Prince William goes 'deer culling' in Balmoral

[vera99]

What's wrong with these people? I can maybe understand the need for occasional culling (though it is most often for the human agency not a concern for the animal) but to go out and enjoy stalking these magnificent creatures get them in the sights of your guns and kill them - that's just sick.

PS. King Charles was a big fan of fox hunting

AIBU? - Yes this is actual nature conservation activity and William is showing concern and leadership in participating in the shooting.

YANBU? - No this is a sick perverted hobby of the super-rich who glory in the pleasure killing of defenceless animals.

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11300807/Prince-Wales-visits-Balmoral-goes-deer-stalking-Scotland-trip-Queens-funeral.html

"Deer stalking is the act of culling ageing stags that would otherwise die in the winter, with William shooting his first when he was 14 years old, something that is said to have left him delighted at the time.
The activity, which has been a shared passion among generations of the Royal Family, was encouraged by William's father King Charles III, while Princess Diana used to jokingly call him 'my killer Wales'.
William is not thought to have been joined in Scotland by his wife Catherine, who is herself a keen markswoman, and their children. A spokesman for Kensington Palace declined to comment."

An ethical viewpoint

I would like to see proof of children dying during deer culling..

I wasn't making an argument, I was making a point. And the point wasn’t that I believe humans should be culled, rather than the arguments for doing the same to animals are weak, in my opinion. Yet, if you did take it as an argument, I notice you didn’t try to counter it, but rather resorted to the report button.

Oh you live next door to an estate? Wonderful. That means you know all about it. That's funny, given I've spent my entire life surrounded by it in depth. Far more than happening to live next door to an estate.
And cheap disinformation? No. You clearly do not know what you are talking about. I suggest you do a bit of research before arguing your angle.

The Mail is irrelevant it has reported the fact and hasn't been denied by Kensington Palace.

100% this. Deer 'culling' is a huge money spinner.

Reintroducing apex predators is only genuinely sustainable and ethical solution.

I'm a little on the fence. I believe that hunting and fishing can be legitimate pastimes, but I'd usually be too squeamish to enjoy it myself. I watch sailing videos on YouTube, and when people catch large fish in the middle of the ocean, there's a voice inside my head yelling for them to be quicker at killing it, so it doesn't suffer.

I'm also a meat-eater who doesn't want to know the details of how the animals I eat die.

I don't believe there's anything wrong with shooting deer, if it's done competently, but to those who don't like it, I say it is less of a crime against animals than eating meat you've bought in a supermarket. The deer have a natural life, and a death that is better than nature will give them.

No-one who eats meat or fish is in any moral position to criticise hunters and fisherman.

Children MOST definitely do die in hunts, here is just one example.
And what the papers don’t tell you are the packed hospitals with so many serious injuries every weekend including very young children over the season.

How anyone can continue this barbaric practice is beyond me.

www.gloucestershirelive.co.uk/news/gloucester-news/death-bonnie-armitage-9-cotswold-56472.amp

I wouldn’t advise watching any animal documentaries then. Nature can be brutal and sometimes I wonder how the film makers can watch an animal suffer “a natural death” without wanting to take a gun and put the poor thing out of its misery. I think shooting a elderly stag is probably the most humane way for it to die but happy to hear your suggestions for a ‘gentle and humane’ death.

I think it’s more educate you than us to be fair

Or we can ‘focus our energy and complaints’ on more that one thing at once.

I live in a town with deer in local parks. I don't need educating about deer conservation. There are plenty of dog owners who do need educating given the number of deer chased and killed by dogs in the park each year.

The environment is absolutely NOT kept well balanced by the sport shooting industry. Deer numbers are deliberately kept way higher than is ecologically healthy, with devestating consequences for the natural forest habitat.

Grouse shooting is even worse, with massive areas drained and regularly burned with the aim of producing a heather monoculture. Plus of course illegal killing of birds of prey on a large scale - hen harriers and golden eagles would be much conmoner if they weren't being shot, poisoned and having their nests destroyed.

This.

The ignorance on here is astonishing.

Haven't seen any of these selfies from the PoW either.

DM me, I'll get you invited to his WhatsApp group. Be warned, Charles sends the occasional dick pick.

Totally agree

I clicked on this hoping for a sensible debate as deer culling is something I struggle with. It is necessary to cull deer. Over lockdown, the sheer number of deer was reaching pest levels and of course, no-one wants to eat bambi. (I actually do eat bambi). But I too wonder if there needs to be this performance over it.

But 'how can you tell the age' (by looking at them) and 'children are killed' (receipts please) - I mean come on. The hyperbole is ridiculous.

We have overflowing local A&Es thanks to the blood sports around here are you trying to lie and that isn’t so?
I am totally calling you out on this.

This isn't ;culling' it's a bloodsport ; www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/prince-william-blasted-animal-charity-22613286

As has been established, we are discussing deer stalking, not go hunting. The two are very different.
Although I will say that I have extensive experience of fox hunting and no child has ever died doing it that I have known. That was an accident. Awful yes, but an accident.

The Windsors have form.

www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2022/jul/15/sandringham-estate-police-barred-investigating-wildlife-crime

Sandringham has been investigated for wildlife and pesticides offences against legally protected birds of prey at least six times between 2005 and 2016.

As well as the two hen harriers shot in 2007, police and Natural England have investigated the deaths of a goshawk, a sparrowhawk, a red kite, a tawny owl and a marsh harrier at Sandringham estate and land it owns nearby, with only one prosecution.

In 2009, the estate was given an official warning about the mishandling and unlawful storage of highly toxic chemicals after the sparrowhawk was poisoned.

In 2016, Sandringham admitted it had destroyed the body of a goshawk found dead near Sandringham House before it could be examined by police, which meant no cause of death could be established.

Buckingham Palace did not comment. Representatives for Prince Harry did not respond when asked to comment on the 2007 incident.

Overflowing A&E due to to the bloodsports? Really?

Also agree with this. I live in an area with lots of grosse moors, and from an ecological perspective they are effectively wastands. Deserts.

It's depressing that huge areas are kept ecologically impoverished to feed the hobbies of a few.

And the public is fooled into thinking that this is the natural state of the land, so it's good to conserve it - it really isn't!

I am a vegan by the way

Well, yeah. Obvs.

Yabu.

Fox hunting is a despicable activity that serves no rational purpose that wouldn't be better done more humanely, got up in pomp and tradition for the entertainment of the humans.

Whereas deer stalking is the most humane and appropriate way to manage the population of wild deer. Herd species like this have a symbiotic relationship with their apex predator, which picks off the old and the weak keeping the main herd strong and the numbers at a level that the food resources can sustain. Given that humans have driven all the native apex predators to extinction it's our job now. It's a job that has to be done and the skill of a good clean shot where the animal feels no pain but is just dead when the bullet hits is the outcome that the participants are hoping for (rather than the long drawnout terrifying chase that is the desired outcome in Fox hunting). I see no harm in the royals participating.

I am against cruel sports, but deer stalking isn't cruel when done well. I wouldn't let a 14yo practice on a real deer until they had proved themselves as having excellent marksmanship on inanimate targets, because the worst outcome is a bad shot that leaves the animal wounded but mobile.

^ wastelands