Lurchers and Thermal

[Wales1234 5,424]

12 minutes ago, Shadow100 said:

Foxings just gone completely electronic, you’ve got men sat in a land rover, window down with a fox pro, NV, thermal and rifle. How’s that sporting in any way? 

It’s absolutely not but a well done on Facebook or good shooting is what they want ! I can go put some cardboard cuts out for them if they want ! I seen a bloke say he shot 360 one season and was moaning he only Shot 71 the next season

[Pirate 9000 675]

Treating foxes has sporting animals has been forgotten, that's why it's called hunting and not killing.what pleasure anyone can get out of shooting a fox or rabbit that can't see you is beyond me,shot and left on the field like a piece of rubbish, show's very little respect for the wildlife, foxes and rabbits need sensible control not being wiped out.

[gaza 504]

1 hour ago, SheepChaser said:

True. But if that photo had three blokes, a few dogs, pile of ferrets and long nets etc etc, they would be THL hero’s. Would they not ? 

Yeah see your point but it’s just the ease of it with technology and a rifle. I just don’t see the sport or enjoyment in it (each to there own in terms of what a man values as sport/enjoyment) Pest control fair enough but some postings you see on facebook...fox shooting in particular it’s ridiculous the numbers involved. Those numbers with dogs (talking rabbits now)even in good areas there real red letter days and effort involved. These shooting numbers are almost the norm & cant be sustainable. The quarry hasn’t got a chance. 

[nothernlite 18,026]

.it will be the ruin of country pursuits 

[bunnyboiler 1,050]

Priceless when lamping quarry that are lamp shy you can smack them on there arse on a good night priceless when poaching as the lamp only comes in when dogs being slipped the thing with thermal is you pay for what you get sure you can see things with the cheap ones but can’t make out what it is with the expensive ones you can clearly see what it is and the new Bino’s have a range finder on to tell you how far away it is don’t think I could lamp without one any more plus they are waterproof so if you get it on top you can stash it and go back to collect later on atb BB

[Shadow100 1,065]

1 hour ago, Pirate 9000 said:

Treating foxes has sporting animals has been forgotten, that's why it's called hunting and not killing.what pleasure anyone can get out of shooting a fox or rabbit that can't see you is beyond me,shot and left on the field like a piece of rubbish, show's very little respect for the wildlife, foxes and rabbits need sensible control not being wiped out.

Same with the mountain hare, they’ve passed a bill in Scotland to protect them but not enforced it yet so they’re still getting slaughtered. It’s probably the one that annoys me the most to be honest because they’re an iconic native species, a proper survivor where they live & they’re being blasted in their thousands by trigger happy grouse keepers. They’re in decline nationwide & it’s the people preaching about conservation & wildlife management that are to blame. 

[Pirate 9000 675]

I've heard keepers telling me that thermal let's you get the lamp shy ones,but is it the end of the world that odd foxes have been clever enough to have learned how to survive, they should be admired for being survivers, country side will be a poorer place with no foxes.

[SheepChaser 8,082]

1 hour ago, gaza said:

Yeah see your point but it’s just the ease of it with technology and a rifle. I just don’t see the sport or enjoyment in it (each to there own in terms of what a man values as sport/enjoyment) Pest control fair enough but some postings you see on facebook...fox shooting in particular it’s ridiculous the numbers involved. Those numbers with dogs (talking rabbits now)even in good areas there real red letter days and effort involved. These shooting numbers are almost the norm & cant be sustainable. The quarry hasn’t got a chance. 

I do get your point mate. But I would say there’s probably as much effort shooting that number on foot like that, as there is long netting some big warrens and emptying them with ferrets. 

[Shadow100 1,065]

34 minutes ago, Pirate 9000 said:

I've heard keepers telling me that thermal let's you get the lamp shy ones,but is it the end of the world that odd foxes have been clever enough to have learned how to survive, they should be admired for being survivers, country side will be a poorer place with no foxes.

It won’t come to that, shooting will go before the foxes do, it’s only a matter of time for pheasant shoots & grouse moors I think, the pressures mounting on them. You’ll still get your rifle boys doing it as a hobby but with less keepers there’ll be a lot less foxes & other predators killed.

[SheepChaser 8,082]

1 minute ago, Shadow100 said:

It won’t come to that, shooting will go before the foxes do, it’s only a matter of time for pheasant shoots & grouse moors I think, the pressures mounting on them. You’ll still get your rifle boys doing it as a hobby but with less keepers there’ll be a lot less foxes & other predators killed.

I reckon it’s the “sport shooters” who do the most damage. End of the day it’s a job for a keeper, and for the most part the population of foxes is artificially inflated due to the release of birds. Simple fact of life is it’s their job to whack foxes and not a sport as such, so I can see why a rifle and a thermal is used. Same as why on shooting estates litters are dug etc. Hard comparing sport with pleasure. I been asked to go out tonight for a fox that dug into A partridge unit last night and killed a pile. That’s life.

The ones who are f***ing the job are the hobby shooters who’s whole life revolves around getting all of the kit and then getting the biggest bag they can to put on Facebook. 
 

But, if it’s their ground and they got perm, what you gonna do? 

[Mr Wilkes 2,915]

I can understand that dog lads and the ferreting boys moan about the numbers being shot but at the end of the day how do you know it’s not pest control  ?. 

[Shadow100 1,065]

4 minutes ago, SheepChaser said:

I reckon it’s the “sport shooters” who do the most damage. End of the day it’s a job for a keeper, and for the most part the population of foxes is artificially inflated due to the release of birds. Simple fact of life is it’s their job to whack foxes and not a sport as such, so I can see why a rifle and a thermal is used. Same as why on shooting estates litters are dug etc. Hard comparing sport with pleasure. I been asked to go out tonight for a fox that dug into A partridge unit last night and killed a pile. That’s life.

The ones who are f***ing the job are the hobby shooters who’s whole life revolves around getting all of the kit and then getting the biggest bag they can to put on Facebook. 
 

But, if it’s their ground and they got perm, what you gonna do? 

Probably right, in certain areas of the country. Some keepers are killing mad as well mind you, mostly younger ones but you get the odd older one that’s trigger happy as well.

Cant do anything about it, just need to let them get on with it and have a good moan about it on here

[Shadow100 1,065]

3 minutes ago, Mr Wilkes said:

I can understand that dog lads and the ferreting boys moan about the numbers being shot but at the end of the day how do you know it’s pest not control ?. 

There’s pest control & there’s mass slaughter, end of the day nobody should be allowed to wipe a species out from a full area, for financial gain. That’s what it comes down to, wildlife being slaughtered to maximise profit from the land and it doesn’t sound so good when you say it like that.

[Mr Wilkes 2,915]

If a land owner employs someone to get rid of his rabbits  they Won’t get paid if they don’t do the job right, at the end of the day it’s no body’s business how many they shot that night ... unless it’s on your land.

[SheepChaser 8,082]

1 minute ago, Shadow100 said:

Probably right, in certain areas of the country. Some keepers are killing mad as well mind you, mostly younger ones but you get the odd older one that’s trigger happy as well.

Cant do anything about it, just need to let them get on with it and have a good moan about it on here

That’s about right i live in the land of the big shoot these days, so I see keepers every day and half of my ground is keepered. I’m slowly educating them I think I’m probably very lucky in that some of the ones here see the value of dog work as well as the rifle for pest control. Either that or they’d rather me run about all night like an idiot while they are tucked up in bed what’s very refreshing is that our one young keeper does the vermin control on the 5000 acre main block here, and only uses a lamp, says he doesn’t need NV or thermal, and if there’s a lamp shy one the bushers or terriers come out.