Ray Mears: Why I won't be hunting Nessie during tour of Scotland

[JonathanD]

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/showbi...essie-during-tour-of-scotland-86908-22562670/

 

[Zingmo]

Thanks for that link.

Z

 

[MSkiba]

"Are you pals with fellow TV adventurer Bear Grylls?

I've never met him. People try to pick a fight between us but I'm not interested. I just do my thing."

So true!

 

[Trunks]

Interesting article, thanks for the link

 

[beachlover]

Just watch the iPad sales soar now.....Will there be a RM branded one complete with leather case?
Delighted to hear he has remarried and is happy after losing his wife though.

 

[Tengu]

a typical non interview

He is not an animal prone to giving much clues.

and very prudent.

loch ness hardly the best spot in scotlands, one of the duller, imho

 

[JonathanD]

a typical non interview

He is not an animal prone to giving much clues.

and very prudent.

loch ness hardly the best spot in scotlands, one of the duller, imho

I dunno, his views on the fox attack was direct. Most people in his position would say it was a one off freak attack and they have as much right to be here as us.

 

[robin wood]

I dunno, his views on the fox attack was direct. Most people in his position would say it was a one off freak attack and they have as much right to be here as us.

I was surprised at the response, mine would have been different. Maybe I missed something about a survey showing a "rise in fox attacks" all I heard was one sad case much hyped by media.

 

[Shewie]

I think there were two separate attacks in within a few weeks wasn't there, I can't remember where the other one was though

 

[robin wood]

I think there were two separate attacks in within a few weeks wasn't there, I can't remember where the other one was though

Ah yes looks like are right. Mind you second one the 3 year old "stroked" the tail of the fox poking out from under a building, so it turned round and bit him. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/fox-attacks-boy-three-at-party-2006821.html

More balanced view here http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/8726282.stm

 

[Wilderbeast]

I'm remarried so I'm very happy. But I'm not giving her name. I kept it quiet. And yes, she shares my interest in the great outdoors.

Very happy for him indeed

 

[Shewie]

I hope I don't bump into him while he's on his tour, I don't want him coming round to my camp and making a mess.

 

[Doc]

This bit is interesting:

"What do you think of the reintroduction of animals like the wolf or the bear to Scotland?

I'm undecided. That's because I'd like to know the motives behind the re-introductions. Is the motive because we need these species for the benefit of other wildlife or ecosystem as a whole? If so, then I'm for it. But if the reason is simply because we would like to see them there, then I'm not so keen. Personally I'd love to see wolves in Scotland but have we considered the consequences of these animals in our landscape that is so changed from when they were here last?"

It's a very controversial issue, right enough. I would like to see it happen too, but I think the current plans to regenerate Caledonian wildwood will have to come first.

I'm delighted to hear he's remarried and I hope the press respect his privacy on that.

 

[tim_n]

Interesting wording on uban foxes, I didn't expect him to (seemingly) be advocating the culling of foxes in urban settings and accepting of fox control on farmlands. As long as we don't drive them to extinction and it's humane I guess we do need to control their numbers.

 

[Wilderbeast]

Interesting wording on uban foxes, I didn't expect him to (seemingly) be advocating the culling of foxes in urban settings and accepting of fox control on farmlands. As long as we don't drive them to extinction and it's humane I guess we do need to control their numbers.

Maybe we could invent an urban hunt...(image of galloping through south London in all the finery and with some yapping begals!)

 

[gregorach]

Interesting wording on uban foxes, I didn't expect him to (seemingly) be advocating the culling of foxes in urban settings and accepting of fox control on farmlands. As long as we don't drive them to extinction and it's humane I guess we do need to control their numbers.

I'm not sure that he's advocating culling... And pretty much everybody accepts the need to control foxes in agricultural settings. The urban issues could be much improved if people would just stop feeding them.

 

[tim_n]

Indeed - I do find it frustraiting on my alloment when I find foxes have buried eggs in my new seedling bed.

Yes, they're definately being fed them unless chickens have been genetically modified to self stamp the eggs with lion marks...

Saying that the badgers round my area may well be endangered soon - stripped my entire crop of sweetcorn - 172 plants leaving me only TWO cobs I thought I'd planted enough that they'd be happy and so would I, but no such luck. Everyone pretty much lost them this year. Stripy b******s

 

[Bush Matt]

His comments have always been very pragmatic on emotive issues like culling and foxhunting. In urban London we have way to many foxes, they have no fear and compete for the prize scraps out the bins, It's not a feeding them issue but is heading towards being a numbers and proximity one.

 

[Bushwhacker]

The urban issues could be much improved if people would just stop feeding them.

I have no idea about cities or the level of the problem but, if there as many as people say there are, *I wonder if the problem will be exacerbated by not feeding them?
A big population with less food would make for more desperate, daring raids.

Edit: *In the short term.

 

[gregorach]

There's no shortage of food for foxes in cities whether people feed them or not, but actively feeding them makes them much less cautious around humans.