Help us to stop the hunting of thousands of geese and ducks in northern France (1 Viewer)

[François Doyen]

Hello,

Climatic condition that prevail for several week in Europe pushed the geese usually wintering in Belgium and Netherland to northern France. Some species had never been seen in such number in France. Unfortunately the hunters are everywhere! The birds already exhausted by the snow and ice are hunted day and night! There are 60,500 hunters in Nord-Pas de Calais and 3036 hunting lodges (for night hunting on water birds). It’s really thousands of birds (geese, duck and waders) that have been and are being killed now! Even some more respectful hunters are disgusted by the massacre they see! -10 to -15°C are planned in France, Belgium and Netherland this weekend and more ducks will probably arrive in France!

We ask for a temporary ban on huting during this cold weather period as required by the law but up to now the hunting lobby is the most powerful.:C

It’s for this reason that northern France birders ask for your help! Please can you send to the French Officials your support to the northern France birder on the hunting ban. You can download a type letter in English or in French and send it to the following e-mail adresses :

[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]

Thank you very much for your help!:t:

FD

 

[Mal92]

Messages sent.

 

[Val & Rex]

Message sent 24/12/2010

Merry Christmas

Rex

 

[Birdspotter]

Just sent mine off

 

[François Doyen]

Thanks for sending e-mail!

Hunting is already closed for 10 days for waders, larks, thrushes, water rail, coot and moorhen but not yet for ducks and goose despite hundreds of e-mail send...BUT there is more and more reaction from more respectful hunters denouncing the carnage and surprising some now ask for a temporary ban on ducks and goose hunting!! If hunters themselves ask for a ban we think it'll be done soon!

Keep sending e-mail and I hope birds will be safe soon!

FD

 

[nickderry]

sent

 

[Wollaton Ram67]

Messages sent.

 

[seggs]

Messages sent

 

[MJB]

Hello,

There are 60,500 hunters in Nord-Pas de Calais and 3036 hunting lodges (for night hunting on water birds). Even some more respectful hunters are disgusted by the massacre they see!

FD

François,
Well done: keep up the publicity about unthinking slughter for pleasure!

Now, I'm not a hunter, and would never wish to be, but like you, I know hunters who are never indiscriminate and who always are self-disciplined.

Whenever I write about those who call themselves hunters but who just blast off at anything at any time, I call them shooters, not hunters. Any responsible hunter would happily disassociate himself (or herself!) from the irresponsible shooter, and it's a useful term to put in the public consciousness, because of its context of indiscriminate behaviour.

By the way, 'shooters' don't like being called shooters!
MJB

 

[Adam W]

François,
Well done: keep up the publicity about unthinking slughter for pleasure!

Now, I'm not a hunter, and would never wish to be, but like you, I know hunters who are never indiscriminate and who always are self-disciplined.

Whenever I write about those who call themselves hunters but who just blast off at anything at any time, I call them shooters, not hunters. Any responsible hunter would happily disassociate himself (or herself!) from the irresponsible shooter, and it's a useful term to put in the public consciousness, because of its context of indiscriminate behaviour.

By the way, 'shooters' don't like being called shooters!
MJB

I understand what you are saying but just to point out that in Britain at least most responsible 'hunters' would probably refer to themselves as shooters,it seems in most parts of the world shooters and shooting are refered to as hunters and hunting but hunting in Britain generally refered to Fox hunting or other hunting with dogs so the term shooter and shooting are used to make the distinction.

Most of us have probably heard people using the phrase hunting,shooting,fishing where shooting is refred to as disticntly different to hunting.

So while i agree with the theory behind what you said i think using the term 'shooters' to describe the irresponsible indiscriminate shooting could lead to confusion particulary in Britain.


I would certainly consider myself responsible and self disciplined but would call myself a shooter as shooting is what i do which in Britain at least is a distinctly different activivty to hunting.

 

[MJB]

I understand what you are saying but just to point out that in Britain at least most responsible 'hunters' would probably refer to themselves as shooters,it seems in most parts of the world shooters and shooting are refered to as hunters and hunting but hunting in Britain generally refered to Fox hunting or other hunting with dogs so the term shooter and shooting are used to make the distinction.

Most of us have probably heard people using the phrase hunting,shooting,fishing where shooting is refred to as disticntly different to hunting.

So while i agree with the theory behind what you said i think using the term 'shooters' to describe the irresponsible indiscriminate shooting could lead to confusion particulary in Britain.


I would certainly consider myself responsible and self disciplined but would call myself a shooter as shooting is what i do which in Britain at least is a distinctly different activivty to hunting.

Adam,
Thanks for your considered response; it's nice not to have a knee-jerk reaction! I take your points, but policing the renegades might best be done from within the shooting fraternity, and might gain the support of many who seem implacably opposed to any use of fireams...

To introduce a mild provocation, perhaps 'hunting' as described in the fairly small world of English 'society' activities is indeed traditional (obsolete?), but if we try to pass the mindblock that unthinking use of a term like 'traditional' can bring, we should ask, "is it a good tradition or a bad tradition" (or something in between?). If it isn't unquestionably a good tradition, then perhaps we (the majority?) might be better calling the pastime 'fox-following' or 'fox-frightening' (given that there is no assemblage of peer-reviewed literature that might provide evidence that 'fox-hunting' actually is effective)? That would enable you and I to consider which activity in England should be classed as 'hunting' and which as 'shooting'?

By the way, some of my friends are target shooters, and some clay-pigeon shooters, but what I would like to see is that those who, like yourself, stick to the rules, speaking out pro-actively about the bad name that indiscriminate firing weapons at animals and birds brings to all who shoot.
MJB

 

[Adam W]

Adam,
Thanks for your considered response; it's nice not to have a knee-jerk reaction! I take your points, but policing the renegades might best be done from within the shooting fraternity, and might gain the support of many who seem implacably opposed to any use of fireams...

To introduce a mild provocation, perhaps 'hunting' as described in the fairly small world of English 'society' activities is indeed traditional (obsolete?), but if we try to pass the mindblock that unthinking use of a term like 'traditional' can bring, we should ask, "is it a good tradition or a bad tradition" (or something in between?). If it isn't unquestionably a good tradition, then perhaps we (the majority?) might be better calling the pastime 'fox-following' or 'fox-frightening' (given that there is no assemblage of peer-reviewed literature that might provide evidence that 'fox-hunting' actually is effective)? That would enable you and I to consider which activity in England should be classed as 'hunting' and which as 'shooting'?

By the way, some of my friends are target shooters, and some clay-pigeon shooters, but what I would like to see is that those who, like yourself, stick to the rules, speaking out pro-actively about the bad name that indiscriminate firing weapons at animals and birds brings to all who shoot.
MJB

Fair points and you might well be right,I try not to get to hung up on words but i just thought I'd point out that what you'd said might possibly lead to some confusion but at the end of the day its just a word and its just nice to see people actually making the distinction between the responsible and the irresponsible.
I agree it nice to see the responsible hunters/shooters speaking out against what happening and i agree that its possibly the most likely approach to succeed,as has already been said if even the hunters are calling for a ban then I think its far more likely to happen.

 

[Espen]

messages sent

 

[mcepjg]

Hunting Ban

Messages sent.

 

[FoghornKinghorn]

Done

 

[Rob67]

Message sent

 

[dannyboy]

Message sent

 

[Vectis Birder]

Email sent.

 

[echo24]

Well done for bringing this to our attention, Francois - together we can make a difference:t:

Email sent.

Cheers, Dougie:t:

 

[ilikecrestedtits]

I'll grab the bull by the horns and write my opinion down without bull*hiting.
Hunters-shooters, makes no difference to me.
You want to help nature and conserve it? well, shooting and hunting is not the way. But it is a way for minipenis males to bond and lift each others egos...is it so hard to enjoy nature without killing it?
...mail sent.