Remember according to the not-so-talented Viscount Ridley ‘Hen harriers, which are ground-nesting birds vulnerable to foxes, are thriving in Scotland … in places where gamekeepers control fox numbers.‘ and grouse-shooter Charles Moore, ‘…most such accusations about the killing of hen harriers are false’ and ‘hen harriers do better on kept moors than on unkept ones…‘.
Well, I understand that the science is wearisome but it says exactly opposite. And we’ve known it for decades. More accidental errors in the Spectator?
Have a look at George Monbiot’s excellent Guardian piece ‘The grouse shooters aim to kill: the first casualty is the truth‘.
Our e-petition to ban driven grouse shooting, partly because this form of shooting is underpinned by wildlife crime, has amassed over 118,000 signatures but every extra one is very welcome.
[registration_form]
Well its obvious innit? On the grouse moors fanatical eco-zealots must be bumping off the hen harriers in order to discredit those nature loving grouse moor managers. That at least would seem to be the likely interpretation of gamekeeper Donald Macbeth (raptorpersecutionscotland.wordpress.com/2016/08/30/bird-activists-killing-satellite-tagged-raptors-says-gamekeeper/).
As recorded throughout the Forest of Bowland where gamekeepers are rigorous in their control of foxes, this control never helped the Hen Harrier in any way what so ever, quite the reverse in fact
Congrats. I’ll sign the e-petition for sure.