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*Woodcock Season*! (1 Viewer)

Ptarmi

Dick Glasgow
Disgusting to see the GWCT celebrating the start of their - *WOODCOCK SEASON*!
“To mark the start of the Woodcock season, here is a FREE “sportsman’s” guide to woodcock.”

With them continuing to promote the shooting of endangered species here in the UK, isn’t it high time the GWCT removed the word “Conservation” from their title?

Woodcock are on the Red List, which of course means:
 Species is globally threatened.
 Historical population decline in UK during 1800–1995.
 Severe (at least 50%) decline in UK breeding population over last 25 years, or longer-term period (the entire period used for assessments since the first BoCC review, starting in 1969).
 Severe (at least 50%) contraction of UK breeding range over last 25 years, or the longer-term period.

... yet they still want to kill them!

I suppose we shouldn't really be surprised that they can't stop killing a species here in the UK, even when that species is Red Listed, when they already issue licences to kill "protected" Buzzards, "protected" Raven by the dozen & "protected" Badger by the thousand! 😡
 
It is fair to say that something has to change. In France the ´opening' date has been changed to protect local populations and ensure that migrants have arrived - this would be a solution for the U.K. but they can't see that far in front of their noses.....
 
It is fair to say that something has to change. In France the ´opening' date has been changed to protect local populations and ensure that migrants have arrived - this would be a solution for the U.K. but they can't see that far in front of their noses.....

So its alright to kill somebody else's woodcock then.o:D
 
So its alright to kill somebody else's woodcock then.o:D

Depends if you're a Woodcock hunter or not! I'm not but I'm also no naive to think that there are people who are - who probably (certainly in the case of France) outnumber the people who care. The Woodcock is 'their' prize bird - it's the bird that true hunters strive for.

The point I was trying to make was that in order to protect the 'local' birds you have to control the date that you hunt to when the foreign birds have arrived - this is a fact. When a million birds turn up in autumn how can you argue to a hunter that he can't shoot x number. He is already a hunter so his principles (his not ours) are not the same as ours. At the same time there is a number that won't make it through winter or back over the sea so shooting doesn't have as much of an impact as other outside influences.

The dates are controlled and bags controlled in France - in the UK the date is some historic date that the 'establishment' refuses to change.

I don't want the birds shot but surely its better, for the time being at least, to try and influence change for now.
 
It is fair to say that something has to change. In France the ´opening' date has been changed to protect local populations and ensure that migrants have arrived - this would be a solution for the U.K. but they can't see that far in front of their noses.....

Unless, of course, the UK birds are moving to France for the winter..... *shakes head in disbelief*

Killing a species which is in global decline makes no sense whatsoever. Irrelevant of where they come from, go to, or how big certain populations are.

Exhibit one. I give you Passenger Pigeon....
 
Depends if you're a Woodcock hunter or not! I'm not but I'm also no naive to think that there are people who are - who probably (certainly in the case of France) outnumber the people who care. The Woodcock is 'their' prize bird - it's the bird that true hunters strive for.

The point I was trying to make was that in order to protect the 'local' birds you have to control the date that you hunt to when the foreign birds have arrived - this is a fact. When a million birds turn up in autumn how can you argue to a hunter that he can't shoot x number. He is already a hunter so his principles (his not ours) are not the same as ours. At the same time there is a number that won't make it through winter or back over the sea so shooting doesn't have as much of an impact as other outside influences.

The dates are controlled and bags controlled in France - in the UK the date is some historic date that the 'establishment' refuses to change.

I don't want the birds shot but surely its better, for the time being at least, to try and influence change for now.

Yes I understand the principal and do not disagree. I was simply being facetious.

As you rightly say, Woodcock shooting in France is popular. I work with a French chap who comes from a rural area and to him it just something that everyone does.

In terms of "conservation" it makes a perverse sense to protect the resident breeding population by restricting the season to times when there are more migrants around.
 
Are there any sort of petitions or social media groups trying to bring awareness to this? I know the driven grouse shooting one was not succesful in parliment but I think it brought attention to the issue and the debate certainly is not 'over'. Hopefully something similair can be done with this?
 
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