above all that and its a fact that less experienced riflemen shoot more accurately in the field with a smaller calibre. Be a good idea if we matched the Scottish situation and added Roe to the 50 grain .22 cf

BASC's position in its responses involved members of two of BASC Council's advisory committees - its Scotland committee and its Deer Management Committee. BASC's response to the 2014 English general licences consultation, including on Natural England proposal to add greylag goose to a general licence permitting action to prevent serious agricultural damage or disease, involved members of BASC Council's Wildfowling Liaison Committee.

 

[Bowland blades]

BASC's position in its responses involved members of two of BASC Council's advisory committees - its Scotland committee and its Deer Management Committee. BASC's response to the 2014 English general licences consultation, including on Natural England proposal to add greylag goose to a general licence permitting action to prevent serious agricultural damage or disease, involved members of BASC Council's Wildfowling Liaison Committee.

Yet it lead to wildfowling clubs looking into leaving basc some did . Mark my words Night shooting without lights deer culling will involve more accidents and mistaken ID of the target and its background .
Also cover in-front of the quarry that is not able to be seen leading to higher wounding rates and its dammed hard or impossible to track at night - So having a well trained tracking dog out with the team should be in this law !

 

[rem284]

Yet it lead to wildfowling clubs looking into leaving basc some did . Mark my words Night shooting without lights deer culling will involve more accidents and mistaken ID of the target and its background .
Also cover in-front of the quarry that is not able to be seen leading to higher wounding rates and its dammed hard or impossible to track at night - So having a well trained tracking dog out with the team should be in this law !

Having a trained dog is a condition of night shooting licence atm. Anyone culling should imho have a trained dog whether they are night shooting or day time culling. Or at worst have the ability to phone a friend who has a dog.

I can see in certain circumstances being able to use nv or thermal to shoot deer could be advantages. I don't think it will replace the lamp as a mainstream tool for night shooting

 

[Conor O'Gorman]

Yet it lead to wildfowling clubs looking into leaving basc some did . Mark my words Night shooting without lights deer culling will involve more accidents and mistaken ID of the target and its background .
Also cover in-front of the quarry that is not able to be seen leading to higher wounding rates and its dammed hard or impossible to track at night - So having a well trained tracking dog out with the team should be in this law !

I appreciate you feel strongly about this policy issue and perhaps you will be proven right in your concerns but you asserted with ref to BASC that "matters like this should go to folks that actually know what they are talking about" and I explained that two BASC advisory committees were involved - Scotland committee, deer management committee. Its perhaps one thing to disagree with a BASC policy, but another to assert that those involved don't know what they are talking about just because one is in disagreement with the policy, if that makes sense.

As for greylags, it was Natural England that proposed adding them to a general licence, not BASC, and in the end Natural England did not add them to that general licence. I am not aware of any wildfowling clubs leaving BASC as a result of BASC's 2014 consultation response. Indeed BASC wrote to all wildfowling clubs about the consultation, clarifying that NE proposals were to allow control of breeding greylags such as the destruction of nests and eggs to prevent serious agricultural damage or disease. It was also pointed out that concerns were raised when Canada goose was added to several general licence many years previously in England and Wales, that those concerns did not materialise with populations continuing to grow and bag returns increasing on the foreshore. Hope that helps clarify the greylags policy of 2014.

 

[Bowland blades]

I appreciate you feel strongly about this policy issue and perhaps you will be proven right in your concerns but you asserted with ref to BASC that "matters like this should go to folks that actually know what they are talking about" and I explained that two BASC advisory committees were involved - Scotland committee, deer management committee. Its perhaps one thing to disagree with a BASC policy, but another to assert that those involved don't know what they are talking about just because one is in disagreement with the policy, if that makes sense.

As for greylags, it was Natural England that proposed adding them to a general licence, not BASC, and in the end Natural England did not add them to that general licence. I am not aware of any wildfowling clubs leaving BASC as a result of BASC's 2014 consultation response. Indeed BASC wrote to all wildfowling clubs about the consultation, clarifying that NE proposals were to allow control of breeding greylags such as the destruction of nests and eggs to prevent serious agricultural damage or disease. It was also pointed out that concerns were raised when Canada goose was added to several general licence many years previously in England and Wales, that those concerns did not materialise with populations continuing to grow and bag returns increasing on the foreshore. Hope that helps clarify the greylags policy of 2014.

Sorry we seem to remember quite different in these regards. The only real issue i have with the canada is the length of time the young need the support of the parent birds. Greys though only really still exist in England because of actions of our oldest surviving BASC members and those passed on. But then the amount of consolations sent in and the meetings held very clearly corrected the mistake in its tracks