Many thanks to the blog reader who sent in the following photos of dumped pheasants, found in a lay-by on the A94 in Angus, Scotland, yesterday (6th February 2022).
If you look closely you’ll see dead pheasants, red-legged partridge, ducks and a pigeon:
So yet another dumping incident to add to the long list including Cheshire, Scottish borders (here), Norfolk (here), Perthshire (here), Berkshire (here), North York Moors National Park (here) and some more in North York Moors National Park (here) and even more in North Yorkshire (here), Co. Derry (here), West Yorkshire (here), and again in West Yorkshire (here), N Wales (here), mid-Wales (here), Leicestershire (here), Lincolnshire (here), Somerset (here), Derbyshire’s Peak District National Park (here), Suffolk (here), Leicestershire again (here), Liverpool (here), even more in North Wales (here) even more in Wales, again (here), and in Wiltshire (here).
But the pressure is mounting. Last week Lord Newby told me he was going to pursue Lord Benyon about the issue of pheasant-dumping, after pheasant-shoot-owning DEFRA Minister Benyon denied having any evidence of it (here).
Also last week, the UK Government’s former Deputy Chief Veterinary Officer, Alick Simmons, submitted the following FoI to Natural England:
UPDATE 8th February 2022: More on those shot and dumped birds in Angus (here)
UPDATE 15th February 2022: ‘Insane’: Outrage after gamebirds dumped in Angus (here)
Raptor Persecution UK 
Might be wrong but looks at a glance like a Woodcock beak poking out too, at about a two o’clock angle from the pigeon.
There’s a discussion on Twitter between some high-level birders who think it might be a Jack Snipe (smaller than Common Snipe and supposedly fully protected in England, Scotland & Wales).
2 Woodcock.
This is just so horrible…I’m currently feeding a pair of partridge and a pheasant every morning. They are so sweet and friendly and it absolutely breaks me up seeing pictures of piles of corpses all over the country, purely a result of primitive people who do not value life.
I’m in agreement with you; the food I put out for my hens, peafowl and wild birds is shared by “released” pheasants and partridge. Some individual pheasants become very friendly, follow me ’round the garden, peck on the door to get attention – disappear after “a shoot” – then are probably dumped. Some people are beneath contempt.
Genuine question, could the dumping of these shot birds show an increase of lead in the area(s) where they have been dumped especially if decomposition of the carcasses has occurred?
Without uttering a defamatory comment, it would not be rocket science to figure out the person or persons who dumped these birds given the location.
If the birds simply decay where they are then clearly any lead shot in them will be left behind in the soil. It is not clear to me if this is better or worse than the same lead shot sprayed out over the countryside when the shot is fired. My feeling (and I am happy to be corrected by someone who knows better) is that a bigger potential issue here is that scavengers feeding off these birds will potentially ingest the lead. Scavenging on carcasses containing lead ammunition is known to be a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in some birds of prey elsewhere (e.g. Californian Condors) and could well be a problem for scavenging birds such as buzzards, kites, ravens etc here. In addition to these birds feeding directly off the carcasses here there is a further possibility that small mammalian scavengers such as rats might feed on the pheasants and then themselves be predated by raptors which could secondarily ingest any lead.
Not exactly secluded is it. Almost as if they wish them to be discovered. A simple ring with a code of the owner would help. But that would mean treating them like livestock.
whats Lord Benyon doing in Defra he has a conflict of interest
Here in the New Forest cattle, ponies and pigs are released to roam at will on the open forest. They are all considered to be livestock and the responsibility of their owners and never considered to be wildlife. Why is it different for captive reared game birds.
A Woodcock, Feral Pigeon, Mallard, Red-legged Partridge and Pheasant, probably a beater dumping what he/she was given after the shoot as they couldn’t be bothered eating any of them. Very bad especially the Woodcock!
Two Woodcock , there is the wing of another showing above the right hand Mallard if you blow the picture up. I wonder under which GL the pigeon was shot! Appalling all of it if you are not going to eat them , give them away or sell them Why the hell did you shoot them! For that matter why were the Pheasants and Partridge released if they are of no further use, our ecology is better off without them ( and you!!!)
Absolutely disgusting, I hope the organisations who promote shooting are made aware.
There’s a very simple answer to the New Forest question. The animals are marked and regulated by law, imposed by the Agisters, under historic common rights and at all times their ownership is clear which is certainly not the case for released Pheasants.
But it should be equally clear. That’s true whether they are livestock or not, those who release them should be responsible for their and their pheasants actions.
The biggest problem of course is that there are too many people in government connected to the shooting industry.
I saw the minister of defence being interviewed on TV not so long ago wearing a jacket with a ‘ Berretta’ logo!