An article in today’s Telegraph reports that Millden Estate, where golden eagle ‘Alma’ was found poisoned in 2009, is no longer up for sale. The estate, owned by investment banker Richard Hanson, was reportedly put on the market earlier this year (see here and here). According to the Telegraph, Hanson has now changed his mind after more than 5,000 brace of grouse (10,000 birds) were shot there this season.
Police raided Millden Estate in 2009 after two-year old golden eagle ‘Alma’ was found poisoned on the moor. Nobody has ever been charged with killing her (see here).
According to the Telegraph, Millden Estate and the neighbouring properties ‘vehemently deny being involved in illegal persecution’. It’s interesting then, that a grouse moor that operates (we’re told) without illegally killing raptors, can produce a surplus of over 10,000 grouse to shoot. Surely that suggests that raptors are not having a ‘significant impact’ on gamebirds and therefore licences to kill raptors on grouse moors are not neccesary?
Telegraph article here
Raptor Persecution UK 
So, let me get this straight, Mildon Estate owners vehemently deny being involved in illegal persecution of Raptors and yet they still managed to produce 10,000 + Red Grouse for the paying guns to shoot. If this is TRUE??? they should be envied by nearly every other estate in the country as I don’t think any of them have managed this phenominal feat so far !!!
If only the tax man could see the cash given to those keepers from the gun men! 10,000 birds may have doubled the keepers wages and in my opinion that’s why they do not like any thing that might kill a grouse or even disturb a shoot. In some places even Black Grouse were killed before a shoot to stop them flying over the flankers and taking the reds with them.
Well done millden estate!