Moronic person shoots swan with crossbow - Cheltenham

gramps

gramps

Suspended / Banned
Messages
44,805
Name
'Gramps'
Edit My Images
No
Moronic behaviour indeed, what do folk like that think they are doing..........................I would think the Police should consider that person a risk to public safety not just to wildlife!
 
Box Brownie said:
Moronic behaviour indeed, what do folk like that think they are doing..........................I would think the Police should consider that person a risk to public safety not just to wildlife!
Click to expand...

I agree, one of the most dangerous weapons,no noise, lethal.
 
Who names a bird fancier Cobra? ffs
 
OK, who names a Falconer fancier Cobra? ffs
 
admirable said:
Falconer fancier
Click to expand...
Try that again, I don't fancy falconers, I am one.

With a licence to kill a lot of protected species, in the interests of public health or safety, crop protection and aviation safety.


Oh and BTW Cobra is the name of my wild life management company.
I'm glad we got that straight I can sleep easy in my bed tonight and I trust that you will too :thumbs:
 
Terrible this :(

My cat was killed by someone with a crossbow a few years ago.
 
Cobra said:
Try that again, I don't fancy falconers, I am one.

With a licence to kill a lot of protected species, in the interests of public health or safety, crop protection and aviation safety.


Oh and BTW Cobra is the name of my wild life management company.
I'm glad we got that straight I can sleep easy in my bed tonight and I trust that you will too (y)
Click to expand...

I know you are

I know you have

I know it is

I will sleep well too

:)
 
On Gramps opening post,I can never understand why someone would want to do that to a harmless thing like a swan, I'm sure they are protected, what did they gain from that?

Should be shot at dawn!
 
admirable said:
I'm sure they are protected,
Click to expand...
Indeed they are!
Without getting into the realms of "anti cultures" there are a few cultures that actually eat them.
We had several pairs that lived and bred each year, on a massive lake locally, over a period of about 18 months they all disappeared.

I can only surmise, that the "attack" on poor old George, was an attempt to gain food, that went wrong, rather than a "malicious" act.
Head shots on any meat preserve the quality.

Obviously this is only conjecture on part, well maybe part educated guess as well.
 
Cobra said:
I can only surmise, that the "attack" on poor old George, was an attempt to gain food, that went wrong, rather than a "malicious" act.
Click to expand...

You have far greater faith in mankind than me I am afraid :(
 
In context of what Cobra says:- I was talking to someone (during my day job) who remarked that fishermen sometimes get approached by folk when they have caught a big carp (for example) and get offered money for the fish, as they want it for their next meal. By the same token another person on a different day actually said to me that swans are 'taken' for food. Different cultures and different attitudes to wildlife!

But in the case of the OP link if for food the person had a lousy hunting technique, quite apart from the UK legalities of such "hunting purposes" and whether the perpetrator is a possible threat to subjects other than wildlife.
 
gramps said:
You have far greater faith in mankind than me I am afraid
Click to expand...


As Mr Brownie said and confirmed, certain cultures have different attitudes to us as to what can and what shouldn't be eaten.
Maybe it was *target practice* but going on what I know, I suspect that it wasn't.
But either way, I agree it shouldn't have happened in the first place!
 
Cobra said:
As Mr Brownie said and confirmed, certain cultures have different attitudes to us as to what can and what shouldn't be eaten.
Maybe it was *target practice* but going on what I know, I suspect that it wasn't.
But either way, I agree it shouldn't have happened in the first place!
Click to expand...
Possibly ... not too long ago a spate of swan killings with an air rifle took place in Somerset, 8 were killed and 1 left for dead, none removed and nobody was ever brought to justice. There have been a number of animal/bird/crossbow events over the years where the animal/bird was left dead or injured.
 
It's all over the place, I live in Somerset, couple weeks back, The killing of an Buzzard was witnessed not far from me, 3 men, driving a 4x4, stopped went into the field and shot a buzzard, then drove off...

The RSPCA and police are both investigating, but so far even though it seems the 4X4 had some distinctive marking markings on the roof, then men nor the 4X4 have been located, and again I doubt if they will....

Poaching is becoming a real problem around where I live, and yes it includes wild birds that we wouldn't normally eat ourselves, but other cultures do eat....
 
Box Brownie said:
In context of what Cobra says:- I was talking to someone (during my day job) who remarked that fishermen sometimes get approached by folk when they have caught a big carp (for example) and get offered money for the fish, as they want it for their next meal.
Click to expand...
Carp is occasionally for sale in Tescos here. Personally I wouldn't want to eat anything that comes out our local canal, but carp is no stranger than eating cod and probably available in greater quantities compared with the demand. I think Huge Ferneley Whittingstall prepared one in one of his shows (caught in a private lake) - tasted grassy from the comments.

Swans in the other hand ... well shooting one is just idiotic and beyond belief. Fellows of St Johns College Cambridge are still permitted to eat them though only on the 25th June ... though I don't think they actually do.
 
Last edited:
Update, 'George' the swan is making good progress and is up and about in the Vale Wildlife Hospital, it may be possible to carry out the necessary surgery quite soon :)
 
Box Brownie said:
Moronic behaviour indeed, what do folk like that think they are doing..........................I would think the Police should consider that person a risk to public safety not just to wildlife!
Click to expand...

Very sad indeed, I agree with the above comment it is a very sad world where idiots get off on doing this, can`t say on here what I really think of fools who do this as I would be banned for life.
 
I live in Cheltenham so it is a bit concerning to me that there is a nutter walking around in public with a cross bow.

I am glad the swan is doing well now.

However, is it just me that finds it a bit ironic that we get so out raged about someone trying to kill a swan yet just a few weeks ago at Christmas there were millions of people eating slaughtered geese and turkeys?
 
Idlefrog said:
However, is it just me that finds it a bit ironic that we get so out raged about someone trying to kill a swan yet just a few weeks ago at Christmas there were millions of people eating slaughtered geese and turkeys?
Click to expand...

People happily eat meat, but when it comes to the actual slaughter of a wild animal the outrage swings to 11. I imagine if it was a middle aged man who got zapped by the cross bow there wouldn't even be a thread about it.
 
Idlefrog said:
I live in Cheltenham so it is a bit concerning to me that there is a nutter walking around in public with a cross bow.

I am glad the swan is doing well now.

However, is it just me that finds it a bit ironic that we get so out raged about someone trying to kill a swan yet just a few weeks ago at Christmas there were millions of people eating slaughtered geese and turkeys?
Click to expand...
It's probably just you ... legal slaughter is quite different to randomly shooting a swan through the eye with a crossbow bolt, leaving it to suffer and eventually die (though hopefully it will survive and be able to return to the park).
 
SFTPhotography said:
This - and I suspect such an offence will certainly land the perpetrator in quite a lot of bother. Big fine and community service beckon.
Click to expand...
Its a wildlife crime, and the statute for that is £5000 fine and or 6 months inside.
 
Mr Badger said:
Fines are now 'unlimited'. (y)
Click to expand...
As far as I am aware its only Scotland that has increased the penalties. (From Feb 2016)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-35651035
The Scottish government has accepted the recommendations from its wildlife crime penalties review group.
It means courts could impose sentences of up to 12 months in jail and fines of up to £40,000.

As far as I am aware the CS&WA 1981 still stands.
But of course I stand to be corrected.
 
It changed due to the 'Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders (LASPO) Act 2012', which I understand came into force on 12th March 2015.
 
Last edited:
Near where I live the Polish shoot the ducks with an air rifle and scoff them.
They consider birds on the river to be flying fish and fair game.
 
Mr Badger said:
It changed due to the 'Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders (LASPO) Act 2012', which I understand came into force on 12th March 2015.
Click to expand...
I'm not convinced TBH, although the countryside and wildlife act (1981) has been updated a couple of times, there is nothing on the DEFRA site saying other than the 6 months / £5000 fine
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top