COMMITTEE OF INQUIRY INTO HUNTING WITH DOGS
BASC RESPONSE TO LORD BURNS’ INVITATION TO SUBMIT WRITTEN EVIDENCE TO THE COMMITTEE OF INQUIRY
To jump straight to a particular question/section click on the question/section number
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
1.1 The British Association for Shooting and Conservation was founded in 1908 and incorporates the Gamekeepers Association of the United Kingdom. BASC is the largest representative national body for sporting shooting and gamekeeping with a subscribing membership of 130,000 people including 4,382 gamekeepers and around 12,000 active deerstalkers. Our members are involved in all aspects of shooting sports including pest control.
1.2 BASC is governed by an elected Council and receives advice from specialist advisory committees for game shooting, gamekeeping and deer stalking. BASC employs around 80 fulltime staff and they include professionals in game and deer management, education and training, scientific research and wildlife conservation. BASC has fulltime regional and country offices throughout England and Wales, as well as in Scotland and Northern Ireland.
1.3 BASC has concluded formal statements of common interest and co-operation, backed by regularly up-dated action plans, with the government’s statutory conservation advisers – English Nature, Countryside Council for Wales, Scottish Natural Heritage, and the Environment and Heritage Service in Northern Ireland. The purpose of the statements of co-operation is to ensure that the large amount of conservation work within the shooting community continues to be linked to developing national conservation agendas.
1.4 The following response deals with the areas of pest control with which we are concerned and which relate to the inquiry - shooting, snaring and the use of terriers. Whilst we are a shooting and gamekeeping organisation and our submission is mainly limited to those areas, we believe that hunting provides a practical and viable option for culling wild mammals in the countryside and along with many thousands of experienced country people, strongly support its retention.
2. DEFINITIONS
2.1 The remit of the inquiry does not extend to the use of dogs to retrieve dead or injured quarry. One of the issues that has repeatedly emerged from past reviews of hunting with dogs has been the need to define precisely what activities this does and does not include. For example, it is commonplace to use one or more dogs to locate and track wild mammals for the purpose of dispatch by shooting. Similarly, even the best-trained gundogs can embarrass their handlers through the unauthorised pursuit of a wild mammal. These are not activities that are commonly understood to be ‘hunting with dogs’, yet they may be covered by imprecise definitions.
2.2 The following sections therefore describe the use of dogs in shooting, the methods employed by shoot managers to control damage, and the threat of damage, by foxes, and the role of shooting in deer management.
3. THE USE OF DOGS IN SHOOTING
3.1 A gundog is bred and trained to fulfil a particular function on the shoot. The main functions are the location of the quarry and its retrieval after having been shot. During the shooting day, location may involve searching for and putting the quarry to flight ("flushing" the quarry) so that it passes within the range of waiting guns. Alternatively, the dog finds the quarry and "points" it without immediately putting it to flight. Typical breeds of dog employed for searching and flushing the quarry are the spaniels; while for pointing there are pointers and setters, and for retrieving the Labrador is very popular. Continental breeds such as the German Pointer are multifunctional and supposed to hunt, point, and retrieve (HPRs).
3.2 BASC has surveyed the use of gundogs and found that 62% of members own one or more. Of owners, 46% used a retriever, 46% used a spaniel, 9% a terrier, 8% crossbreed, 6% HPR, 2% pointer or setter, 1% lurcher, and 1% other breed. It is probable that these percentages are still broadly representative of ownership, though the proportion of shooters having the use of retrieving dogs has increased as awareness of the consequences of not doing so has been raised. While many shooters do not own a gundog they will be backed up by gundog handlers – pickers up – organised by the shoot manager.
3.3 Whatever the dog’s role in shooting, game management or deer stalking, it is bred and trained to fulfil a particular function. This enables the shooter, game manager or deerstalker, acting within established codes of practice supported by appropriate training and qualification, to kill the quarry humanely.
4. EDUCATION & TRAINING
4.1 BASC offers a range of training and assessment opportunities to members and non-members. There is a continuing educational process through the development of codes of practice, and in addition, BASC provides certificated training leading to national qualifications where that is appropriate.
4.2 Formal and informal methods of education are commonplace within the shooting community. Traditionally, those involved in the sector, both employed and otherwise, learned at the feet of an established keeper or stalker. Increasingly qualifications of the NVQ format are being seen as the preferred route to employment. The majority of people, however, are not employed, but the tasks they carry out are the same as those that are and the NVQ standards therefore relate directly to the way they carry out certain functions. Many take part purely to learn more about an area of their life where they wish to become proficient, or because it interests them.
4.3 Certificated training that indicates a person’s capability to carry out a task effectively is increasingly in demand from landowners and other occupiers. This provides a degree of assurance.
4.4 All the main shooting organisations contribute to standards development within Lantra, the National Training Organisation for the land based industries sector. In order to provide certification within technical areas, BASC offers specific awards. These are maintained through the training of trainers and assessors, and established working protocols.
5. ‘KEEPERED AND NON-‘KEEPERED AREAS
5.1 While game of some kind is shot on 94,000 out of 215,849 (43.5%) agricultural landholdings in Great Britain and there will be some degree of management, there is a distinction to be made between those land areas that are managed by a gamekeeper and those that are not. ‘Keepered land is closely managed on a regular basis by full or part-time land managers who rely mainly on shooting, snaring and the use of terriers for the prevention of damage by pests such as foxes. The vast majority of land, around 90% of agricultural landholdings, is not under the management of a professional gamekeeper. In these areas, the farmer/landowner – or occupier of the shooting rights - is obliged to use judgement in choosing the most appropriate method of control according to the practicalities and economics of their particular situation. The methods available include hunting with dogs, the use of terriers, shooting and snaring. Our experience tells us all of these methods are necessary and have a role to play in meeting such local needs. Ultimately, BASC believes that the local farmer, landowner or occupier is in the best position to make the judgement about which method to employ.
5.2 There are around 5,500 full time "head, single-handed and under" gamekeepers working on a total of 3,500 ‘keepered shoots. A ‘keepered shoot will extend across a number of agricultural landholdings – it may be around 4 to 7, and perhaps higher in Wales where landholdings tend to be smaller. If that is so, 14,000 (6%) to 24,500 (11%) of agricultural landholdings are ‘keepered fulltime.
5.3 The following sections provide some detail into the methods of control for which BASC carries responsibility. Almost all of these areas are reinforced by BASC codes of conduct as well as education and training programmes.
6. FOX CONTROL
6.1.1 In 1994, BASC comprehensively surveyed the gamekeepers in membership, their activities, and evaluated their contribution to the management of the countryside. 2,800 gamekeepers – half of those employed as keepers - were sent a questionnaire and the 58% response was remarkable in view of its length and complexity. 72.7% of the respondents were full time professional keepers, 13.6% were part time professionals and 13.6% were amateur.
6.1.2 Of the gamekeepers asked, 96.4% said that foxes were present on their land and needed to be controlled. Control was necessary to ensure that damage to game, wildlife and livestock was reduced or kept at acceptable levels. The particularly vulnerable times of year were lambing and nesting.
6.1.3 Our survey revealed that on the land covered by gamekeeping, four methods of fox control are employed: shooting at night, snaring, driving the foxes to guns, and terriers. On average 57% of foxes were shot, 30% killed by snaring, and 9% by the use of terriers. Almost all gamekeepers control foxes by shooting, 86% used snares and 57% used terriers. These data demonstrate that although the number of foxes killed by shooting, snaring and terriers varies, the vast majority of gamekeepers require the use of all methods in order to manage damage by the local fox population.
6.1.4 Control takes place during all months of the year with the months of February, March, April, May, August and September being the most important.
6.2 Lamping (Shooting at Night)
6.2.1 There are no specific legal restrictions on the night shooting of foxes. Authorised persons may legally shoot foxes at night. The Firearms Act 1968 Section 19 makes it an offence for a person without lawful authority or reasonable excuse to have a firearm together with ammunition in a public place.
6.2.2 Lamping usually takes place from the back of a four-wheeled drive vehicle. In addition to the driver there is usually a person operating a powerful searchlight, and a designated person who will shoot. The vehicle is driven very slowly across the land and the searchlight is cast from side to side at regular intervals until the fox is located. Once clearly identified, in range and positively confirmed as safe to shoot the fox may then be shot.
6.2.3 A .22 calibre center-fire rifle is usually employed and .22-250 is widely regarded as the ideal cartridge. Other .22 center-fire cartridges are also used, notably .222 Rem or .223. The larger .243 calibre was specifically developed in America as a multi-purpose rifle particularly for smaller mammals. The .243, which is widely used in England and Wales for Muntjac and Roe Deer stalking, has the advantage of catering for a wide range of bullet configurations and some are eminently suitable for foxes. Occasionally 12 bore shotguns are used and when combined with an appropriately heavy shot size e.g. 3 or 4 and at ranges up to 20 metres they are an effective alternative.
6.2.4 BASC produced a Code of Practice on Lamping (Night Shooting) in 1996 which has been widely distributed and is recognised by a number of police forces as the ‘standard’ for all night shooting – foxes and ground game. Lincolnshire Constabulary has distributed copies of the code with both shotgun and firearms application and renewal forms.
6.3 Driving Foxes to Guns
6.3.1 Gamekeepers commonly arrange for foxes to be driven from cover to standing guns. Woodland is driven by beaters towards a number of standing guns which have been strategically placed along rides or similar breaks in the standing timber. The numbers involved can range from 3 or 4 driving small stands of woodland and up to 60 or more when driving large tracts of forestry. Owing to the nature of the terrain foxes are shot with 12 bore shotguns using the appropriate heavy shot size e.g. pellets of size 3 or 4, at close quarters and at ranges not greater than 20 metres.
6.3.2 Specialist "gun packs" employing three or more couple of fox hounds in combination with waiting guns are employed in certain parts of England and particularly Wales to control fox numbers to prevent damage to livestock in the surrounding countryside. The gun packs have been developed for use in forestry blocks where dogs that have not been trained to pursue foxes would not have the perseverance to efficiently drive foxes from cover.
6.4 Snaring
6.4.1 The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 states that only "authorised persons" are allowed to use snares, which includes gamekeepers. When carried out properly and in accordance with BASC’s ‘Fox Snaring – A Code of Practice’ legal snaring is an effective and humane method of fox control. In addition to legal requirements, the code emphasizes that:
6.4.2 The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 Section 11 makes it illegal to set in position any self locking snare, set any trap or snare calculated to cause bodily injury to any animal listed in Schedule 6 (Badger, Pine Marten, Otter, Red Squirrel, Wild Cat, Polecat) and the Deer Act 1991 and Wildlife (Northern Ireland) Order 1985 make it an offence to set in position any trap or snare calculated to cause bodily injury to any deer coming into contact with it, or use the purpose of taking or killing any deer any trap or snare. BASC’s code of practice on snaring repeatedly emphasizes that "If in doubt do not set a snare"
6.4.3 We believe that the steps taken towards the education of gamekeepers and pest controllers will almost eradicate the capture of non-target species in snares. In addition to the code of practice, BASC regularly runs pest and predator control courses for game managers around the country, including an annual Wildlife Law Enforcement Seminar in conjunction with Derbyshire Constabulary for police officers. This seminar is regularly attended by over 30 Constabularies. In addition BASC provides both theoretical and practical training on the legalities of traps and trapping on the National Police Wildlife Liaison Officers Foundation Course which is held twice yearly at Warwickshire Police Headquarters. The Game Conservancy Trust also runs courses aimed at gamekeepers.
6.4.4 The alternatives to snaring such as cage traps have limited use. The government recognizes that this method has "proved unsuccessful at trapping other species such as foxes, which tend to avoid entering them…" The government has also stressed that " A complete ban on snares may also encourage the use of more dangerous and illegal alternatives, such as poisons." In its deliberations on the badger culling trials, the Bourne Committee examined various capture methods, and stated that snares are efficient, cheap to build, light and easily transported. The Committee observed that the "public perception of snaring appears to be based largely on evidence arising from the misuse of snaring". It added that the experience of MAFF, although limited, suggested that the risk of capturing non-target species in snares "is small."
6.5 The use of Terriers
6.5.1 Terriers have a specific and essential role in fox control. They are allowed to enter the fox earth or location of a fox in the following basic sets of circumstances:
6.5.2 The use of terriers is the most effective method open to gamekeepers once a fox is underground.
6.5.3 The use of terriers is covered by a code of practice operated by the National Working Terrier Federation, which is endorsed by BASC.
7. DEER MANAGEMENT AND STALKING
7.1.1 The management of deer in England and Wales is the responsibility of individual landowners and occupiers. The Government through the Forestry Commission has recently sponsored the setting up of the Deer Initiative as the preferred vehicle to ensure the delivery of a sustainable, well managed and healthy wild deer population in England. A Welsh Deer Initiative is also being developed. The Deer Initiative is a partnership between government agencies and non-governmental organisations including, among others, such bodies as MAFF, DETR, RSPCA, English Nature, CLA and BASC. The Deer Initiative encourages good deer management through local Deer Management Groups. The Deer Initiative has agreed that culling deer will normally be needed to prevent a deer population from increasing and around 20-25% of the adults will need to be shot each year. Culling will concentrate on mature females to control populations. There is no single recommended population to aim for and an acceptable deer population is that which an area can sustain without unacceptable damage to local interests.
7.1.2 In 1995/96 a BASC survey indicated that BASC members shot over 180,000 deer across the United Kingdom and it is likely that the total number of deer shot that year was approximately 250,000. In England and Wales the law stipulates that to shoot deer, other than in certain exceptional circumstances, a rifle having a minimum calibre of 0.240 inches and minimum muzzle energy of 1,700 foot-pounds must be used in conjunction with hollow-nosed or soft-pointed ammunition.
7.2 Training and Qualifications
7.2.1 The Deer Initiative and the BDS/BASC Code of Practice both state that ‘culling must be carried out safely, legally and humanely’. To that end a new progressive system of voluntary qualifications based on the standards laid down in the government’s National Standards has been introduced through a new awarding body, Deer Management Qualifications Ltd. These qualifications – The Deer Stalking Certificate Levels 1 and 2 - enable deerstalkers to demonstrate that they have the necessary theoretical knowledge and practical skill. The qualifications are increasingly recognized by landowners and managers and are endorsed by the Deer Initiative. A growing number of colleges specializing in rural estate management as well as other organisations, including BASC, provide training and assessment for professional as well as recreational deer managers.
7.3 Use of Dogs
7.3.1 Other than in stag hunting, dogs are not used in England and Wales to flush deer, or bring deer to bay, so that they may be shot. However, professional and recreational deerstalkers use dogs for two main purposes. Dogs are used in order to ‘scent’ the deer, which indicates to the stalker that a deer is present long before the deerstalker can actually see it. Dogs are also used to locate a deer that has run into cover even though it was fatally shot, or to track a deer when the shot was not fatal.
7.3.1 The Code of Practice produced jointly by the BDS and BASC and endorsed by the Deer Commission for Scotland suggests that where possible deerstalkers should have access to a trained dog.
8. HARE CONTROL
8.1 In many areas, notwithstanding their decline elsewhere, Brown Hares can still be a source of damage to agriculture and growing timber - particularly young plantations. Fencing can reduce damage to small areas of woodland but this may be impractical with larger plantations. In upland areas, Mountain or Blue Hares may also need to be controlled.
8.2 Where large numbers of hares are present considerable damage can occur. In consequence, shoots during February and March are organized to reduce numbers. Hares will be driven by beaters towards standing guns equipped with appropriate shotguns and ammunition.
9. MINK CONTROL
9.1 Over the last 10 years Mink have extended their range considerably and there are very few areas in England and Wales where mink are not present. They are voracious predators and if left unchecked can be responsible for reducing both water voles, a wide range of waterbirds and game. In addition to the packs of mink hounds, live cage trapping, humane spring traps placed in specially constructed tunnels and, occasionally, shooting are employed to reduce their numbers locally.
10. SHOOTING AND THE RURAL ECONOMY
10.1 Shooting brings considerable work and revenue into the countryside – 26,300 fulltime jobs have been quoted as being directly dependent on shooting in the UK as a whole. Direct expenditure on shooting and stalking in the UK in 1996 was £402 million. UK tourists associated with shooting, stalking and hunting holidays contributed £9.7 million in 1995.
10.2 The interrelationships between shooting, farming, angling and hunting economies are considerable and finely balanced. A network of interacting and self-supporting factors sustains the viability of much local trade and employment, as well as many rural estates. Incautious interference would inevitably have unforeseen consequences and could do irreparable harm.
10.3 Retail outlets and shops for example that sell farm and garden products will also market shooting and equestrian equipment and clothing; not to mention dog food and related accessories. The diversity of product lines is important to the viability of retail operations.
10.4 Diversity also provides security for those employed in rural estate and farm operations. Our research demonstrates the extent to which gamekeeping, deer management, agricultural pest management, fishery management (and ghillying), as well as forestry and jobs around the farm may be components of one person’s job description.
10.5 Rural estates themselves require the diversity if they are to make ends meet. In some areas there will be crossover between tourists who fish, shoot and ride to hounds. This in turn affects the viability of the agencies that organise such recreation and the many rural hotels that receive bookings outside the summer tourist season.
11. CONCLUSIONS
11.1 The methods of pest control for which BASC is responsible are carried out safely and humanely, reinforced by codes of conduct and training. This ensures high standards in the field.
11.2 Ultimately, we strongly believe that the local farmer, landowner or occupier should be able to use their judgement about the most appropriate method of pest control to employ in their locality, according to their local circumstances.
11.3 Different methods of pest control are employed by land managers to deal with different circumstances. All methods, including hunting with dogs, are considered vital to those responsible for managing local pest populations and all, therefore, should be retained.
Back to topDate uploaded to site 8 March 2000