Wendy S said:

Mike, I'm not sure those who live in or near the countryside always understand the workings of the countryside. A large part of my working life was spent in rural areas as is most of my leisure time and I have met some sorry cases there.

I'd agree with you 100%, because a lot of town folk move to the country in the hope of finding their little piece of tranquillity.

A cousin of mine has worked a farm that has been in the family for well over a century, a new build bungalow at the time, some 30 years ago, and the new occupants objected to the muck spreading in the field as they were preparing it for next years wheat!

Clare Bailey said:

Michael B said:

!!!  You can have at least as much connection with Nature if you're a townie.  I've been a townie all my life - wherever I've lived I've had birds in the garden, even when I lived near the middle of Ipswich.

A valid point Clare, though I tend to feel those able to connect with nature, are more rural types than townies, even if living in urban areas.

I'm finding it increasingly harder to connect because of the urban sprawl around here and neighbouring towns and cities. Villages are now part of towns or cities, and it is a minimum of 30 mins drive to actually see the countryside.

With HS2, that is now changing fast, and for the worst. A satellite construction site has just finished its woodland clearing work, and is being currently being decommissioned, and there are to be 150 (small and very small gardens if any) houses built there, which will make the countryside that little bit further away!

So much for returning the land to its original use.....

Perhaps, I'm getting very tarnished in my view, and I'll take any criticism calmly, for things are not always black and white, though it seems that way around here, there are shades of grey.

I'm a grumpy old man.... LOL    

I don't think it is "townies" that lay out the poisoned bait, set the illegal traps etc. As stated in one of the linked articles, the majority of raptor persecution takes place on or near grouse moors. Although the Scottish government is taking steps to regulate the grouse shooting industry it appears that the London government has no desire to upset its rich pals. Even when people are charged with a crime it seems that the courts are unwilling to give out any meaningful deterrent. Ian

Ian S said:

I don't think it is "townies" that lay out the poisoned bait, set the illegal traps etc. As stated in one of the linked articles, the majority of raptor persecution takes place on or near grouse moors. Although the Scottish government is taking steps to regulate the grouse shooting industry it appears that the London government has no desire to upset its rich pals. Even when people are charged with a crime it seems that the courts are unwilling to give out any meaningful deterrent. Ian

Poison bait and traps are laid by both urban/townies as well as country folk, both legally and illegally.