I agree with Scott that the landowners and estate owners should be held directly responsible, not one of their employee's eg. the gamekeeper. The owner usually ends up paying the fine of the keeper. I dont know how the law could be changed for this but I reckon it would help end this practice overnight - except perhaps for syndicate shoots ( then they would all be to blame ! ). This would give the landowner the right to sue the keeper for loses, and presumably the right to sack him for malpractice and or acting irresponsibly. Keeper doesn't want to lose his job....... A messy situation for all, best avoided.
Simplistic, perhaps, but this sort of nonsense should not be happening in the 21st century. Whilst we are on the subject the whole gun/sporting thing needs addressing - there should be more regulation like there is in European countries where shooters have to sit quarry iD exams, marksmanship tests etc. If I wanted to become a qualified ringer it would ( quite rightly ) take 2 to 3 years hard work under strict supervision. This is for live catching, handling and realising ( unharmed ) wild birds. If I want to Wildfowl ( kill and maim wild birds ) all I need is a shotgun licence easily obtained by references and within days/ weeks I can be on the Ythan estuary blowing the s**t out of anything that moves ( I have seen wildfolwlers shoot at Lapwings, gulls etc here - they new what they were just didn't care). Bit of an irony really.
Sorry for the rant, guess all this has awakened some old wounds,
Linz
Simplistic, perhaps, but this sort of nonsense should not be happening in the 21st century. Whilst we are on the subject the whole gun/sporting thing needs addressing - there should be more regulation like there is in European countries where shooters have to sit quarry iD exams, marksmanship tests etc. If I wanted to become a qualified ringer it would ( quite rightly ) take 2 to 3 years hard work under strict supervision. This is for live catching, handling and realising ( unharmed ) wild birds. If I want to Wildfowl ( kill and maim wild birds ) all I need is a shotgun licence easily obtained by references and within days/ weeks I can be on the Ythan estuary blowing the s**t out of anything that moves ( I have seen wildfolwlers shoot at Lapwings, gulls etc here - they new what they were just didn't care). Bit of an irony really.
Sorry for the rant, guess all this has awakened some old wounds,
Linz