OT Hare coursing

It wasn't the field boundary. Anyway it isn't arable, it's grass and they certainly don't leave field margins. Are they supposed to leave margins unploughed in grass for silage and grazing?

But this was the public highway verges outside the field boundaries (hedges and fences). And they had no right whatever to do it. What farmers do is not policed round here. I'm not giving co-ordinates because I don't believe in reporting my neighbours, at least not for anything short of murder.

For it to work the police would have to turn up within a couple of hours whereas it is more likely that they will take a couple of days or weeks. I get the distinct impression they don't fancy tangling with them...

We have hares and badgers in the fields around me. There are also large heavy obstacles across all the access points to the relevant remote fields to prevent scrotes from hare coursing or badger baiting.

Some of the rarer birds of prey are legally protected species. Golden Eagle, Marsh Harrier or Osprey for example.

I agree it's a dichotomy. But I am a listener, and find the new format less comforting in isolation. It reminds me of the current problems. I tend to use radio and TV drama to take me away from it - if only for a short time. I'm now watching a lot of repeats. ;-)

Which does put you at rather an advantage, I must admit

I've just checked out the current list of characters

I simply never listen to or watch News or Current Affairs programmes any more. A quick scan of the BBC News website is more than enough never mind having people droning on, and on, and on.

michael adams

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In message snipped-for-privacy@mid.individual.net>, Roger Hayter snipped-for-privacy@hayter.org writes

Grass for more than 5 years (I think) becomes permanent pasture and subject to different rules.

OK. Seems strange behaviour. Farm payment rules are being changed so it may be in preparation for some rewarded scheme. All farmers/landowners in receipt of payments are subject to inspection and may have their claim reduced.

When you say *public highway* is this a classified road or a byway with vehicular use? Verge ownership is rather different.

Two men and a spade is all it takes. The Badger is taken away alive.

I think all birds are legally protected except those on the *control licence* Pigeons etc.

You don't have to give any co-ordinates. Stick them into the link provided by Tim. There *may* be information aboutr what is going on. Or would you simply prefer to just whine here about it?

I find it a bit clunky (uk.gov) but there is a lot of information there if you dig around.

Perhaps TNP will be looking up what his neighbouring grain baron is up to:-)

I've called in a time I saw two dogs hunting around the edge of a field, with a couple of vehicles in attendance. And I don't think we're awash with hares - but now, like buzzards and red kites it's not WOW! it's "That's nice".

Apparently our area (including you in that) has one of the highest hare populations in the country.

It's not so high however that I feel they need to be culled. 2 hares in a 10 acre field won't have any noticeable effect.

Rabbits, OTOH... (Perhaps I should get one of those hypersonic .22s you mentioned up there^^^ ? Hypersonic being usually regarded as over Mach 5 they should have a bit of punch!)

Andy

Tim's specific point was that badgers were responsible for a sudden decline in hedgehogs in his area. And that it was his reponsibility to restore "the balance"

So that ideally the best solution all round would probably be to kill off most of the foxes and badgers alogether. Just keep a few badgers in zoos for BBC TV documemtaries, and foxes for the hundreds of fox hunts which apparently no longer take place.

Meanwhile with a bit of luck a hedgehog that avoided getting run over on the road or poisoned might return to Tim's garden. And do its bit in restoring "the balance" by saving him having to fork out a few bob on slug pellets.

A sacrifice well worth making, in other words.

michael adams

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allowing the hedeghogs to flourish even allowinh return and eat all the slugs in people's gardens,

Public highway. The council even filled the potholes properly and resurfaced the tarmac recently, so if not a highway someone made a mistake. A must admit that if I discard my ecology hat my main resentment is the loss of wide, banked verges covered in bluebells every spring.

They plough most of it at least every other year. And use herbicides but I suppose that is irrelevant.

Nothing official is "going on". If I wanted to whine I'd do it to the council. I am just reporting it as a matter of interest.

Is the right answer! (I know you know that, but it is worth emphasising in case anyone with suitable weapons (or substances) reading this is going to claim ignorance.

.22 hollow point subsonic better in my opinion. Accurate out to the range you will hit a Rabbit. (75m?) Quiet enough to work with a silencer giving a chance for a second shot. Very much cheaper and of less interest to the local firearms dept.

In message snipped-for-privacy@mid.individual.net>, Roger Hayter snipped-for-privacy@hayter.org writes

I think destroying wild flowers is an offence. There must be more to this.

In message <rrok02$bo5$ snipped-for-privacy@dont-email.me, michael adams snipped-for-privacy@ukonline.co.uk> writes

I don't think I said any of that. There are two active Badger sets on my land and others nearby. The biggest killer of Badgers here is the motor car.

I was drawing attention to the fact that protecting top predators has an impact on their prey species. Hedgehogs are in decline with or without Badgers.

Can we quote you on your solution?

You didn't say any of that; 'twas I who mentioned hedgehogs.

Which is the point Lovelock was making, with his Gaia hypothesis, namely that the food chain is just that. And, contrary to the ideas of the luvvies and other wets, it has nothing to do with mysticism or similar dopey ideas. Rather, it is founded in solid scientific fact and research.

Picking them or digging them up individually is an offence. Otherwise legal groundworks that destroy them wholesale isn't AFAIK. There are some individuals species that are further protected, like all bats and great crested newts; I don't know if any plants are so designated, except in SSSIs.

Yes, this destruction annoyed me, but I have no wish to make waves locally. I'll let the group know if I ever discover more about their motives, or any reaction develops. But since there are probably not more than about a dozen people who ever use that road my guess is that nothing will happen!