The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Community => Coffee Lounge => Topic started by: rispainfarm on August 13, 2012, 09:29:35 pm
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I will be starting work shortly on an article exposing the illegal practices of gamekeepers. So far through research I have heard horroundous things such as gangs of gamekeepers lamping at night for the fun of it and killing cats, otters etc when the estates they worked for had an abundance of grouse. Standing guard close by to where poison has been put down to enable the evidence of dead raptors and other animals to be disposed of quickly before walkers etc came across the carcasses. Myself I have had experience of this "rambo" attitude of the gamekeepers when three cats and a peacock were shot by the next door shooting lodge. Does anyone know of former gamekeepers that I could contact or have stories to tell. I have already spoken to one former scottish gamekeeper who told me things that were quite frankly upsetting and should made public. All individual names of course will be in strictest confidence should I use the information.
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I can't help, but I wish you well with your project.
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That's horrible! I'd not heard of this before and if it is the case then yes, it needs exposing. Good luck with the story, sorry can't help personally as no experience :-\
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They do tend to blame a poor season on predators (real or immagined) I did once (30 yrs ago) see a Scottish Wild Cat skin nailed to the inside of a gamekeepers shed door. :rant:
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I would suggest speaking to local police wildlife officers - I used to take in bird of prey to rehabilitate - one Friday evening I was contacted by Tayside police asking if I could take in an injured buzzard. I drove in to be presented with a large box - they said they had opened it slightly then called me. I got him home to my hospital unit, gently lifted him out to find one of his lower legs handing by a thread of tissue - there was no way to heal this (presumably from trapping) injury, it also smelt awful. Luckily my vet was on hand and I drove there and he was pts.
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Will you be wanting to know about any gamekeepers who play their part in conservation and animal welfare?
This will make it a more balanced and informative piece of work.
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Will you be wanting to know about any gamekeepers who play their part in conservation and animal welfare?
This will make it a more balanced and informative piece of work.
I hope so
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Working in the grouse industry, I very much hope it is going to be a balanced article. There are good and bad keepers out there just like there are in all walks of life.
Helen
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I agree with Helen. There will always be some people that enjoy killing and torturing animals and as shoots and shooting generates a great deal of money you'll not prevent cruelty happening.
I hate fox hunting with a vengance, but even making it an offence hasn't stopped the torture of hounds, horses and foxes.
I wish you luck with your project, but gamekeepers are not on thier own in killing buzzards and cats, some farmers are just as bad.
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No this story is not about conservation work,. it is about the uncessary slaughter of animals to keep the grouse numbers up and even animals that don't even effect the grouse. Such as ospreys that only eat fish, so why kill them and otters that are killed becuase they happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time and a number of rambos think what fun it is to kill them. and pet cats that just happened to cross the fence onto a field that belonged to the shooting lodge. I also take with a pinch of salt that old chestnut about gamekeepers and conservation work, so no it won't be covering this. This is not just going to be about the many birds that are poisoned or killed as well, it will be covering the evidence and stories i have of rogue gamekeepers and estate owners that put pressure on gamekeepers to kill anything that moves. i will add for helens sake that yes i do agree there are good and bad in every industry, and the feature will reflect this if i hear the evidence.
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If you want a paragraph or so of "this is what good gamekeepers are like" then you might want to talk to BASC (British Association of Shooting and Conservation). http://www.basc.org.uk/en/departments/game-and-gamekeeping/gamekeeping/ (http://www.basc.org.uk/en/departments/game-and-gamekeeping/gamekeeping/)
You will need a clear understanding of the system if you don't want to be dismissed as a ranting tree hugger :)
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Yorkshire lass, i am no tree hugger but a journalist who has been given this remit and I am gathering evidence so i can then write about it. But saying that it is hard not to feel emotional about things when i am hearing fairly awful stories and research court cases
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Yorkshire lass, i am no tree hugger but a journalist who has been given this remit and I am gathering evidence so i can then write about it.
No offence intended.
I've just seen far too many articles where the author had a good point, but left themselves open to criticism/outright destruction.
Hope you get the evidence you need :)
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no thats fine Yorkshirelass :) no offence taken. It is always going to be a hot subject. i will only write in the feature the evidence i have. It is not for me to make judgement but to bring things out into the open to allow others to think about things.
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RSPB always used to do a raptor survey that showed the number of illegally killed birds of prey and where they were found - often on shooting estates. Police Wildlife Liaison Officers would also give you lots of info and possibly SNH / English Nature
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Can I ask where this article will be published as I would like read it.
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HI Bigchicken, no not at the moment, as until I write and they ok it its not a dead cert it will go in and then it might not go in straight away. I write some articles and they don't go in for three months. I will let you know though (if I remember, dementia you see ::)) when it is going in.
Thanks everyone for your helpful suggestions, will follow them up