Animal welfare consultant Jim Barrington goes on a tour of hare poaching victims in the Eastern Counties of England. With poachers damaging crops and farm equipment, it is up to gamekeepers to defend the land. Tony Blair’s 2004 ban on coursing was meant to have stopped this. Jim meets gamekeepers Geoff Garrod and Ed Coles and hears first hand how Blair’s ban has failed.
Click here for Ed Coles’ petition to increase poaching sentences
More news stories:

Anti-trailhunting MP arrested – Fieldsports News, 9 April 2025
Here are the links: League Against Cruel Sports boss arrested – Sky News UK uplands wildfires: Woodhead, Derbyshire – Facebook Staffordshire – ITV Northern Ireland

Bird flu restrictions on gamebird release – Fieldsports News, 2 April 2025
Here are the links: Bird flu restrictions for SPAs – GWCT Labour plans heather-burning ban – The Guardian RSPB-managed moorland ablaze – Facebook Government land

Fake shotgun certificate prompts review – Fieldsports News, 26 March 2025
Here are the links: Gun laws may be tightened – YouTube and BASC Cheshire Police want to be told you’re going shooting – Facebook Wild Justice

Police common-sense fail
Yorkshire gamekeepers James and Jono were astonished to be confronted by armed police, complete with helicopter, while heatherburning on the Upperwood estate on the edge

Police minister lies about gun licensing – Fieldsports News, 19 March 2025
Here are the links: Policing minister misleads MPs – Facebook and Judiciary.uk Deer ‘damage waterways’ – Broads-Authority.gov.uk (pdf) Hen harrier brood management trial ends – NaturalEngland.blog.gov.uk

Wildfires rage despite ‘rewetting’ – Fieldsports News, 12 March 2025
www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-77NW0qf8o Here are the links: Upland wildfires blamed on ‘rewetting’ – Facebook and c4pmc.co.uk Nathan Hales wins clayshooter of year – Instagram Scotland deerstalking courses surge

Armed sabs attack hunt – Fieldsports News, 5 March 2025
www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VAXrluFj8E Here are the links: Sab thugs attack hunt – BehindTheMasks.co.uk Europe lays out lead ban timetable – ec.europa.eu John Rigby’s 250th birthday – YouTube

Scotland wants to cull deerstalkers – Fieldsports News, 26 February 2025
Here are the links: Scotland could halve deerstalker numbers – News.stv.tv Rubbish keeps fox numbers high – GWCT LACS tears itself apart in High Court

Police could raid gun owners’ homes – Fieldsports News, 19 February 2025
Here are the links: New gun grab powers – BASC Cambridgeshire licensing fail – Cambs.police.uk Shotguns could go on FACs – Countryside Alliance New shooting

British Shooting Show 2025 – new rifles, prizewinners and tech
Join Charlie Jacoby on a wander round the British Shooting Show 2025 looking for interesting kit, prize draws, British marques and some new thermal launches.

MPs slam certificate fee hike – Fieldsports News, 12 February 2025
youtu.be/ODwzA3B4jlQ Here are the links: Certificate fee rise ‘unjustified’ say MPs – BASC Ireland faces mass deer cull – DonegalDaily.com and FRSFarmReliefServices.ie Taxpayers fund wild cat

African officials slam UK trophy imports ban plan
African government officials are lining up to criticise the UK government for its plan to ban trophy imports. They say that the move is colonial,