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The grouse debate – the time is now!

by John Duncan

Whatever one’s views on Brexit, most of us can agree that there was a general feeling of surprise when the results were announced. The UK had voted to leave the EU despite people believing that the change would never take place. Similarly, people thought that the Scottish referendum would never happen but the SNP’s campaign gathered pace and momentum and resulted in a closely run call with 45% of the vote in favour of independence.

The current threat to grouse shooting is very real and we must unite in our fight to oppose the attack by conservationists and the RSPB. Mark Avery’s petition has over 123,000 signatures and the issue will be debated in parliament on 31st October. The counter petition to protect grouse moors and grouse shooting has just 21,700 signatures. We don’t have to look that far back to recognise that had the pro-hunting lobby had more active and vocal support earlier in their campaign then we may not have had the Hunting Act.  We should learn from their shortcomings; opposition to our sport has seriously increased over the last ten years and there is a real possibility that we may not have grouse shooting as we know it in the not too distant future.

Our clients shoot with us up and down the country but there is a lack of awareness of the problems which we are facing. We all need to look past the end of our barrels and concern ourselves with making sure that the sport we love continues after we have gone.

Whilst we respect everyone’s opinion in this matter, we support the petition against a ban. If you enjoy your shooting and/or your livelihood depends upon it, please get behind the campaign and sign the online petition on the link below:-

https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/164851