and still happily eats it as long as someone else shoulders the "guilt" of killing it?

Yep. Him and 99.9% of the population. We
only eat organic, ethically sourced meat.

As I say he LOVES shooting; but does not want to kill something when he does it.

Tescos perhaps.

People nowadays distance themselves from where meat comes from.Does it really make any difference whether its from an abbatoir or an organised game shoot or simply someone bringing home one for the pot?

My 4 old has been out shooting with us and he understands what is happening. He has been surrounded by it since he was born. He obviously hasn't shot anything as he is too young but when he is ready, he will.

My 7 year old nephew has just started shooting an air rifle and has shot his first rabbit. They took it home and ate it.

I can say hand on heart that the majority of children I have seen on shoots have been well behaved and respectful, to people and animals. You can't say the same in your average park.

Helen

game birds arnt a very popular meat over here, i dont know if you realise but 80% of shot game birds are exported to the continent...or so BASC claim!

[ .

but i thought you were against keeping animals in inhumane battery conditions?? why dont you speak out against the majority of gamebirds kept in appaling conditions that are used for breeding?

lmao, so long as its 'conserving' species that dont come into conflict with the shoot though hey

you yourself just dismissed perhaps the most indepth study done on predators/songbirds...and that even with GWCT involvement...im sure if the results had shown different results you & the GWCT would have been over the moon! bet you wouldnt have been so quick to dismiss it then

stoats and weasels are in decline are gamekeepers going to do anything to conserve them ?

and why dont the GWCT team up with the highly respected BTO again to see what impact releasing those 40 million game birds is having on some of our wildlife??, its already known that phesants are one of the main causes for the decline in our native reptiles!



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i wasnt the one who originally derailed it

and funny but on the grouse moors where predator control is ruthless, devoid of foxes...you'd think hen harriers would thrive wouldnt you?? well NO theyve all gone!!
yet only next door on the Bowland estate, owned by a water company, where foxes are left to their own devices can be found the hen harriers only breeding success! how very odd!!

http://www.northyorkmoors.org.uk/upl...tion/12570.pdf

Yep. Considering mine's father is like a harder, Scottish version of Bear Grylls I doubt it'll be long before he takes it off into the wilderness with nothing but a knife

I know ... and you can see why. The price of a day's grouse moor shoot is horrendous.

I don't need any lectures about the joys of the shoot Steve - I come from a long history of hunting, fishing, shooting on both parental and maternal sides. I just happen to be totally unable to understand how killing an animal - any animal - just for "fun", for "sport", can be described as such. I have more sympathy and understanding of fox hunting - at least the fox has a sporting chance (providing no earth stopping has taken place), and the thrill of galloping across open country with hounds streaming away in full cry after Charlie is I will freely admit totally exhilarating, particularly when as used to usually happen, Charlie escaped to live another day, older, fitter and wiser. But to stand in a line, have beaters flush pheasants over the guns in order for most of them to be blasted out of the sky is to me obscene. I won't deny the social aspect of these shoots, or the fact that no bird is wasted ... my own dogs have benefited many times from surpluses!

Now, what I can understand to be thrilling and put a smile on your face is to rough shoot ... one man, his gun and his dog ... potting a couple of rabbits and a few pigeons for the pot. Great, not got a problem with that.

Oooo!! He sounds GREAT!!

Very good post Helen. The fact when your nephew shot his first rabbit, and it was then eaten by the family, I heartedly approve of.