Fine For Gamekeeper Who Shot Buzzards Caught In Trap (1 Viewer)

[nirofo]

and that would be murder of a human being - and you'd go to jail for a very long time.

The defence of 'but he shot a bird' might not go down too well

Tim

Hi Tim

Would you prefer they stuffed him down a rabbit hole?

nirofo.

 

[Bones]

How many keepers do you know who would carry an air rifle to shoot Buzzards, a shotgun is a keepers everyday tool, would a brickie lay bricks with a pointing trowel?

Try the following web address for the quote about the 11 Buzzards!
http://www.scottishraptorgroups.org/news.php?month=5&year=2006

Thanks for the additional link. That's disgusting and I can only concur that a £200 is woefully inadequate.

Now I'm new to this forum and to these message boards in general, so please forgive me if I've misread what appears to be quite a sarcastic reply.

Yes. Gamekeepers use shotguns, but they also use air rifles, and I don't know a single gamekeeper that goes out to shoot buzzards. To use a shotgun to dispatch a bird in a trap would render the trap completely unusable. To give you a like for like analogy it would equate to cracking a nut with a sledgehammer. Or maybe using napalm for mortar...

Please don't assume I'm some kind of apologist for this mans actions based on a 38 word response to your original posts. I'm not and I certainly get upset when offences like this go unpunished. On the flip side I'm certainly not going to vilify every single gamekeeper based on the actions of a sadistic moron.

Some of us like to read the truth and quite alot of that gets left aside when various agendas are being pushed. I'm posting here for the facts. Nothing more.

 

[nirofo]

Thanks for the additional link. That's disgusting and I can only concur that a £200 is woefully inadequate.

Now I'm new to this forum and to these message boards in general, so please forgive me if I've misread what appears to be quite a sarcastic reply.

Yes. Gamekeepers use shotguns, but they also use air rifles, and I don't know a single gamekeeper that goes out to shoot buzzards. To use a shotgun to dispatch a bird in a trap would render the trap completely unusable. To give you a like for like analogy it would equate to cracking a nut with a sledgehammer. Or maybe using napalm for mortar...

Please don't assume I'm some kind of apologist for this mans actions based on a 38 word response to your original posts. I'm not and I certainly get upset when offences like this go unpunished. On the flip side I'm certainly not going to vilify every single gamekeeper based on the actions of a sadistic moron.

Some of us like to read the truth and quite alot of that gets left aside when various agendas are being pushed. I'm posting here for the facts. Nothing more.

Not meant to be sarcastic, just pointing out that a keeper on his rounds would normally carry a shotgun, if he was carrying an air rifle then he was probably carrying it with an ulterior motive. If this was the case then the prosecutor should have picked up on that and used it accordingly. I think the case was a whitewash from start to finish, it was obvious what this keepers intentions were, it was also obvious that the penalty meted out was as low as could be got away with.

nirofo.

 

[Bones]

Fair enough. Please accept my apologies.

I tend to agree, about the shotgun, but I certainly wouldn't be surprised to see one carrying an air rifle instead. If you want to kill things then either type of rifle will work but both have specific purposes. I don't think the calibre or type of weapon was an issue. The animals were caught in a trap and were illegally killed and the culprit was caught and subsequently fined. I'm not quite sure what you suggesting as an ulterior motive but I'm intrigued as to what is considered underhand about this particular type of rifle?

I also agree that the fine was a disgrace. But you can't blame the keeper for that. That's the failure of justice system. More legal powers weren't necessary, in this case, just the correct enforcement of the existing statute. If the Sheriff has the legal framework and the case is as 'slam dunk' as is suggested then that legal precedence does nothing to help raptor conservation in Scotland. Infact it probably sets it back a few years as this case will show that a first offender can illegally kill the wildlife and get nothing more than a slap on the wrists.

Birds are being wrongly persecuted and it appears such criminal activity is endorsed by the Sheriff as this pittance of fine offers no justice and no deterant what so ever.

 

[Capercaillie71]

Larson traps have decimated the Hoodie Crow population in the far north of Scotland, so much so that there is now a serious lack of old nests for species such as Kestrel, Merlin, Long-eared Owl and Tawny Owl to nest in. This has led to a diversity of nesting habits for some species, Merlin in particular, many of these birds now nest mainly on the rank heather braes and burn sides. That is where there is any rank heather left after the constant indescriminate moor burning that takes place annually.

Here's a photo of a keepers gibbet, the concentrated efforts of one gamekeeper who travelled far and wide setting up Larson traps in the pursuit of Hoodie Crows.

nirofo.

Nirofo, I see that the Hooded Crow has declined by 37% in Scotland since 1994:

http://www.bto.org/news/news2006/jul-aug/scottish_success_bbs.htm

 

[mike from ebbw]

How many keepers do you know who would carry an air rifle to shoot Buzzards, a shotgun is a keepers everyday tool, would a brickie lay bricks with a pointing trowel?

Try the following web address for the quote about the 11 Buzzards!
http://www.scottishraptorgroups.org/news.php?month=5&year=2006

nirofo.

when i was a trainee gamekeeper an air rifle was used more regularly than the shotgun!less noise=less disturbance.we used it to control rats,squirrels rooks etc.i am happy to say that was 20 years ago when i first left school and only for a year.i only shoot things with a camera now.much more rewarding.

 

[nirofo]

Nirofo, I see that the Hooded Crow has declined by 37% in Scotland since 1994:

http://www.bto.org/news/news2006/jul-aug/scottish_success_bbs.htm

Hi Capercaillie71

I'm not surprised by this, in fact I would say it's probably higher than 37% up here in the far north. I don't have any real figures, however, based on my own notes and observations going back more than 30 years, I would have to say it's more like 50 to 60%. It's certainly significant enough to change the nesting habits of the local Merlins, Kestrels and Long-eared Owls, many of these birds used to use the old Crow nests, this is no longer the case as there are very few old Crow nests available.

The Larson trap has certainly played a significant role in the decimation of Hoodies and is probably instrumental in changing the breeding habits of certain local Raptors and Owls. The use of the trap has relaxed slightly now, but the damage has already been done!

nirofo.

 

[Henry B]

Heard on the Grampian news .Gamekeeper fined £850 . only caught end of story.

 

[Evanji Axu]

lolz. That Sheriff is a total loser and the keeper is a very naughty boy. And that's taking into account my first impressions that by buzzard they meant turkey vulture.

In all cases, the punishment should fit the crime. I say we bludgeon him with the dead buzzards until we knock him unconscious. Not only is it brutal, it's jolly good fun.

 

[mike from ebbw]

lolz. That Sheriff is a total loser and the keeper is a very naughty boy. And that's taking into account my first impressions that by buzzard they meant turkey vulture.

In all cases, the punishment should fit the crime. I say we bludgeon him with the dead buzzards until we knock him unconscious. Not only is it brutal, it's jolly good fun.

bear in mind this is the UK.we would probably get 5 years in prison for that!

 

[Evanji Axu]

bear in mind this is the UK.we would probably get 5 years in prison for that!

When the police show up, throw the dead birds at them and they'll run away screaming "EEEEEWWWW!"

 

[CBB]

Sounds good. Wouldn't like to get on the wrong side of you.

Chris