DEVISTATING!!

[kimberley breeder]

Posted on the Birdlife Australia Facebook Page..Terrible news...
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-03-25/p ... ection=vic

[E Orix]

Just a comment
Living on the Vic/NSW border we can hear the Shooters letting go.
Personally I do not shoot and don't particularly like what happens but people look at things differently.
As for Mr Levy and Co I have no faith in, I get the impression that what they do is not quite on the level.
Actually his group do the shooters a favour by frightening the ducks into flight which then gives the shooters their shot.
Sure there are some idiots but don't call all shooters that, On duck opening some clown over the river from us started shooting and it was still dark.
As for the duck population around here, all I can say they are not scarce, infact over the last week we have had up to 23(smart) Wood Ducks enjoying our pond and lawn I only wish they would wear a nappy or go in one place. It's good watching them feed so close to the house though.

[Trilobite]

Like everything there are multiple sides to a story. I dare say that the morons that did this would do it anyway irrespective of the season and or licence conditions and more then likely don't belong to a sporting shooters association because they don't belong or cant adhere to some assembly of normality. I doubt professional shooters would tolerate this senseless slaughter as well. Duck hunting to the people that do it for a genuine reason/interest is no different to fishing, you have a licence and a bag limit and most people respect this. This allows them to enjoy their sport, have a feed and the money from licencing in part goes into research on sustainable use of the industry - well at least that is the theory. If we were to be serious about looking after our environment and all that is in it we wouldn't turn our bushland into parks and gardens and lawns ( which can artificially raise certain duck species populations along with others, and conversely it can send some into decline), we would not grow large monocultures of cereal grains and grasses (eg rice/sugar cane) that can also modify certain species numbers, eg grass whistlers, black duck and teals as well as magpie geese. Also if we didn't modify our environment in many situations eg make large water bodies within our and external to our suburban sprawl where they didn't exist in the first place then ducks etc would naturally disperse to smaller more dispersed water bodies and so make mass targets like what has happened in this article more remote.
There is also then the argument from some many controversial conservationists (Dr's Warmesly and Webb) that to help protect a species you should farm it eg crocs, Wollemi pine, foxtail palm to name but a few.

No matter your view or interest I think most normal people would find this senseless activity appalling to say the least.

[Craig52]

Just a comment
Living on the Vic/NSW border we can hear the Shooters letting go.
Personally I do not shoot and don't particularly like what happens but people look at things differently.
As for Mr Levy and Co I have no faith in, I get the impression that what they do is not quite on the level.
Actually his group do the shooters a favour by frightening the ducks into flight which then gives the shooters their shot.
Sure there are some idiots but don't call all shooters that, On duck opening some clown over the river from us started shooting and it was still dark.
As for the duck population around here, all I can say they are not scarce, infact over the last week we have had up to 23(smart) Wood Ducks enjoying our pond and lawn I only wish they would wear a nappy or go in one place. It's good watching them feed so close to the house though.

I agree with every thing you said Orix,i am a responsible duck shooter and just because i keep birds,doesn't mean i have to be a greeny.The tradition has been in my family for over one hundred years and two thirds of my fellow aviculturist mates are keen shooters as well.
I have seen this person or his chrones pick up dead ducks before the shooter has a chance too and rush them back to their vehicals so they can be laid on the steps of parliament,he will do anything for his cause,legal or not.
Yes there are the irresponsible idiots out there and i hope they OR OTHERS get caught if this is what they did. IMO only Craig

[Mortisha]

Well the problem with shooting is there is no regulation on idiots. And more and more idiots seem to be getting hold of guns.

When we lived in the Riverina the locals would dread duck season because “once a year warriors” would turn up in town, get drunk for the weekend and blast anything that moved. You would be finding injured and maimed bird & animals for weeks. This was not a rare event, it happen so damn often it was ridiculous. I don’t believe the “it’s just a few bad eggs” story anymore.

I am not anti-guns or anti shooting feral animals; we have always had guns on the farm.
But for gawd sake if they can’t tell the difference between a duck and a swan or a fricken cow for that matter then why the hell are they licensed?

[Craig52]

Well the problem with shooting is there is no regulation on idiots. And more and more idiots seem to be getting hold of guns.

When we lived in the Riverina the locals would dread duck season because “once a year warriors” would turn up in town, get drunk for the weekend and blast anything that moved. You would be finding injured and maimed bird & animals for weeks. This was not a rare event, it happen so damn often it was ridiculous. I don’t believe the “it’s just a few bad eggs” story anymore.

I am not anti-guns or anti shooting feral animals; we have always had guns on the farm.
But for gawd sake if they can’t tell the difference between a duck and a swan or a fricken cow for that matter then why the hell are they licensed?

Well Mortisha,that must have been many years ago as NSW hasn't had a duck season for many years other than Government organized shoots on rice fields where ducks are in plague proportions and eating the farmers lively hoods.
Please don't tar every one with the same brush. Craig

[matcho]

Gee

This post should be fun.

I must admit that there are some looneys out there that will shoot anything that moves but that being said there are some very responsible shooters out there that are distraught as we are about this incident. They are sportsmen (and women) who shoot for the sport, not wanton bloodlust. They observe bag limits and are pretty good in bird ID. Once again it is the very few that tarnish all the goodies out there.

'nuf said.

Matcho.

[desertbirds]

Quote "I agree with every thing you said Orix,i am a responsible duck shooter and just because i keep birds,doesn't mean i have to be a greeny.The tradition has been in my family for over one hundred years and two thirds of my fellow aviculturist mates are keen shooters as well."


Not having a go but i grew up with guns and shooting as well. Buy a camera and shoot some awesome pics, its harder than it looks and just as much a sport and probably more rewarding. The big problem is , these days there are just too many wallys that ruin it , wallys and guns dont mix . We ate what we shot , skinned, plucked, gutted,cooked and shared ,didnt waste too much. Im over it with duck shooting .Just buy one to eat, take pics of the rest and leave em be.

Most stations here banned shooting over 10 years ago, they will prosecute for camping these days, direct result of shooters shooting cattle .Middle of nowhere and there just isnt anywhere to shoot even ferals unless your great mates with a station owner.Times change.


thats my soap box for the day

[Craig52]

Quote "I agree with every thing you said Orix,i am a responsible duck shooter and just because i keep birds,doesn't mean i have to be a greeny.The tradition has been in my family for over one hundred years and two thirds of my fellow aviculturist mates are keen shooters as well."


Not having a go but i grew up with guns and shooting as well. Buy a camera and shoot some awesome pics, its harder than it looks and just as much a sport and probably more rewarding. The big problem is , these days there are just too many wallys that ruin it , wallys and guns dont mix . We ate what we shot , skinned, plucked, gutted,cooked and shared ,didnt waste too much. Im over it with duck shooting .Just buy one to eat, take pics of the rest and leave em be.

Most stations here banned shooting over 10 years ago, they will prosecute for camping these days, direct result of shooters shooting cattle .Middle of nowhere and there just isnt anywhere to shoot even ferals unless your great mates with a station owner.Times change.


thats my soap box for the day

Good on you DB,i know your not having a go at me and i do own a camera and take some great shots of birds.As quoted by a prominant member on this forum"i like them in the wild,i like them in an aviary and i like them on the plate" they are not called game birds for nothing. Craig gets off soap box now

[Netsurfer]

And here is something for animal lovers.

http://news.mongabay.com/2013/0326-hanc ... chers.html