Bounty on Grey squirrels ahead?

[Biddlesby]

Should they really be culled? It seems to me just evolution. Along the lines of culling grey squirrels, perhaps the parliment should consider culling all humans - we've done more than our share of damage to the environment.

 

[British Red]

Should they really be culled? It seems to me just evolution. Along the lines of culling grey squirrels, perhaps the parliment should consider culling all humans - we've done more than our share of damage to the environment.

Biddlesby,

Given they were introduced by man, I see 'em as a man made problem. Now if you see man as part of the evolutionary cycle, fair enough, but equally then why re-introduce Red Kites or seas eagles? They lost their foothold through man same as Grey Squirrels gained theres. I guess we either try to fix problems we've caused or accept them and meddle no further. Me I like seeing the kites round here so I vote for fix 'em. I don't think we'll ever wipe them out, but seeing them as anything other than vermin is daft. In fact the rat has more place in our ecosystem.

As for the human cull as we don't mean all squirrels, so perhaps not all humans - just those with distinctive markings (Burberry baseball caps perhaps )

Red

 

[Nemisis]

Is hunting with a bow illegal in scotland too? I can see many turning to crossbows if this goes ahead specially if they only need the tail to claim the bounty.
Dave.

 

[pothunter]

Bow hunting is ilegal in the UK, the only expeption being non-migratory non-salanoids (coarse fish), I've looked very closley at this one. Bowhunting in all its forms is becoming more widespread and accpeted thruout many parts of europe and fits nicely with bush craft especialy traditional bowhunting.

 

[gregorach]

Is hunting with a bow illegal in scotland too? I can see many turning to crossbows if this goes ahead specially if they only need the tail to claim the bounty.
Dave.

I would've thought snaring a more efficient approach...

 

[Labrador]

I've always had a few hang-ups about snaring (excuse the pun)!
My choice would be a scoped air r*fl*. Quick, accurate & above all, humane although if it were legal I would much prefer to use my bow!
:AR15firin

 

[Biddlesby]

Biddlesby,

Given they were introduced by man, I see 'em as a man made problem. Now if you see man as part of the evolutionary cycle, fair enough, but equally then why re-introduce Red Kites or seas eagles? They lost their foothold through man same as Grey Squirrels gained theres. I guess we either try to fix problems we've caused or accept them and meddle no further. Me I like seeing the kites round here so I vote for fix 'em. I don't think we'll ever wipe them out, but seeing them as anything other than vermin is daft. In fact the rat has more place in our ecosystem.

Red

I see what you are saying, that they were introduced by man. But I always feel we make things worse when we try and correct our mistakes...if we left everything alone it would settle to an equilibrium in the long long run.

 

[jamesoconnor]

we shouldn't be looking for a bounty on these animals as we should be eating them!!
well, maybe not me personally....

regards
james

 

[WERDNA]

hugh fearnly-witingstalll makes a very good statment on cook on the wild side, they are good to eat and have not been pumped with chemicals, i would like to try them, mmmm

 

[gregorach]

we shouldn't be looking for a bounty on these animals as we should be eating them!!
well, maybe not me personally....

regards
james

Well, since the idea is to pay bounty on the tails, you can do both!

Not that it will ever happen...

 

[British Red]

I see what you are saying, that they were introduced by man. But I always feel we make things worse when we try and correct our mistakes...if we left everything alone it would settle to an equilibrium in the long long run.

No problem with that, but does that mean you think we shouldn't re-introduce Red Kites for example (since that is another example of further meddling)?

Red

 

[stovie]

Can I reintroduce the brachiosaurus...I'd like to use it for getting to work and dropping the kids at school...Now thats what I call a 4X4

 

[British Red]

How about a brontosaurus what a piece of design - thin at one end, thick in the midlle, thin at the other end - a brontosaurus

 

[Kane]

Can I reintroduce the brachiosaurus...I'd like to use it for getting to work and dropping the kids at school...Now thats what I call a 4X4

Don't be daft - do you have any idea what the running costs of a brachiosaurus are!!!!!! Imagine the size of the garage ..... and the pooper scooper would have to be HUGE

 

[Biddlesby]

No problem with that, but does that mean you think we shouldn't re-introduce Red Kites for example (since that is another example of further meddling)?

Red

I feel that reintroducing Red Kites back into an ecosystem which they were doing perfectly well (bar man) is a different matter to culling a superior species which we introduced. And of course I'm completely for reintroducing the brachiosaurus, just to spice things up a bit.

It's not that I'm completely against a method of control, I'm just saying I don't think culling grey squirrels is really an effective method in the long run. But then again, man will always have an impact on nature and perhaps the damage done trying to rectify this is less than if we ignored the problem.

 

[British Red]

I feel that reintroducing Red Kites back into an ecosystem which they were doing perfectly well (bar man) is a different matter to culling a superior species which we introduced. And of course I'm completely for reintroducing the brachiosaurus, just to spice things up a bit.

It's not that I'm completely against a method of control, I'm just saying I don't think culling grey squirrels is really an effective method in the long run. But then again, man will always have an impact on nature and perhaps the damage done trying to rectify this is less than if we ignored the problem.

Hi mate - have a rep point for a nice civilised debate! I know I am playing devils advocate but I do so conscioulsly as I have rarely heard people defend (say) the Colorado beetle or the micro organisms that cause foot and mouth disease. However all of that is "moulding" nature (as of course is taking a course of antibiotics). The truth is the entire English landscape is "man affected".

In my mind, trying to control grey squirrels to protect an indigenous species is on a par with re-introducing kites or sea eagles. Both will lead to the deaths of other creatures. The only difference is that in once case man is the direct cause of death of an attractive creature, in the other the cause of (re-)introducing and attractive predator. Both lead to creatures deaths, the lack of action leads to rare creatures becoming rarer - a moral maze indeed

Red

 

[Povarian]

I feel that reintroducing Red Kites back into an ecosystem which they were doing perfectly well (bar man)

Ah, but the kites introduced are the European red kite and not the British red kite. Apparently, they couldn't get the Welsh conservationists to part with any of theirs, so they went to the continent. The European one is bigger.

I wonder what will happen when the two populations come into conflict for territory. This may turn out to be another good intention that doesn't play out how it was supposed to.

Personally, I love watching the kites, and would rather have the "wrong" ones than none.

Back to squirrels, they have reached plague proportions around here - even raiding the rubbish bins behind the offices here. They are truly vermin and should be culled.

Hmm... do red kites hunt squirrels?

 

[moduser]

red Kites are mostly carrion eaters, so best thing would be cull the Squirrels and leave them out for the kites.

 

[Womble_Lancs]

There was a debate in Westminster Hall today, on the subject of the Red Squirrel Population, raised by Peter Atkinson MP. I was rather interested to hear that in parts of the USA it is very common to eat squirrels, so I did a google search and found a fair few recipes. Dunno if it'll catch on here though.

Anyway, if you're interested to read the transcript of the debate, it will be available from tomorrow morning on the Hansard Pages. They're usually up by 8am.

 

[jamesoconnor]

im sure a few people on this forum have ate squirrell. infact i know of one or two who have. theyre meant to be really tasty too!!