Countryside Alliance

[Bosun11 537]

 

 

I'm not here to fight the CA's corner but nine times out of ten the people moaning and complaining about them don't pay membership and never have. If the majority of the paying members were into coursing, lamping, rabbiting, fishing etc etc then they'd have to put more into it it's a simple case of giving the paying members what they want surely?.

Can't agree mate, I have paid subscription to all of these people over the years, CA, BASC you name it.....all I ever see in the magazines are what's described above along with the old chestnut of "we are working with police to clamp down on poachers" !!

You f***ing what ??!!!.......the vast majority of these so called poachers are just ordinary lads (most likely subscription payers) just working their dogs.

These groups should not be supporting the police at all !!!.......they should be saying "f**k off, you took these people's rights away and we support them all the way!!

That's what a group working FOR it's members does !

I've keepered on this estate 6 years now and at least once a week we catch lads with lurchers poaching! Or as you put it just ordinary lads working there dogs! Not once has anyone come and knocked on my door and asked for permission or on any of the farmers doors! Most lurcher lads don't help there self with this attitude of going where they want! That's where they get there bad name! If they just asked I would probably give them a bit of the estate to run there dogs!

I think lads dont knock because they expect a 'feck off' and let's be honest, in most cases that would be the answer... So my question is, could you pm me your address... ?

[WILF 44,287]

Haha.....fair one mate, but you will have to wait until end of January to get on

[WILF 44,287]

In all fairness I know that keepers on serious shooting estates are under pressure come the season so unless the estate is 5 or 6 thousand acres there's not much room to run the dogs away from the drives in the season and most of the lads I am friendly with wouldn't pester or expect a keeper to let them do so.

 

That's not what we are talking about in this thread, we are saying does the CA give a monkeys about ordinary lurcher or terrier keepers and IMHO they don't......at all !!

[Bosun11 537]

'Pointless thred'... 'divided we fall', sorry but i don't think so. Wolfy, like anyone has every right to give his opinion on here, about the Countyrside Alliance.

Thing is about Wolfy, he's a stand up honest guy, who marched in every rally the CA organised and i know because i marched with him. So why does he feel isolated what is the CA doing to champion the work he does, or me, or any fecking one of us... Because in general, most people know jack-shit because the CA dont talk to us direct!

The 'bigger picture'.. What's that, because i cant easily see it and lets face it, where do you go to look... The pages of a shooting magazine that holds no interest and wont do articles championing lurcher or terrier work. EDRD... the mag for the working man? I gave that up years ago as i was sick to the back teeth of Di's fixation with the BMP and halal slaughter, niether of which i give a toss about and dont want to read about in a subscriped magazine. I dont think that type of argument lends any weight to the point...

As far as i'm concerned the only body with any worth is the NWTF and they should be supported by all.

 

So back to the point and to me it's a very valid point... Why cant the CA hold its head up on the subjects of lurcher and terrier work and promote them direct and if they are, why cant we see it..?

 

The sad thing is, that i feel more and more isolation, in a climate that is turning slowly against me and i cant see nothing thats gonna change that!

 

Countryside Alliance, give me a spokesperson, a leader. Tell me you got my back and you are fighting the fight for me and then tell me when you need my help again because, like every other time before... I'll be there....

[WILF 44,287]

Brilliant post Bosun

[MickyB 327]

Brilliant post Bosun

+1....Nail meet head !

 

I looked at the NWTF its something id like to get into but couldnt get in touch with anyone from the lancs area, if anyone can PM me a contact number for my area it would be appreciated.

Edited August 20, 2015 by MickyB

[Bosun11 537]

The thing that pisses me off is IF the LACS have 5000 members that pay £2 a month and the CA have 100,000 members that pay £4 a month how do the the antis shout louder than the CA and what the F*** happens to all that cash? We could just do what they did pay a million to the conservatives instead of Labour to use the parliment act, because its certainly not being put into campaigning for the hunters that don't ride horses, my numbers may not be bang on and i don't know whats going on behind the scenes, this is just a laymans point of view which is why i wont pay them for the right to an opinion.

This is a great post and covers the point my rant misses... Why isn't the CA leaning on the media, why cant it find a friend in public television... Clarissa done it so well and was 'our' best champion and sadly she's gone with no media replacement!

That should be the 'direct route' to us, show that they are trying to win over the public, just as our enemies do daily!

[gasman 53]

Spot on bosun1.

[Lenmcharristar 9,178]

and the iwtf for irish lads north and south

[Barrie 1,325]

 

The way I look at it; If you're not in the CA then you have absolutely no right to complain about them.

 

These threads serve no purpose at all.

 

The CA IS on our side, of course it is. And I'm sure if someone wanted to send in an article about hunting rabbits or rats then they would publish it. Also, they support terrierwork, and, believe me, they are fighting to keep it. You have only got to look at the last amendment that was pulled due to the SNP backtracking. In that terrierwork had two amendments that would have helped all working terriermen out. That's right, terrierwork legislation was being tweeked in our FAVOUR.

 

:victory: :victory:

 

AND, having reviewed court cases etc for the past couple of years, I really do think that the CA has the best legal team available for terriermen.

 

You have to be realistic, the CA cannot wave a magic wand.......they can only try their best.

I dont get that J...

 

So people can complain if they have paid there subs??

 

They were protecting hunt terrier men at high profile hunts.

 

The overall admednent is to push for more hounds and more reasons to be out hunting.

 

It's still be the same argument CA don't publish or invest in lurcher work or terrier work to my knowledge..

 

Their Web page has information and links for everything but lurcher & terrier work.

 

I've contacted them on multiple occasion and had no response..

 

I contacted them regarding their insurance and working with in the current laws..

 

They never wanted to know..

 

They never wanted to know when it was the 10th anniversary of the last Waterloo cup.

 

If they were to work with these lads in these areas and be seen actively working with a shared goal they could significantly add to the ranks..

 

Its them who have made the devide..

 

I am not anti CA but they could be seen to do more..

 

If the CA produce the goods I'd gladly help with money and my own time..

 

 

If it’s any help in clarifying what support (or otherwise) terrierwork has ever received from the Countryside Alliance….

 

It’s been said elsewhere on this thread that “If it wasn't for the NWTF all terrier work would have been banned.”…… and having been actively involved with the NWTF since it was very first set up 31 years ago, and having personally been at the sharp end of defending terrierwork for the past 20 I’m proud to say there’s a lot of truth in that statement.

 

However what the “CA bashers” on here don’t seem to know (maybe they haven’t been around long enough to know, or simply choose to overlook the facts) is that it was the CA (then the BFSS) who set up the NWTF.

 

Their concern was that the independent terrierman (unlike hunt terriermen) had no formal representation and were unable to speak collectively (a bit like some of the drivel on this thread). And the actions of a very tiny and unrepresentative minority made them a very easy target for our opponents to pick off. Not only did the CA set up the NWTF, but they also funded it for many years and I’m sure they put far more time and money into defending terrierwork than they ever got back in return.

 

Things have moved on a lot since then and the NWTF has certainly had its successes, as is evidenced by the fact that terrierwork is the only form of hunting with dogs which the Hunting Act does not seek to ban. Such things don’t just happen by chance (remember there was more parliamentary time spent debating the Hunting Act than the Iraq war), but without the support and knowledge of the CA the NWTF could not have achieved any of that on its own…. it was very much a team effort. The CA provides the campaigning, lobbying and parliamentary skills we lack and the NWTF the practical knowledge.

 

Similarly, when the Government White Paper on tail docking was first published, the original intention was to ban tail docking for working terriers, it was the CA who opened doors for the NWTF and as a result we were able to convince the Government otherwise (bear in mind both of these Acts were under a very unfriendly Labour Government with a massive majority).

 

I’m left wondering how many of the “CA bashers” actually do anything practical to defend terrierwork, or even have the slightest idea of what goes on in the real world away from THL. Knowing first hand how many tickets were sold, I also wonder how many even bothered to make a £4 donation for the opportunity to win the NWTF 30th Anniversary Painting so generously donated by Pickaxe (it was widely advertised on THL and elsewhere), or have bought a NWTF 25^th Anniversary Badge ?

 

We’re all entitled to have our opinions, but please at least let them be informed.

 

Y.I.S. - Barrie

 

P.S. If anyone knows of any other organisation (terrier or otherwise) that has done that much for terrierwork, then please let me know as I'd like to start paying them a subscription.

Edited August 20, 2015 by Barrie

[desertbred 5,490]

The statement ""if you dont subscribe to CA you have no right to criticise it or its activities " Says it all really and focuses on the mindset of some of the members of this association. I dont support or contribute to the Lacs or Rspca but it doesn,t mean I have no right to criticise the scumbags. I pay dues to SACS but have no luck what so ever getting responses to my questions regarding their plan of action for running dogs and lurchers in the future campaigns. I see apathy creeping in within the lurcher and terrier workers and is it any wonder when constant reminders of united we stand and divided we fall appears to be the rallying call on behalf of a select few of the country side sports whilst the rest should give support unquestioningly and doff ones cap for any crumbs that may fall from the upper echelons banquet table. Unity comes when the campaign is promoted and fought on an equal footing and to benerit all people at every level of country sports and activities. I just read the news letter of CA it seems to be a fund raising garden party exercise with I think one mention of terriers and ferrets in all the upcoming events and activities ,, Lads need to question the representatives of the groups and organisations the same as we did with our MP,s otherwise we will find ourselves up the proverbial creek once again with the paddles in the hands of those with the off shore yachts.

Edited August 20, 2015 by desertbred

[marshman 7,756]

What I get from this is that a lot of the terrier men and lurcher men that have supported the CA feel under valued and left out in the cold so to speak . It should be addressed if the CA want more support from the average dog men .

[WILF 44,287]

Barrie, fair play to you but I will just ask one question.......when was the last time you saw a picture of a working terrier or a lurcher out in the field on the front cover of the magazine the CA send you?........in fact when was the last time you saw any images of this type of hunting in CA articles or litrature at all ?

 

Did you ever see such an image on those big billboards along the A1 ?.......or in a national newspaper advertisement ?

 

Do they sell stickers that say "Keep Lurcher and Terrierwork!!" ?

 

It's all right preaching to the converted, it's Joe public that politicians want a vote from and it's Joe public that need to see the promotion.

JMHO

[MickyB 327]

Last three posts say it all, I'm too young to know what the CA did back then, but I'm now old enough to bother about the politics and my freedom to hunt legally, I dont follow hounds, but I've been into field sports forever and when its under attack and the organization that's to defend us presently seems to shun my particular sports while seemingly protecting mounted hunts and then ask me for money to do so, I wont do it, I've sent my emails to my MP and CA but what else can one man do? I would happily pay a £10 a month to CA for some lurcher and terrier campaigns but they don't its just hounds under the pseudo wildlife management, at least have some balls and say we enjoy hunting so we hunt the benefits are a byproduct. JMO

Micky

[WILF 44,287]

Lurcher men are about as popular with the CA, BASC and NGO as they are with the BDS !! Lol