What would you do

[canonman]

Hi All
Read a report in this months bird watching mag about the sporting prowess of some yobs (can’t call them people) in Humber that shot an Avocet with an airgun killing it.
The avocet only recently returned to nest in this area.
Now I’m all for people enjoying sport but what could they possible get out of this.
Cannot print the expletives I used when I read it.
There seems to be an increase nowadays for people to think it fair game to shot birds with airguns.
Like to know what you all think of this.
Please remember young ones will be reading this forum
Personally I like the boys from the Fungi department to cook them all a meal
Mick

[matt_xyz]

as long as I live I'll never understand the 'it's a nice day let's go out and kill something' mindset of some people. Stories such as this make me angry and depressed in equal measure.

Matt

[MalcolmX]

i posted to a thread similar to this when i first came onto the forum .i am a shooter and in my time i have shot all the game birds and mammals that we can legally shoot in the uk . i no longer shoot as i prefer to watch now and i find that a lot of my former colleges also fall into this category. i can never convince those who don't shoot to become shooters and vice verse but in all my shooting friends there is a love of nature and a desire to preserve what we have , those that effect these mindless acts would do so even if the air rifle was not available they are those that afflict cruelty for the fun of it .all the time we see cruelty perpetrated on the animals around us and i cannot see an end to it .should we ban air rifles where does it stop

[Alan]

How about making the culprits, if they're caught, work community service in a wildlife hospital/rehab centre for a month or so!

It's either that or a trip to the local landfill site for them!

[matt_xyz]

Originally Posted by MALCOLMX

i posted to a thread similar to this when i first came onto the forum .i am a shooter and in my time i have shot all the game birds and mammals that we can legally shoot in the uk . i no longer shoot as i prefer to watch now and i find that a lot of my former colleges also fall into this category. i can never convince those who don't shoot to become shooters and vice verse but in all my shooting friends there is a love of nature and a desire to preserve what we have , those that effect these mindless acts would do so even if the air rifle was not available they are those that afflict cruelty for the fun of it .all the time we see cruelty perpetrated on the animals around us and i cannot see an end to it .should we ban air rifles where does it stop

It's hard to come down too hard on these yobs if we legally allow other birds and animals to be shot for fun. The distinction is purely on the basis of some birds being classed as more desirable or more scarce than others. There is no distinction in terms of cruelty, I see no reason why a game bird being peppered by a shot gun is less cruel than an avocet being shot by an airgun.

Matt

[Tornado]

As an animal lover myself I too find it hard to comprehend, recently where I live it was reported that some of the local yobs (sorry but that is the only way of describing them) went to my local nature reserve with the sole intent of shooting the wildlife. Armed with air rifles and other weapons of choice they shot at a mallard in one of the ponds. The mallard was found a short while later by two mothers out walking with their daughters, this caused them a great deal of upset as the poor mallard was still at that point alive (like cannonman I won't print the details) They took him to a wildlife rescue centre where he died shorty afterward, it was later said he had around 15 pellet wounds. Oh if only we could find a way to put a stop to this mindless behaviour. Trying to educate the young ones is a start, but I am sure you will always get those who are an exception to the majority. And even if they did catch the offenders most of them are too young for the authorities to deal with severely enough.

[canonman]

.Hi
I agree with you Tornado a lot of them are young people, but still old enough to know better.
The question should be how are they getting hold of airguns.
Not sure about this but don't people have to have a licence for these or be over certain age.
Mick

[May]

This is something I can't even begin to understand.

[fbcpmike]

Originally Posted by Alan

How about making the culprits, if they're caught, work community service in a wildlife hospital/rehab centre for a month or so!

We have tried that.
We got the local probation unit to come in with the community service "volunteers" to serve their term working in the park. They came twice, the first time it rained, "sorry they are not allowed to work in the rain". Second time they just about did some work, "but they cannot pull brambles in case they prick themselves and get an infection". They never came again deciding that the "Health and Safety" risk was too great !.

When the punishment regime has no teeth what's the point.
Bring back the Army I say, now that's a different story.
We had "volunteers" from them too, when the Army was still allowed to set community service punishments. They worked like stink and most of them had hundreds of hours to work off. The rules were changed and the Army now has to use the civil probation unit.

[fbcpmike]

Basically the legal system / police have no time / resources when it comes to "petty" crime.

We have had Ducks / Geese shot in the past (one of our Geese losing an eye last year). Public do not want to get involved. Our Police station is now manned from another even further away in the light of "continuing service improvements".
PCSO's (Community Support Officers) have recently been deployed as part of the Government's "investment" in services (basically the old hobby bobbys re-branded) did you know they have less "rights" in some cases than a member of the public ? .

Case in point - we recently had two youths apprehended in the park for drug taking, they were caught red handed with the drugs and paraphernalia but as they immediately tossed them they did not have them on their person, just there at their feet. The CSO can hold them for 20 minutes and has to call for an officer to process them. Now if I had got to them first I can make an arrest as either a member of the public of as an appointed Council officer and hold them indefinitely. The CSO can then "assist" in the arrest.

Work that one out.
(End of rant)