A BBC report on mountain hare culling in Scotland has angered shooters. Antis showed the BBC a film about hare culling in Scotland, the BBC showed it to Scottish Green Party MSP Alison Johnstone, she challenged Scottish first minister Nicola Sturgeon, who has now said that large-scale culling of mountain hares on grouse moors is “not acceptable” and she wants to ban or license it. Underlying the report is a BBC belief that shooting hares is not normal.
Shooters have been quick to point out that hare culling is both normal and self regulating – as in our film, above. Tim Baynes, of Scottish Land and Estates, told the BBC the hares were only culled when numbers were high. The Angus Glens Moorland Group posted this film on Facebook, showing hares in high numbers:
However, the damage is done and Sturgeon is now considering legislation and a licensing scheme. Animal rights organisations OneKind and The League Against Cruel Sports consider their use of the BBC a lobbying success.
Here’s what happens when animal rights organisations take over wildlife management: