.JPG)
It was interesting to watch the reaction in
the press to this weeks announcement by a group of researchers at the
University Of East Anglia (UEA) that some 750,000 deer need to be culled in the
UK. Radio Norfolk were among the first to invite open air debate on the topic
and ‘yours truly’ was highly amused at the polarised views. Fair play to the
radio producers who were prepared to open out a very emotive topic. Dangerous
territory on live radio!
Yes, the reaction from the Bambi brigade
was wholly predictable. Nothing should ever be culled and wild animals aren’t a
lower order than humans. These people obviously know wild animals that develop
medicines, design spacecraft and use computers. These 'antis' love to walk in the
woods and hug trees but can’t understand that what our friends at the UEA were
trying to say is that if we don’t control deer, there won’t be any new woods!
But, as the prophet said, there are none so blind as those who will not see.
If that was predictable, I was totally
unprepared for the reaction from my own brethren, the hunting and stalking
fraternity. Their reaction was incredulity (at the numbers mooted) and a high
degree of suspicion. It’s not every week that academics step forward and say
‘please go forth and shoot’. A fact widely stated by shooters yet perhaps
missed by the media was that, by and large, the rural deer population is well
controlled. Farmers and landowners (including a certain Mr Brian May, allegedly!) give stalking
permission to keep deer herds in check .. and healthy. The problem, the root of
the UEA research deduction, is the urban and suburban deer population. Yes ..
just as with foxes .. our public parks, shrubberies, cemeteries and amenity
woodlands are stuffed full of deer. Roe and muntjac mainly, but also fallow and
sika. Less so the magnificent red deer. These can’t be easily controlled as few Local Authorities are prepared to permit
shooting and even if they did, many of these areas would be unsafe for
small-bore rifle work. A fox is small enough to trap and deal with away from the public. A deer isn't.
The interviews I heard with the UEA
research team mentioned the deer versus traffic problem. I wonder how many of the
general public have had an 'altercation' with a roebuck? Not something I have
personally endured yet but I know several people who have and I’ve seen the
results. Norfolks major roads are littered every day with deer casualties.
Human victims are more frequent than we appreciate .. including occasional
fatalities .. yet even I would advocate that this is no excuse for a cull. Nor
would I deny, however, that the simple laws of mathematics say more deer, more
road deaths? Stands to reason. No .. the real reason for controlling deer
numbers has to be habitat and environmental protection. I could walk someone
around my shooting permissions (where deer are culled) and demonstrate the
point but unless they really understand Mother Nature (and few anti's do) then
it would be pointless.
Now .. that report emanated from a campus
on the edge of Norwich and I could almost, tangibly, hear the ripple of
cynicism from the shooting and stalking community asking for credentials?
Relax, guys and girls. The UEA is an internationally recognised centre of
environmental excellence. I have some professional involvement (in the day job)
with the campus and can vouch for its ethos. Environmental protection balanced
against sense and practicality. This report, to me .. a hunter .. reflected
that ethos. There is no room for sentiment when dealing with environmental
threat. Whether the threat is to a land-mass, an eco-system, a vulnerable
species or a humble songbird we humans, the higher order .. there I said it again .. have the power, the
intelligence and the resource to intervene. So intervene we must. If we fail in
that duty, then we have failed Mother Nature .. who blessed us with that power.
I live fairly close to the UEA. Its
estate, bordering the River Yare, is managed as an environmental delight too.
Too many rabbits, grey squirrels and magpies for my comfort but, hey, what the hell! All of the photos attached (except the deer ones)
here were taken on a walk around its woods and waterways today. Enjoy
.. and love those academics and their students. They are studying and lecturing
to save our planet .. and quite obviously with a very commendable lack of bias.
No comments:
Post a Comment