The Scottish Gamekeepers Association website is always an entertaining read. Whether it’s Alex Hogg, that self styled guardian of the countryside, promoting the idea of law abiding gamekeepers becoming special constables or discussing whether Scotland or Ireland is the most likely place for eagles to be poisoned. It’s like a tweed clad version of the ministry of misinformation.
I particularly look forward to the rather infrequent entries in our old friend Alex Hogg’s blog. In this most recent entry on “Hogg Blog” ,Alex tells us of his continuing battle with the Scottish Government over licences to kill buzzards and his apparent disbelief and frustration that he will not be granted a licence to kill these pesky birds that have the audacity to eat a few of his pheasants. I can’t imagine why he sounds so surprised as none other than the Environment Minister, Roseanna Cunningham had announced this fact weeks ago.
It seems incredible that in a modern forward thinking country, in this International Year of Biodiversity and with Scotland’s shocking record of raptor persecution that the legalised killing of raptors should be on anyone’s agenda. Anyway, here’s his entry for 4th Aug 2010 a mere 12 days after the RSPB announced that 2009 had been the worst year for raptor persecution for 20 years.
Its buzzard central here and they’re not just predating the release pens. Only an hour ago I watched one fly off with a poult it killed within a few yards of the garage beside my house and I’m pulling my hair out with frustration.
We put in every possible deterrent and I really thought the problem wasn’t going to be so bad this year but the last week has been a nightmare. So on Friday I contacted the local Government office and asked inspectors to come and see the problem and issue a licence to control the buzzards that are doing most of the killing. They came yesterday (four days later) and heard and saw the menace for themselves. At one point we could hardly hear ourselves speak for the noise the birds were making.
But the officials confirmed what we have suspected for the last six weeks: that despite the SGA negotiating the conditions for the issue of such licences with Government at numerous meetings over the past year, the process has come to an abrupt halt. No licences will be forthcoming. No matter how severe the problem.
What the hell do I do now?
My goodness Alex, it looks like you’ll be trawling ebay for a set of ear defenders and a wig.
Raptor Persecution UK 
What can one say, only one term comes to mind, WHAT A LOAD OF “BO__CKS”.
nirofo.
“We could hardly hear ourselves speak”…must have been a family of buzzards with young calling for food…heard the same today in Dumfriesshire.
The answer here of course, is the same as it has been since raptors were protected by the 1954 Protection of Birds Act – put out more birds to compensate for natural losses…losses to predators are as natural as losses to bad weather or disease. Mr Hogg wont own the pheasants his boss will – other estates do just that.
The days of kill anything that looks sideways at your pheasants are long gone – shooting has to get used to it – smaller shoots with smaller bags.