Time to get Proactive???

[User00047]

Thanks for all the positive/supportive posts and PMs. Good to know that there’s still a few guys on here with the mettle to fight for what they believe is right.
We can all do our bit to change opinion on a small scale by speaking to people’s directly, but I feel that we aren’t making full use of the resources available on a larger community scale. Just a few ideas:

Purchasing land to create nature reserves.

Raising money for environmental schemes

sponsoring research that doesn’t directly benefit shooting but has conservation as its primary objective.

Donating game meat to homeless people and food shelter places.

By by doing things that don’t directly benefit our own interests we become more immune to criticism from the other side, because we can point out the benefits of our involvement in the countryside for everyone

I am a member of both CA and BASC and although nobody would call me minted, I could easily afford to pay double the subscription price on these memberships if I could see where the money was actually going! As could most people if they are honest with themselves. I’d love to see two different tiers of membership with perks for the higher rate memberships and just the basic insurance package at a slightly reduced rate for those who genuinely feel that they can’t afford it.

 

[Odders]

Thanks for all the positive/supportive posts and PMs. Good to know that there’s still a few guys on here with the mettle to fight for what they believe is right.
We can all do our bit to change opinion on a small scale by speaking to people’s directly, but I feel that we aren’t making full use of the resources available on a larger community scale. Just a few ideas:

Purchasing land to create nature reserves.

Raising money for environmental schemes

sponsoring research that doesn’t directly benefit shooting but has conservation as its primary objective.

Donating game meat to homeless people and food shelter places.

By by doing things that don’t directly benefit our own interests we become more immune to criticism from the other side, because we can point out the benefits of our involvement in the countryside for everyone

I am a member of both CA and BASC and although nobody would call me minted, I could easily afford to pay double the subscription price on these memberships if I could see where the money was actually going! As could most people if they are honest with themselves. I’d love to see two different tiers of membership with perks for the higher rate memberships and just the basic insurance package at a slightly reduced rate for those who genuinely feel that they can’t afford it.

BASC has 150,000 members, so adding £10 on the membership fee would be enough to buy a fair sized country estate every year, plus of course there's the profits from that estate.
Half that'll get 7,700 acres in Scotland today.
I think a lot of the problem is a lack of visibility. OK so BASC have their magazine & I get regular emails from the CA but there's little from either on their lobbying efforts regarding legislation that has a negative effect on shooting & hunting.
Of interest is also the figures for last year's BASC council elections: Out of almost 150,000 members, less than 2,500 actually bothered to vote.

Apathy & disinterest is our greatest enemy & no; I don't think giving up because years of effort has allegedly achieved nothing is a particularly good way to go.
Who says things wouldn't be a whole lot worse if those of us who have been active had sat on our hands like all the rest?

 

[jimbo1984]

BASC has 150,000 members, so adding £10 on the membership fee would be enough to buy a fair sized country estate every year, plus of course there's the profits from that estate.
Half that'll get 7,700 acres in Scotland today.
I think a lot of the problem is a lack of visibility. OK so BASC have their magazine & I get regular emails from the CA but there's little from either on their lobbying efforts regarding legislation that has a negative effect on shooting & hunting.
Of interest is also the figures for last year's BASC council elections: Out of almost 150,000 members, less than 2,500 actually bothered to vote.

Apathy & disinterest is our greatest enemy & no; I don't think giving up because years of effort has allegedly achieved nothing is a particularly good way to go.
Who says things wouldn't be a whole lot worse if those of us who have been active had sat on our hands like all the rest?

Ok without entering the land of make believe I've got to ask ? If basc have done nothing lately about the threats to shooting and our way of life why for a single second do you think they would be interested in a scheme where we buy up land for shooting and conservation????

 

[sauer]

They couldn’t even bother to turn up to a hunting film festival , the first of its kind in the UK where this proactive message has been pushed for 2-3 yrs already! Despite being at the venue already with a stand

 

[VSS]

BASC has 150,000 members, so adding £10 on the membership fee would be enough to buy a fair sized country estate every year, plus of course there's the profits from that estate.
Half that'll get 7,700 acres in Scotland today.
I think a lot of the problem is a lack of visibility. OK so BASC have their magazine & I get regular emails from the CA but there's little from either on their lobbying efforts regarding legislation that has a negative effect on shooting & hunting.
Of interest is also the figures for last year's BASC council elections: Out of almost 150,000 members, less than 2,500 actually bothered to vote.

Apathy & disinterest is our greatest enemy & no; I don't think giving up because years of effort has allegedly achieved nothing is a particularly good way to go.
Who says things wouldn't be a whole lot worse if those of us who have been active had sat on our hands like all the rest?

Or £100 donation from each member of this site, and leave basc out of the loop altogether...
It'd be a bit crowded when we all wanted to go stalking though, wouldn't it.

 

[Monkey Spanker]

Or £100 donation from each member of this site, and leave basc out of the loop altogether...
It'd be a bit crowded when we all wanted to go stalking though, wouldn't it.

£100 buys you 100th of an acre around here or 404.7 square metres.
Active members 3169. That equates to 316.9 acres with 3169 stalkers on it! We may need some high seats?

 

[Heym SR20]

Fieldsport's Britain are actively fund raising at the moment. They are pulling together funds so that they can tackle many of these issues raised in this thread and to show Fieldsports in a good light. I've subscribed and so far am pleased with what they are doing.

Shares | Fieldsports Channel

 

[VSS]

£100 buys you 100th of an acre around here or 404.7 square metres.
Active members 3169. That equates to 316.9 acres with 3169 stalkers on it! We may need some high seats?

Nearly 20,000 members all together. Think big!

 

[BryanDC]

Apologies, I know I am a bit of an outsider these days, but, I have to ask what on earth is going on in the UK?

It seems like everyone is working to their own agenda instead of working together. It's seems incredible that organisations like the BASC aren't doing more and that only 2500 members of the BASC actually bothered to vote. (I guess most are only members for the insurance).

There are three threads running at the moment, all with themes about bashing the fieldsports community in one way or another.

How big is the fieldsports community in the UK? (The FACE website estimates 800,000 shooting in the UK and that’s not including all the fishermen and other fieldsports enthusiasts) You have a voice, use it at the polling station. write to your MP. Demand he or she replies to you and if they are anti make sure you tell everyone you can in the shooting / hunting / fishing community so that they don't get those votes next time.

How many publications and equipment manufacturers are there? They should all be on board or they won’t have a market for their products. It’s about time someone started to get everyone else together. At the moment it seems like all the fieldsports community can do is defend itself rather than positively promote itself.

Stop bashing other fieldsports. I’m not a trophy hunter and I don’t personally want to go on a big bag pheasant shoot but I know people that do both and that’s up to them. I have no doubt that game shooting does need to get its house in order. There is absolutely no excuse for throwing excess pheasants into holes in the ground, they need to put some effort in and find a market, then positively promote what they are doing.

Fox hunting is banned.Who is next?

Fieldsports contributes billions of pounds to the economy. 1% of it would be an enormous sum to positively promote fieldsports of all types.

 

[teyhan1]

Apologies, I know I am a bit of an outsider these days, but, I have to ask what on earth is going on in the UK?

It seems likeeveryone is working to their own agenda instead of working together. It's seemsincredible that organisations like the BASC aren't doing more andthat only 2500 members of the BASC actually bothered to vote. (I guess most areonly members for the insurance).

There are three threads running at the moment, all with themes aboutbashing the fieldsports community in one way or another.

How big is the fieldsportscommunity in the UK? (The FACE website estimates 800,000 shooting in the UK andthat’s not including all the fishermen and other fieldsports enthusiasts) Youhave a voice, use it at the polling station. write to your MP. Demand he or shereplies to you and if they are anti make sure you tell everyone you can in theshooting / hunting / fishing community so that they don't get those votes nexttime.

How many publicationsand equipment manufacturers are there? They should all be on board or they won’thave a market for their products. It’s about time someone started to geteveryone else together. At the moment it seems like all the fieldsportscommunity can do is defend itself rather than positively promote itself.

Stop bashingother fieldsports. I’m not a trophy hunter and I don’t personally want to go ona big bag pheasant shoot but I know people that do both and that’s up to them. Ihave no doubt that game shooting does need to get its house in order. There isabsolutely no excuse for throwing excess pheasants into holes in the ground, theyneed to put some effort in and find a market, then positively promote what theyare doing.

Fox hunting is banned.Who is next?

Fieldsportscontributes billions of pounds to the economy. 1% of it would be an enormous sumto positively promote fieldsports of all types.

See my post 37. it explains everything.
British fieldsports won't change.
I'd like it too but it won't

 

[BryanDC]

See my post 37. it explains everything.
British fieldsports won't change.
I'd like it too but it won't

So what you are saying is the last one out please turn out the lights. What ever you say that seems like defeat to me.

If you change nothing then the best you can hope for is that nothing changes. But we all know that in reality that means it can only change for the worse as far as fieldsports are concerned.

I admit to being a little out of touch with things back in the UK but surely there must be something possible to start positively promoting fieldsports. for instance look at post #47. that is positive promotion.

 

[bogtrotter]

BASC has 150,000 members, so adding £10 on the membership fee would be enough to buy a fair sized country estate every year, plus of course there's the profits from that estate.
Half that'll get 7,700 acres in Scotland today.
I think a lot of the problem is a lack of visibility. OK so BASC have their magazine & I get regular emails from the CA but there's little from either on their lobbying efforts regarding legislation that has a negative effect on shooting & hunting.
Of interest is also the figures for last year's BASC council elections: Out of almost 150,000 members, less than 2,500 actually bothered to vote.

Apathy & disinterest is our greatest enemy & no; I don't think giving up because years of effort has allegedly achieved nothing is a particularly good way to go.
Who says things wouldn't be a whole lot worse if those of us who have been active had sat on our hands like all the rest?

Profits from running an estate ! Most struggle to break even far less make a profit.

 

[Chanty Wrassler]

you clearly don’t live under SNH dictatorship!

Well I am not the greatest fan of Scottish Natural Heritage, but they are not exactly a dictatorship. They help fund LDNS, for example, who in turn are supportive of, amongst other things, recreational stalkers.

 

[aris]

I'd rather see BASC spend their money in court. Private prosecutions on those who would have the most to lose with a criminal record.

 

[sauer]

https://www.facebook.com/dnafilmfestival/videos/1044650295703951/

 

[Tamar]

Thanks for all the positive/supportive posts and PMs. Good to know that there’s still a few guys on here with the mettle to fight for what they believe is right.
We can all do our bit to change opinion on a small scale by speaking to people’s directly, but I feel that we aren’t making full use of the resources available on a larger community scale. Just a few ideas:

Purchasing land to create nature reserves.

Raising money for environmental schemes

sponsoring research that doesn’t directly benefit shooting but has conservation as its primary objective.

Donating game meat to homeless people and food shelter places.

By by doing things that don’t directly benefit our own interests we become more immune to criticism from the other side, because we can point out the benefits of our involvement in the countryside for everyone

I am a member of both CA and BASC and although nobody would call me minted, I could easily afford to pay double the subscription price on these memberships if I could see where the money was actually going! As could most people if they are honest with themselves. I’d love to see two different tiers of membership with perks for the higher rate memberships and just the basic insurance package at a slightly reduced rate for those who genuinely feel that they can’t afford it.

This

Look at what happens in the USA with Pheasant Forever, Ducks Unlimited etc. They spend a huge ammount of time, effort and money protecting (proper land management, not just slugging a few foxes for fun) large areas and researching the species that they hunt, understanding their ecology and how their management alters land use and other wildlife. They hunt very little, probably shooting fewer birds in a season than many do on a single drive. The anti's in the US may object to guns but they can't fight the environmental battle - the hunters have got the upper hand and pretty much everyone knows it.

Sure, the GWCT and the BDS do similar work in the UK, but many shooters don't support or buy in to this - perhaps because they don;'t want to get involed with 'experts' or 'scientists' (or becase as we frequently see on here, because of petty mindedness and an inability to see beyond some historic personal slight.

What Buckaroo says makes sense. IF we want to keep shooting then we need the general public not just to tolerate it, but to see the benefits. The environment is one benefit that we can easily adn strongly present and defend. Let's do it.

 

[Odders]

Ok without entering the land of make believe I've got to ask ? If basc have done nothing lately about the threats to shooting and our way of life why for a single second do you think they would be interested in a scheme where we buy up land for shooting and conservation????

Have they done nothing?

Not according to what I've read.
I don't however think they've done enough but with recent changes throughout the organisation, I'm a tad more confident they're going to be somewhat more visible in the near future.

 

[Odders]

£100 buys you 100th of an acre around here or 404.7 square metres.
Active members 3169. That equates to 316.9 acres with 3169 stalkers on it! We may need some high seats?

Whereas that £316,900 would get you 4,000 acres in the Highlands.

 

[Odders]

This

Look at what happens in the USA with Pheasant Forever, Ducks Unlimited etc. They spend a huge ammount of time, effort and money protecting (proper land management, not just slugging a few foxes for fun) large areas and researching the species that they hunt, understanding their ecology and how their management alters land use and other wildlife. They hunt very little, probably shooting fewer birds in a season than many do on a single drive. The anti's in the US may object to guns but they can't fight the environmental battle - the hunters have got the upper hand and pretty much everyone knows it.

Sure, the GWCT and the BDS do similar work in the UK, but many shooters don't support or buy in to this - perhaps because they don;'t want to get involed with 'experts' or 'scientists' (or becase as we frequently see on here, because of petty mindedness and an inability to see beyond some historic personal slight.

What Buckaroo says makes sense. IF we want to keep shooting then we need the general public not just to tolerate it, but to see the benefits. The environment is one benefit that we can easily adn strongly present and defend. Let's do it.

The US also has the Pittman-Robertson Act, which means an 11% tax on all firearms & ammunition goes direct to wildlife conservation. It would be nice to see 55% of the VAT we pay on firearms & ammunition go to conservation measures intended to enhance our sport but I can't imagine that getting past all the snowflakes.

 

[jimbo1984]

Have they done nothing?

Not according to what I've read.
I don't however think they've done enough but with recent changes throughout the organisation, I'm a tad more confident they're going to be somewhat more visible in the near future.

Let me know how that optimism works out ...