Give us answers on grouse shooting ban, BASC tells Scottish Water
BASC has called on Scottish Water to explain its decision to end grouse shooting on its land.
Get information on the legal shooting season for mammals and birds in the UK.
Learn about our current conservation projects and how you can get involved.
Comprehensive information and advice from our specialist firearms team.
Everything you need to know about shotgun, rifle and airgun ammunition.
Find our up-to-date information, advice and links to government resources.
Everything you need to know on firearms law and licensing.
All the latest news and advice on general licences and how they affect you.
BASC has joined forces with Scotland’s Regional Moorland Groups and the Kennel Club to raise their concerns about the Hunting With Dogs (Scotland) Bill, which poses a threat to both rough shooting and field trials for gundogs.
The groups met with MSPs yesterday at Holyrood to discuss their concerns and to highlight the many benefits of rough shoot days and gundog field trials.
Peter Clark, BASC Scotland public affairs manager, said: “The Scottish Government has stated that using more than two dogs to flush a rabbit out of cover to be shot will become illegal under the new Bill.
“Whilst we welcome the Section 6 of the Bill’s exception for game shooting, it isn’t sufficient to protect rough shooting and field trials.
“The exception would become invalid if a single rabbit was shot at a time when more than two dogs were being used to flush or retrieve game birds.”
Lianne MacLennan, national coordinator for Scotland’s Regional Moorland Groups added:  “Rough shooting and gundog trials are at risk from the provisions of the Bill as it is currently set out.
“There is a real risk that the complexity of the legislation will deter people from taking part, as they will be worried they could inadvertently break the law, if their dog chases a fox or a rabbit. We believe the intention was not to stop all gundog trials or rough shooting, but that may be the end result.
“Both of these activities attract thousands of participants from across the UK and are an important part of country sports, bringing visitors to rural areas, supporting jobs and boosting expenditure in local pubs and shops.”
Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire , said: “The Hunting with Dogs Bill has undeniably caused a great deal of concern among groups concerned with shooting and conservation in Scotland.
“It was great to welcome members of the Kennel Club, BASC and the Scottish Regional Moorland Groups to Holyrood. I am pleased that they were able to share the concerns of their members with many of my colleagues here.
“As we continue to scrutinise the Bill in Parliament, I absolutely welcome the engagement we have had from stakeholders who are committed to ensuring that the Government’s plans are well informed.”
Thousands of people partake in field trials and rough shooting throughout Scotland. Using dogs to flush rabbits from thick cover is an effective form of controlling rabbit infestations.
Scotland’s Regional Moorland Groups have created a short film to highlight their concerns about the Hunting With Dogs (Scotland) Bill which you can watch here.Â
The legislation is currently at Stage 1 and will be debated in the parliament in due course.
BASC has called on Scottish Water to explain its decision to end grouse shooting on its land.
A ÂŁ1M coronavirus fund for country sports has been secured in Scotland following a lobbying campaign by BASC and the Scottish Country Sports Tourism Group.
The intention is to introduce the recommendations of the “Werritty Review” including licensing for grouse moor management.
Sign up to our weekly newsletter and get all the latest updates straight to your inbox.
© 2023 British Association for Shooting and Conservation. Registered Office: Marford Mill, Rossett, Wrexham, LL12 0HL – Registered Society No: 28488R. BASC is a trading name of the British Association for Shooting and Conservation Limited which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) under firm reference number 311937.
If you have any questions or complaints about your BASC membership insurance cover, please email us. More information about resolving complaints can be found on the FCA website or on the EU ODR platform.
This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.
Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings.
If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again.
This website uses Google Analytics to collect anonymous information such as the number of visitors to the site, and the most popular pages.
Keeping this cookie enabled helps us to improve our website.
Please enable Strictly Necessary Cookies first so that we can save your preferences!
More information about our Cookie Policy