Who would want to enforce idiotic law?
IN his letter Hunting deer for fun is an offence, November 10 John Phelps expounds upon the intricacies of the Hunting Act.
In particular he states that my practice of using three dogs to flush out wild deer from my woodland in order to disperse them is illegal.
I have actually recently checked on this by phoning the police for advice. The first officer I spoke to informed me that I was breaking the law unless I complied with the conditions which meant that I would have to use just two dogs and shoot all the wild mammals that emerged from the woodland.
I mulled this over and phoned back for some firearms advice as I have no gun. I was then informed that in fact I had to use only two dogs but did not have to shoot any animals. When I pointed out the previous advice they got a wildlife crime officer to phone me back.
This officer's initial advice was that the shooting condition only applied to people who wanted to shoot the deer. I informed him that if that were true the two dog condition would only apply to people who wanted to use two dogs.
We then went through the law together and he decided that in fact the deer would all have to be shot to comply with the law. Considering recent studies are suggesting an alarming drop in red deer numbers in the wake of the hunting ban as landowners take over deer management in an uncoordinated manner such wholesale slaughter just to comply with a badly thought out law would seem regrettable.
When I informed the police that I thought this law was a load of hogwash and I would just carry on as I have always done they told me that they would only take action if there was a complaint. From this it is clear that in spite of sending me many emails demanding that I obey the hunting act no one in the anti hunting fraternity has complained about my actions.
All sides in the hunting debate know that the shooting condition and the bar on more than two dogs are utterly ridiculous.
If Mr Phelps thinks I should obey the law as he sees it maybe he should write to the police and report his letter to this paper.
I suspect Mr Phelps will not write that letter. No one could want such an idiotic law enforced.
Giles Bradshaw
Rose Ash, Devon
3 Comments
by Iain, Newton Abbot / South West
Monday, November 15 2010, 4:11PM
“I loath watching videos of wild animals being chased, tormented, tortured, chewed, and killed for "SPORT".
Landed Gentry have a responsibility to nuture their Estates, not to promote profligate slaughter.
Play fair, or suffer the resulting Press problems”
by DONTYAWISYAGIRLFIENDWASHOTLIKEME, Taunton
Sunday, November 14 2010, 10:38AM
“"It is an absolute disgrace that the Devon and Cornwall police are doing nothing to bring this criminal to book. He is laughing at the law, at parliament and at society in general."
I cannot think of a better example of what killjoys the anti hunt movement is. You spend 70 years campaigning and what you got is a law which can be broken by NOT killing animals.
The simple fact is that you don't want Giles Bradshaw to obey this law you just want him to shut up.
As he says if you wanted him to be prosecuted you would complain to the police and they would have to take action. The reason you don't complain is that you know full well it would create massively more suffering if he shot the deer.”
by Animal Rights come first, Cornwall
Sunday, November 14 2010, 10:02AM
“The Hunting Act is not badly drafted or ill thought out. The requirement to shoot is in the law because it is the best and surest way of preventing any possibility of a chase. Parliament looked at this very carefully and it decided that hunting with dogs is more cruel than shooting so this law makes perfect sense.
The reason Giles Bradshaw is refusing to kill the deer has nothing to do with any concern for them and everything to do with a wish to preserve them in his woods as his personal playthings. His activities are disgusting and evil and the vast majority of people in this country backs the law as it stands 100%.
This law was campaigned for for many years and hundreds of hours spent debating it. Giles Bradshaw has no right to criticise or break it. The law should be enforced.
Where it is being deliberately broken as Giles Bradshaw is doing there should be a prison sentence rather than just a fine.
It is an absolute disgrace that the Devon and Cornwall police are doing nothing to bring this criminal to book. He is laughing at the law, at parliament and at society in general.
Giles Bradshaw's antiquated means of deer control should be consigned to the history book.
He should be arrested immediately. His fogs should be taken from him and out into a caring home where they are not forced to participate in his sick activities. Let's not forget that they are victims too of this abominable and reprehensible crime.
ENFORCE THE LAW!!!!”