Chairmans Blog

January 25th

Why oh why is Scotland the only country in the UK to still have the ban on tail docking of working dogs?

December 20th

Just back in from ferreting a plantation of young larch and scots pine trees. I am soaked to the skin and frozen. My daughter is visiting us with her boyfriend and I thought it would be a good chance for him to see some different animal tracks in the snow.

December 9th

I am not a happy chappy. I was cutting old rabbit fences away this morning and my ear is bleeding profusely. I detest that high tensile wire; when you cut it with the wire cutters it goes off like a coiled spring. It felt like I had been shot in the ear.

March 2010

SGA Rolls Out Essential Snaring Training

The SGA's first Snaring Accreditation course took place this week in Glenalmond, and more courses are being rolled out across the country to ensure all practitioners have access to training which is now mandatory under Scottish Government legislation.

It is now a legal requirement that anyone wanting to set a rabbit or fox snare must be accredited and fully aware of the new guidelines. All members are strongly advised to contact the SGA office on 01738 587515 without delay to register for a training course which will be held in their area as soon as possible.

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Poisoning incidents condemned

16.03.10

A blight on the industry

A total of 27 birds of prey were found poisoned in Scotland in 2009, including 19 buzzards, four red kites and two golden eagles. The previous year had seen a drop in the number of incidents to 16.

The latest information was published by the Partnership for Action Against Wildlife Crime (PAW) of which the Scottish Gamekeepers Association is a committed member.

SGA Chairman Alex Hogg condemned what he described as "appalling statistics".

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Attention Aberdeenshire!

 

Politics, hounds, rifles and information

All north-east keepers and wildlife managers are invited to an open meeting at Oldmeldrum hosted by the Scottish Gamekeepers Association (SGA) where they'll hear about the latest developments in the politics which impacts on their work. They'll elso enjoy short presentations on riflemaking and the work of the Kincardineshire Foxhounds.

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New Snaring legislation imminent

 

An overabundance of foxes can cause enormous damage to free-range poultry flocks, newborn lambs, game birds and some of our most vulnerable upland wader species, and snares are the most effective way of controlling populations.

Those were the comments of Scottish Gamekeepers Association Alex Hogg in a statement to the Press Association.

Mr Hogg added: "Snares are a vital management and conservation tool. Modern devices are all fitted with safety stops to hold a target species and practitioners check their devices at least once every 24 hours.

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PRESS RELEASE

 

The call by the Scottish Wildlife Trust (SWT) for an extension to the hind stalking season to prevent what they call "inhumane suffering" has been rejected by SGA Chairman Alex Hogg as disingenuous.

Mr Hogg said: "The last thing these animals need at this stage is to be forced to use up their limited reserves of energy to flee from stalkers. The practical men on the ground understand their animals and many stalkers suspended the cull early this year to give the deer the best chance of surviving the rest of the winter.

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