badger badger badger

[Leupsak 0]

I do not have an issue with reducing badger numbers and believe we could do with a bit of it over here too, however .308!!!!!!!! It wasn't getting up was it?

 

Well done and Merry Christmas

[markbivvy 6]

Each to their own I spose but imo this isnt about hunting its more about sport

pest control, if it was ever allowed here.

[jeppi 49]

thay need to controled

if cattel get tb thay killed

so y shouldnt badger?

[undisputed 1,664]

If the ban on Badgers is ever lifted then there will be a mass slaughter all over Britain then what?....the so called TB epidemic that was spouted before they were a protected species never materialised and was grossly exagerated. Personally I dont see what the sport in killing these beasts is. Something that can smash a dog to peices has to be dug out then smashed on the head with a shovel...very sporting as for shooting them ...here you can practically walk up to them and put a bullet in their head if you wanted too. Each to their own I spose but imo this isnt about hunting its more about sport....and not a very dignified one at that. The other old chestnut about it decimating the wildlife population is guff as well. Theres been more damage done to wildlife in this country through the use of pesticides and the change to farming practices than any natural predator ever done.....I will now go into the fetal position and await the customary kicking from the terrier lads and shooters

 

If my memory serves me right the figures are now up to 300 cattle a day slaughtered because of TB.

Badgers eat hedgehogs http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=A...d37aa678cd2264d

"Badgers are members of the weasel family and have the musky odor characteristic of this family. They are opportunists, preying on ground-nesting birds and their eggs, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and insects."This is copied from http://hubpages.com/hub/Everything-you-wan...w-about-Badgers

 

 

I'm not disputing the fact that they eat hedgehogs and other stuff they've been doing that since they first crawled on the earth...only the amount of damage they cause to wildlife....there are plenty of badgers where I am and not one case of TB

[richard1991 0]

Nice Shooting mate.

I for one think the ban on shooting Badgers should be lifted, these animals are known carriers of Bovine TB these animals are a threat to our Cattle Farming trade, I have a number of shoots and they are all cattle and Sheep farmers. EVERY FARMER on my shoots want these animals culled, 1 in particular is overrun with them and curses the governments legislation.

Our farmers have it hard enough.

 

Bovine TB

Foot and Mouth

Blue Tongue

 

The list goes on and on.

 

We are not talking eradication, we are not talking killing for the sake of it, its about management of our Countryside,

Anyone who thinks otherwise is in the wrong forum or perhaps Bill Oddie has brainwashed you.

 

Love to get a reaction from those sitting on the fence,

Well said agree 100%

[Fieldsports 155]

We are not talking eradication, we are not talking killing for the sake of it, its about management of our Countryside,

Anyone who thinks otherwise is in the wrong forum or perhaps Bill Oddie has brainwashed you.

 

Love to get a reaction from those sitting on the fence,

 

well I was on the fence but you have shook the post and here I fall.

I do sort of agree with undisputed

If the ban on Badgers is ever lifted then there will be a mass slaughter all over Britain then what?....the so called TB epidemic that was spouted before they were a protected species never materialised and was grossly exagerated. Personally I dont see what the sport in killing these beasts is. Something that can smash a dog to peices has to be dug out then smashed on the head with a shovel...very sporting as for shooting them ...here you can practically walk up to them and put a bullet in their head if you wanted too. Each to their own I spose but imo this isnt about hunting its more about sport....and not a very dignified one at that. The other old chestnut about it decimating the wildlife population is guff as well. Theres been more damage done to wildlife in this country through the use of pesticides and the change to farming practices than any natural predator ever done

But then I know for a fact labsnlurchers is right when he posts

 

If my memory serves me right the figures are now up to 300 cattle a day slaughtered because of TB.

Badgers eat hedgehogs http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=A...d37aa678cd2264d

"Badgers are members of the weasel family and have the musky odor characteristic of this family. They are opportunists, preying on ground-nesting birds and their eggs, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and insects."This is copied from http://hubpages.com/hub/Everything-you-wan...w-about-Badgers

 

SO I wil have to admit that I agree that SOME badger's need to be culled and I will refer to richard1991 post

as this seems to make good sence.

I for one think the ban on shooting Badgers should be lifted, these animals are known carriers of Bovine TB these animals are a threat to our Cattle Farming trade, I have a number of shoots and they are all cattle and Sheep farmers. EVERY FARMER on my shoots want these animals culled, 1 in particular is overrun with them and curses the governments legislation.

Our farmers have it hard enough.

Bovine TB

Foot and Mouth

Blue Tongue

The list goes on and on.

We are not talking eradication, we are not talking killing for the sake of it, its about management of our Countryside,

Anyone who thinks otherwise is in the wrong forum or perhaps Bill Oddie has brainwashed you.

 

Cheers

[tom1cameron 1]

Well done on the badger.

 

I too have a little sacrosanct repulsion about hunting predators for the sake of it. But....badgers are very similar to foxes in their habits and will raid wild bird nests, including gamebirds. Badgers can be shot or hunted in many countries throughout Europe, and much like fox hunters in the UK, large "bags" of badgers can be shot on a hunting trip. Take a look at a European hunting magazine next time you go through Schipol!

 

If it helps control rabies, if it helps maintain balance and the skins look good and the flesh can be eaten, this gentleman is no tramp!

 

Now to the UK. Badgers are numerous in many parts of the UK, but not everywhere and therefore it could be said that currently, the population is still fragmented. Part of the reasons for this is recovery from persecution.

 

It was pointed out above the protection of badgers came about to stop baiting, I dont know the history but I suspect this is not true. Badger baiting was stopped because it was cruel, the protection came about as they were too heavily persecuted. I am glad they were protected as I dont want to live in a country that does not help out our wildlife when it is in trouble! The onus is on hunters like us to prove we can live with predators before we get more predators on the vermin list, as we cant do that with raptors their is little chance of us getting such a privilege.

 

TB.

Badgers carry TB but it IS still not clear whether they are the real problem. I may be preaching to the converted, but just so as those of you who are interested and dont know I will explain what I think is the current situation.

As a result of 10 years of trials there is no lasting effect of badger culling on the incidence of TB in cattle. Much of this result is due to the practical difficulties of undertaking a cull due to both farmer and activist interference in treatment and control areas. Therefore the minister has decided to rule out culling.

 

However, the scientists involved have been looking at the longer effects of culling in the post-cull era. Interestingly it has been shown that the incidence of TB in cattle has declined (up to 52%) in culled areas relative to controls, but only in these "hot spot" areas such as the South West.

 

(Tangent: I think this post-cull idea is weird, if it truly is a result of stopping culling, which is possible as when you stop the culling there will be lots of animal movement from outside the hotspot (probably uninfected) into the hotspot area, then how do you decide how and when to start and stop culling?)

 

The Minister has decided to not change his mind at present but as DEFRA are funding the post-cull data research he suggests that they are interested in any new results.

 

The TB team are setting up a new way of managing the TB issue, to mimic the Bluetoungue eradication commitee, the ultimate aim being eradication of TB. As far as I am aware they have the permission to get this team up and running now. When questioned the Minister effectively said that this team would be able to look at and consider any route to eradication that was possible. Essentially he, very politically, said that he would not currently endorse a cull for various reasons but that the eradication committee would have everything (presumably culling) at their disposal.

 

Ultimately it was clear however, that farming practices are the biggest single cause of badger derived TB infection in cattle, in that farmers are too cost-limited, apathetic or proud to deal with problems such as adequate doors on feed barns and appropriate protection of feeding troughs or bins. Whats the point in a cull when you dont stop vermin getting into your cattle feeding areas!

 

As always the lack of interest of UK farmers in taking these measures is likely a result of multiple issues, but I would like to hear it reported from DEFRA that they have confidence in their farmers practices before they start looking at culling again.

 

Again, well done on your badger, could you please post the taxidermists work when its finished, or what recipe you used to eat the meat!

 

Best wishes

 

T

[tom1cameron 1]

We are not talking eradication, we are not talking killing for the sake of it, its about management of our Countryside,

Anyone who thinks otherwise is in the wrong forum or perhaps Bill Oddie has brainwashed you.

 

Love to get a reaction from those sitting on the fence,

 

Country Life

 

I can think otherwise to you (see above post) and be a part of this forum thankyou very much!

This does not make me a Bill Oddie. Allthough I am a bit hairy, slightly podgy and I know how tell a wagtail from a warbler!

 

T

[labsnlurchers 39]

If the ban on Badgers is ever lifted then there will be a mass slaughter all over Britain then what?....the so called TB epidemic that was spouted before they were a protected species never materialised and was grossly exagerated. Personally I dont see what the sport in killing these beasts is. Something that can smash a dog to peices has to be dug out then smashed on the head with a shovel...very sporting as for shooting them ...here you can practically walk up to them and put a bullet in their head if you wanted too. Each to their own I spose but imo this isnt about hunting its more about sport....and not a very dignified one at that. The other old chestnut about it decimating the wildlife population is guff as well. Theres been more damage done to wildlife in this country through the use of pesticides and the change to farming practices than any natural predator ever done.....I will now go into the fetal position and await the customary kicking from the terrier lads and shooters

 

If my memory serves me right the figures are now up to 300 cattle a day slaughtered because of TB.

Badgers eat hedgehogs http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=A...d37aa678cd2264d

"Badgers are members of the weasel family and have the musky odor characteristic of this family. They are opportunists, preying on ground-nesting birds and their eggs, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and insects."This is copied from http://hubpages.com/hub/Everything-you-wan...w-about-Badgers

 

 

I'm not disputing the fact that they eat hedgehogs and other stuff they've been doing that since they first crawled on the earth...only the amount of damage they cause to wildlife....there are plenty of badgers where I am and not one case of TB

 

The farmers that live by you are lucky then, to be free from it in their cattle. And unfortunately that is what it comes down to luck, TB is not able to be actively managed by the farmers because the vectors that exist in our wildlife population are not able to be controlled, rendering the farmers helpless. Even though there is no TB where you are such a large population of badgers will effect the population of the things they predate. Badgers have no natural predator so their population is left to its own devices which will inevitably cause problems and i dont see where people have such a problem in accepting this. Deer are being culled because their population is too big and their is evidence to show they aid the spread of TB. The same is true of the badgers but no cull???? Who is it that decides that a badger is more important???

[SportingShooter 0]

If the ban on Badgers is ever lifted then there will be a mass slaughter all over Britain then what?....the so called TB epidemic that was spouted before they were a protected species never materialised and was grossly exagerated. Personally I dont see what the sport in killing these beasts is. Something that can smash a dog to peices has to be dug out then smashed on the head with a shovel...very sporting as for shooting them ...here you can practically walk up to them and put a bullet in their head if you wanted too. Each to their own I spose but imo this isnt about hunting its more about sport....and not a very dignified one at that. The other old chestnut about it decimating the wildlife population is guff as well. Theres been more damage done to wildlife in this country through the use of pesticides and the change to farming practices than any natural predator ever done.....I will now go into the fetal position and await the customary kicking from the terrier lads and shooters

 

If my memory serves me right the figures are now up to 300 cattle a day slaughtered because of TB.

Badgers eat hedgehogs http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=A...d37aa678cd2264d

"Badgers are members of the weasel family and have the musky odor characteristic of this family. They are opportunists, preying on ground-nesting birds and their eggs, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and insects."This is copied from http://hubpages.com/hub/Everything-you-wan...w-about-Badgers

 

 

I'm not disputing the fact that they eat hedgehogs and other stuff they've been doing that since they first crawled on the earth...only the amount of damage they cause to wildlife....there are plenty of badgers where I am and not one case of TB

 

The farmers that live by you are lucky then, to be free from it in their cattle. And unfortunately that is what it comes down to luck, TB is not able to be actively managed by the farmers because the vectors that exist in our wildlife population are not able to be controlled, rendering the farmers helpless. Even though there is no TB where you are such a large population of badgers will effect the population of the things they predate. Badgers have no natural predator so their population is left to its own devices which will inevitably cause problems and i dont see where people have such a problem in accepting this. Deer are being culled because their population is too big and their is evidence to show they aid the spread of TB. The same is true of the badgers but no cull???? Who is it that decides that a badger is more important???

A man in a suit with an affection for them

[silver_fox 0]

At last, a sensible, coherent and reasoned reply to what is a very contentious issue. I am definitely a fence sitter, my mind is wide open to both sides of the argument. If DEFRA comes up with uncontrovertible evidence that badgers are responsible for bovine TB and allows a cull, I will do my bit for my local farming comunity; (they also make a mess of my paddocks and I have to fill in the holes to stop my horses breaking their legs).

[labsnlurchers 39]

The following statements i have copied from the mammal society web site.

 

Despite having spread geographically, TB in cattle has remained largely associated, since the 1980’s, with particular geographical regions. Identifiable genetic strains of TB (spoligotypes) are also to a large extent geographically localised. These facts are suggestive of a wildlife reservoir.

 

The badger is not an endangered species in Britain -- on the contrary, it is a very successful one. It has, however, been seriously persecuted in both the distant and more recent past and so is legally protected.

 

There is no doubt that badgers are affected by Bovine Tuberculosis, of the same strains as are found in the local cattle.

There is also no doubt that the incidence of bovine TB in cattle has increased numerically and spread geographically since the 1980’s, and that it continues to do so.

 

TB spreads from badger to cattle, cattle to badger, cattle to cattle and badger to badger, that is fact. So if a farmer's cattle get TB he has them slaughtered to eradicate it from his herd but his farmland has badgers. In the time that the cattle were infected the previously clean bagers got TB. So now what? If the farmer gets more cattle they too will be infected because the wildlife vector remains. They will be slaughtered and replaced and they will be slaughtered and replaced and so it goes on.

 

I did a report into TB and badgers for the FUW, i will see if i can find it out. I had reveiwed alot of the scientific studies that have been done on this subject.

[Guest rorey]

i whould never hurt a bager

[McSparkie 0]

I just shot me my first badger! Was sitting in a tree stand since 8pm in a meadow lots of roedeer around me when I felt that there was something moving at the edge of the woods.. looked through my binos and there she was - missus badger.

as it was already getting darker, I turned on the red dot and let her have it. 110meters - 308win.

 

I skinned it and will bring it to the taxidermist tomorrow...

 

do you guys hunt badgers?

 

I think you may be needed here