BASC urges shooters to stop hunting during cold snap

The Scottish branch of the British Association for Shooting and Conservation (BASC) has urged shooters to stop hunting birds until the freezing temperatures ease.

The group has suggested "voluntary restraint" around birds such as ducks, geese and waders. The Dunkeld-based association says the harsh conditions are making it difficult for waterfowl to feed and roost and that this can quickly lead to a marked deterioration in their wellbeing.

BASC has urged shooters to cease hunting during the cold weather in Scotland (Steve Ashton).

BASC Scotland Director, Dr Colin Shedden, said lockdown rules had led to a sharp decrease in the number of people out shooting but the cold snap was still a concern. "We are fully aware that the current coronavirus restrictions in place over all of mainland Scotland mean that very few people are actually able to shoot just now," he said.

"There are no visiting parties of goose shooters or wildfowlers and no inland shooting is taking place, apart from small-scale rough shooting and pest control. However, it is still important that those who are shooting, whether on the foreshore or inland, recognise that frozen ground and water bodies make both feeding and roosting very difficult and birds can lose condition quickly."