The title for this blog entry is taken from a comment written in response to an article in the Scotsman this weekend.
The article, written by Alastair Robertson, is entitled: “Shooting and Fishing: It is relatively easy to whip up antagonism towards grouse moor owners” and discusses the precarious position of England’s hen harrier breeding population. Robertson mentions Mark Avery’s proposed campaign to ban driven grouse shooting if there isn’t a marked improvement in this year’s nesting pairs. Robertson suggests that the campaign would probably be unsuccessful, although he doesn’t write it off completely. He’s smart to not underestimate the public’s growing anger and frustration on this issue. The article can be read here.
There’s a good counter-argument to Robertson’s article, published today on the Scotsman’s letters page. Read it here.
Raptor Persecution UK 
Ive just left a comment on the Scotsman online site correcting several obvious wrongful assumptions …Alastair Robertson is well known in conservation circles for such inflammatory but factually inaccurate pieces…May I suggest a few others do the same? It at least lets the paper know there’s another point of view…
I was friendly with the former butler of a well known shooting estate in Angus, he described how the head keeper would incinerate shot raptors in a brazier at night.