Appeal for information from North Yorkshire Police (11 October 2019):
APPEAL FOR INFORMATION AFTER BUZZARD FOUND SHOT NEAR SHERBURN IN ELMET
North Yorkshire Police is appealing for information after a dead buzzard was found by a member of the public at 11.45am on 3 October on a footpath close to Hagg lane near Sherburn in Elmet.
The bird was recovered and taken to a local vets to be x-rayed which revealed it contained what appeared to be eight pieces of shot.
A spokesperson for North Yorkshire Police said: “This is sadly yet another example of the unacceptable bird of prey persecution which blights our region. Killing wild birds is an offence under the Wildlife and Countryside Act and we are committed to putting a stop to this deplorable crime.”
North Yorkshire Police have carried out extensive enquiries in the local area. Officers are appealing for anyone with any information, or who may have witnessed anything taking place in relation to this bird to call 101 quoting ref: 12190183166
ENDS
Raptor Persecution UK 
Here we go again. Another appeal for information following raptor crime in North Yorkshire. To what effect I wonder.
Would it be possible to ask North Yorkshire police for an update on all the appeals they have made to the public since they launched “Operation Owl” back in February 2018.
Only 8 days between the finding date and appeal for information. I’m not Involved in such things but this allows time for priority crimes such as raptor persecution to carry out enquiries, searches etc. If only all such requests came 8 days after such suspected crimes.
Well done to NY police force in this case. I hope this may become the norm unless poison is suspected, when there should be no delay after the suspicion of poison.
It would be a better World if more people just picked up binoculars instead of a gun, and just watched instead.
I wonder if some of these shot raptors are being placed on public paths in the hope of them being found to just annoy others ?
The minute you made the comment about the buzzard possibly being placed there to annoy us my mind jumped back to this http://www.rarebirdalert.co.uk/v2/Content/Little_Bustard_shot_in_Norfolk_Police_and_RSPB_appeal_for_information.aspx?s_id=179805131 b – a red footed falcon in Shropshire was similarly shot https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-34910110, some people deliberately trying to piss off birders? I’m positive spite plays a significant part in raptor persecution, from the comments made by a lot of the opposition it’s clear they’re jealous, inadequate types (look at how they detest Chris Packham) and have the mentality of football hooligans, they love the aggro.
Hey Les,
Not that I’m defending hooliganism in any way, but at least they usually have a go at targets that fight back; unlike the tweed disease. Those buggers wouldn’t have been seen within miles of a football ground in the 70s and 80s. :)
Point taken!!!
Nice one, Sir. Keep on keeping on. :)
To make their point about zero respect for the views of others, to flout the law blatantly, and to move the evidence off their land, I think.
This sort of crime appears to be getting worse.
Is it getting worse, especially against Buzzards, as a result of the licence to kill granted by NE/DEFRA?
They should cancel all shotgun and other firearms licences in the region, reissuing only to those who genuinely need it for their work (deer-stalkers) or who are members of clay pigeon shoots / gun clubs. NO FARMER OR GAMEKEEPER NEEDS A GUN: it is an affectation, an anachronistic hangover from a barbaric history.
North Yorkshire has shown time and again that it has lost any right to be treated as able to manage guns in a responsible and legal manner.
I totally agree.Its not as if they need to have their shotguns with them to protect themselves from animals that would confront them and they would need it to defend themselves, The animals that could have done that were wiped out years ago.
There are also other measures I think could be carried out and am sure many of you on this blog will have your own ideas on the best way to stop the illegal killings by the use of firearms,traps, poisons etc of our wildlife, but those who are elected to represent us MP’s,Lords and Lady’s etc to pass bills,laws that would do more to protect our wildlife don’t.The thought of it eh if they had to do this they probably wouldn’t be able to pass wind without s……g themselves.Heck our courts can’t even follow the rule of law when it comes to wildlife crime.
Hopefully our thoughts,ideas, dreams will become reality one day.
These criminals are making me HATE the whole game keeping industry with a passion. Here is the good news;
They are sealing their own fate by showing the rest of us their disgusting ways. which is forcing us to stand up and to drive this practice into the history books, just like the other barbaric Victorian practice of using small children to sweep out chimneys. Confined to the history book
Below are other RPUK crime news from Yorkshire away from grouse moors in 2019. Of course the list is only the ones that get publicised, perhaps not the tip of such a large iceberg as DGS but an iceberg none the less.
Banning driven grouse shooting won’t stop these crimes and neither will licensing driven grouse moors.
Shooters pretend to feel attacked and say we want to ban shooting which is not true, for i think a large majority of us, but they really leave us no choice as a huge warehouse of rotten apples refuse to obey the law. I don’t like shooting and would prefer it were stopped but if they weren’t constantly flaunting the law i would find an immediate outright ban a bit too extreme a measure within the social and historical context. But the fact is the law is treated with derision and an outright ban is the only way to stop the criminality. At the least there has to be licensing of all shooting and when that doesn’t work an outright ban. I don’t understand why the RSPB never seems to offer a solution to the illegal killing in the lowlands.
https://raptorpersecutionscotland.wordpress.com/2019/10/09/north-yorkshire-police-appeal-for-info-after-marsh-harrier-found-shot-nr-scarborough/
https://raptorpersecutionscotland.wordpress.com/2019/09/25/red-kite-illegally-poisoned-in-north-yorkshire/
https://raptorpersecutionscotland.wordpress.com/2019/04/19/west-yorkshire-police-appeal-for-info-after-buzzard-found-shot-dead/
https://raptorpersecutionscotland.wordpress.com/2019/03/30/shot-buzzard-found-near-whashton-north-yorkshire-police-appeal-for-info/
https://raptorpersecutionscotland.wordpress.com/2019/03/05/buzzard-found-with-shotgun-injuries-at-ryton-north-yorkshire/
https://raptorpersecutionscotland.wordpress.com/2019/02/20/buzzard-shot-and-poisoned-in-east-yorkshire-police-renew-appeal-for-info/
Killing birds of prey is dispicable.