POINTLESS CRUELTY
The grouse shooting industry is both cruel and unnecessary and only carried out for the entertainment of those involved. Shooting parties go out between the ‘Glorious 12th’ of August (the official start of the shooting season) and November. Starting as early as 7am the shoots tour round various butts on the moors whilst beaters scare the birds out of heather towards the guns – many birds are still alive when they hit the floor following being shot. It is a common occurrence for grouse to have their wings shot off as it is difficult to kill a moving ‘target’ outright.
Investigators from West Yorkshire Hunt Sabs have also witnessed other animals which have fallen into shooting butts and had starved to death, unable to get out of the steep sides.
TRAPS AND WILDLIFE CONTROL
Fen traps are common on shooting moors and estates and used to kill any unwanted predators who may effect the game bird population. Animals walk over these barbaric traps and the jaws simply snap shut; rendering the animal unable to escape. A gamekeeper will check these traps usually once every few days and if the animal is still alive, they will shoot it. On other country estates and moors, animals have been documented chewing their limbs off in order to escape, but sadly many bleed to death from their injuries.
The traps don’t distinguish between what animal is caught so it could be anything from a rabbit, fox or even somebody’s dog who is walking in the area.
CONSERVATION
Lead used in shotgun cartridges has poisoned large areas of the countryside. The adjacent picture show a typically small shooting estate at Sharpcliffe Rocks in the Staffordshire Moorlands. Thousands of spent cartridges have simply been dumped with no respect for the countryside. The ground is that unusual reddish colour due to the thousands of steel ends to the cartridges simply rusting away – but how much lead is in this lot as well? Investigators from West Yorkshire Hunt Saboteurs have seen a similar situation on Burley Moor; the owners of which are set to take up management of publicly owned Ilkley Moor. Walking through this estate you will notice an eerie silence – not a single small bird or mammal can be seen or heard. This implies either shooters taking pot shots at anything that moves or poisoning on a large scale.
