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Red Kite Shot.
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Unfortunately not with a camera :evil: One of the Red Kites introduced into Wicklow was found dead, shot with a shotgun.
In tonights Herald.There are no words for my contempt :x
I would assume the culprit did not even realise what he/she was aiming at. Probably just getting in some practice, which for me, makes it even more sickening.
I despair of the human race sometimes…..
It was in every paper today, we are working on tracking down the culprit. Alot of people are disgusted by this including me. Wish us luck in finding this person. By the way the photos in the papers are mine.
Really hope you can get the person responsible John..
Even if you catch him, what can be done to him, can he be charged with shooting a protected animal? Was the law amended to include Red Kites before they were released to give them protection as protected animals?As for gettin practice in… the shooting season is closed at the moment… there are plenty of Clay Pigeon ranges out there… even if they were practicing and shooting Rooks, Jackdaws or pigeons… there is a big difference betten one of the birds i mentioned and a red kite….
This is some trigger happy idiot who gives other people who shoot a bad name…. and yes, i shoot
Tiny
Really hope you can get the person responsible John..
Even if you catch him, what can be done to him, can he be charged with shooting a protected animal? Was the law amended to include Red Kites before they were released to give them protection as protected animals?As for gettin practice in… the shooting season is closed at the moment… there are plenty of Clay Pigeon ranges out there… even if they were practicing and shooting Rooks, Jackdaws or pigeons… there is a big difference betten one of the birds i mentioned and a red kite….
This is some trigger happy idiot who gives other people who shoot a bad name…. and yes, i shoot
Tiny
Any bird that manages to make its way to Ireland even if we’ve never had them here before are automatically protected by law, ALL birds are protected in Ireland. Some have been included in a derogation which allows them to be shot under special circumstances such as causing damage to crops ilke pigeons and crows (not for target practice) and then there is an open season for others such as ducks and pheasants. So the Red Kites are protected by law and if we catch this guy the courts will deal with him.
It appears that the person who shot the bird had been shooting pigeons over a corn field. In my mind there is no way a pigeon and a red kite could be confused so this was a malicious act.
It does give all shooting people a bad name and this drives me crazy, yes i shoot too, it’s nothing to be ashamed , managed to make a career of it actually by becoming a Ranger.John
Bit of a difference between pigeon and kite indeed. I’ve no beef with people who shoot and I firmly believe game reserves have done a lot for the indigenous flora and fauna of Ireland.
Indiscriminate shooting is abhorrent :wink: Aren’t all Irish birds of prey protected anyway?Noely F wrote:
Bit of a difference between pigeon and kite indeed. I’ve no beef with people who shoot and I firmly believe game reserves have done a lot for the indigenous flora and fauna of Ireland.
Indiscriminate shooting is abhorrent :wink: Aren’t all Irish birds of prey protected anyway?Every bird species is protect by the Wildlife act and the Birds Directive, some may be shot to protect crops and aircraft and some have an open season where they may be shot under certain conditions for a for a perticular part of the year, but for the closed season it is illegal to hunt them. Yes Noely all Birds of Prey are protected and there is no open season for them, they may not be hunted or killed at anytime.
I can empathise with your feelings John. This person knew what he was doing when he shot the bird. If he didn’t, then he is not responsible enough to be in possession of a shotgun and should have his licence revoked. Court punishment might be insufficient, but, naming and shaming the criminal throughout the media would be very effective. A sad event, but, the reintroduction of wild birds such as eagles and kites should continue and will be supported by us all.
Too many people = too many idiots, hope you have a shotgun loaded in case you would find this specific idiot.
I don’t suppose there has been any progress on catching the person responsible ?
Unfortunately in this country you have to prove beyond reasonible doubt that a person is guilty before they can be convicted, this is an extremely difficult thing to do. The law is an ass!! Basically any reasonible excuse will get somebody off. It’s next to impossible to get ballistic evidence from a shotgun thats worth anything. And would you believe torturing a confession from a suspect is not allowed anymore. :roll:
I sympathise with your emotion John, but the “beyond reasonable doubt” part of the law
is just about the last bit left that is not an ass.Pete, if you’d seen as many cases fired out of the District courts as i have and the amount of things people get away with you might think otherwise. It all comes down to how good the barrister is at frying the Judges head. I lost one case because the judge didn’t understand the staue of limitations, under the wildlife act it is 1 year and most other acts its 6 months, barrister confronted the Judge and said it was 6 months for the wildlife act due to a precedent, the barrister was wrong and the judge buckled and dismissed the case with no right to appeal. It was a big case and we would have won it and taken guns from some serious s**m, we caught them red handed and had stacks of evidence, they were driving around shooting birds out the window of a vehicle, months of work thrown out in a second. The law is an ass! It comes down to the opinion of one man, the judge, if he’s a ass your screwed!
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