Why is it that we condem other countries such as Malta for shooting 'wild' birds while we allow woodcock, most of them having travelled from Russia to be shot in their hundreds. My neighbour boasted last spring how he had shot 27 in one day. I often catch a glimpse of one as I walk my wood, they are a beautiful bird. Why is it we allow the shooting of 'wild' birds??
HI stritez.
The two are not directly comparable, I am not for the shooting of any bird, but the malta situation is not the same.
Your Woodcock for example, has already bred, finished it's migration and recovered, it has a sporting chance of not getting shot. Although 27 in one day is a high figure for an individual, shooting parties here are relatively small,
In Malta the birds are passing through on their migration routes, are running on empty after flying thousands of mile and desperate to get to the end of their journey. The hunters line the migration path in high numbers and drop thousands of birds indescriminately, the birds having little chance to avoid.
I Personally would like to see all shooting banned, but am also a realist, we coud loose more by pressing for an outright ban here.
It's both what you do and the way that you do it!
You cannot fly like an eagle with the wings of a wren. William Henry Hudson (1841 - 1922)
One difference is that our shooting,like it or not,is licenced,seasonal and legal,Woodcock are out of season from Feb to Sep.
Pete
Birding is for everyone no matter how good or bad we are at it,enjoy it while you can