As nice as this sounds, it’d be interesting to see if shooting is at all the main culprit of declining numbers and not our massive biodiversity loss over the last decades.
tangyACoranges on
Only 6 birds? Don’t see how that’s gonna make a difference.
the_englishman on
I’m surprised to see woodcock included in this.
From what I know and as someone who does shoot woodcock the situation is a bit more nuanced. The GWCT has quite a bit of information on this, and the general point is that the birds we’re typically shooting in the UK are migratory woodcock, not the much smaller resident breeding population. Those migratory birds arrive in large numbers from continental Europe, and there’s considered to be a surplus that can sustain a managed hunting take.
That distinction is important because it’s often lost in wider discussions like this.
Again in my experience I’ve never been on a shoot that isn’t very strict when it comes to woodcock. People tend to be cautious and aware of the need to protect resident birds and shoots will often put limits or avoid shooting them altogether in certain conditions depending on the ground and time of year.
And while I’m not a wildfowler myself, I’ve never met a group of shooters with more knowledge; especially when it comes to quarry, seasons, and proper handling (field craft, etc.). A lot of wildfowling clubs are very working-class, grassroots organisations, and they’re genuinely some of the most knowledgeable and conservation-minded people you’ll come across.
3 commenti
As nice as this sounds, it’d be interesting to see if shooting is at all the main culprit of declining numbers and not our massive biodiversity loss over the last decades.
Only 6 birds? Don’t see how that’s gonna make a difference.
I’m surprised to see woodcock included in this.
From what I know and as someone who does shoot woodcock the situation is a bit more nuanced. The GWCT has quite a bit of information on this, and the general point is that the birds we’re typically shooting in the UK are migratory woodcock, not the much smaller resident breeding population. Those migratory birds arrive in large numbers from continental Europe, and there’s considered to be a surplus that can sustain a managed hunting take.
That distinction is important because it’s often lost in wider discussions like this.
Again in my experience I’ve never been on a shoot that isn’t very strict when it comes to woodcock. People tend to be cautious and aware of the need to protect resident birds and shoots will often put limits or avoid shooting them altogether in certain conditions depending on the ground and time of year.
And while I’m not a wildfowler myself, I’ve never met a group of shooters with more knowledge; especially when it comes to quarry, seasons, and proper handling (field craft, etc.). A lot of wildfowling clubs are very working-class, grassroots organisations, and they’re genuinely some of the most knowledgeable and conservation-minded people you’ll come across.