The latest shooting news to affect UK Deer Stalking. (March 2013)
Coldest March in 50 Years.
This March is already looking set to be the coldest March since 1970 and with forecasters predicating the current cold spell to last into the Easter weekend we may have to look back even further to 1962 to find such a cold start to spring.
The effect on farms in parts of the UK has been disastrous with the loss of countless spring lambs and other livestock. With most deer hinds and Does being heavily pregnant and due to give birth in the coming weeks it will be crucial that the weather takes a turn for the warmer in order to avoid similar losses in the UK deer population.
All Dogs to be Micro Chipped by 2016.
In the UK around 100,000 dogs are thought to be lost or abandoned each year. To combat these figures the Government has revealed that by law all dogs in the UK must be chipped by 6th April 2016 with fines of up to £500 payable by those who do not comply. It is hoped that the legislation will mean that fewer dogs are stolen and from those that are, more will be reunited with their owners.
Three Quarters of a million Deer to be culled each year.
This was the recommendation of the Dolman Report earlier this month. Few will have missed the main stream media reaction. On the whole much of it was balanced, however not all of it, and some of the reporting was highly emotive and lacking fair comment.
Dr Dolman's report was published by the University of East Anglia and claimed the UK deer population is running out of control and that there is a need for larger scale culling of deer to protect and preserve the UK countryside. (For a more in depth comment take a look at Peter's article of March 9th ).
Badger Cull to start in June
The on/off start of the proposed Badger Cull looks as though it will finally get the go ahead this summer. With environment secretary Owen Patterson announcing the go ahead for the cull to start in June.
It has been estimated that the UK tax payer has lost £500 million to Bovine TB over the last decade, with that figure set to rise. It is unclear at this stage if the launch sites of Gloucestershire and Somerset are to remain the main pilot sites, however early indications reveal that Northern Ireland may also soon be following suit with a proposed cull indicated for 2014.
Englands Forests to remain under Public Ownership.
Recent announcements by the Government seek to draw a line under the two year debate over ownership of our public woodlands, with a new 'Woodland Management Body' set to be put in place in order to look after the estate on behalf of the nation.
