The examples below give a snapshot of our work in December. A membership of over 150,000 know the value of BASC. Click here to join BASC
In October we:
Shooting
- Highlighted Northern Ireland’s law which allows the control of pest birds are to remain unchanged this year.
- Trained 26 Police Service Northern Ireland staff involved in the firearms licensing process, to appreciate firearms licensing from the perspective of a sporting shooter.
- Attended a meeting with Home Office working groups, regarding new IT systems for firearms licensing.
- Met the Police Scotland, Firearms Licensing Team, to discuss developing issues to airgun weapon licensing.
- Attended the Nottinghamshire Police Firearms liaison group.
- Lodged several appeals in relation to refusal and revocation of firearm and shotgun certificates.
- Organised a meeting of Northern Ireland firearms dealers on 8th November, to discuss licensing issues they believe are negatively impacting their businesses.
- Continued providing advice to members in relation to issues with GP’s.
- Delivered a rural crime, firearms and poaching awareness session for Surrey Police Officers.
- Represented a BASC member on a firearms issue in a face-to-face meeting with the licensing authority in the South East.
- Published details of BASC’s ST-2 Simulator being at more than 30 events so far in 2016, introducing more than 4,000 people to shooting sports.
- Worked in collaboration with a number of rural groups to launch a new code of practice on the use of snares for fox control in England.
- Provided assistance to members on a range of queries – Finding local shooting clubs, gundog related issues, approaching land owners to obtain vermin shooting, FAC applications.
Member’s offers and services
- Provided BASC members with the chance to win a Suzuki ATV worth £7,450 in a prize draw which will take place on December 12 2016.
- Advertised our 2016 Christmas Cards and Calendar for 2017.
- Prepared the BASC gun draw for its launch in November.
Politics and lobbying
- Written evidence submitted to the petitions committee grouse shooting inquiry was published online ahead of the Parliamentary debate.
- Urged BASC members to continue lobbying their MPs on the benefits of grouse shooting ahead of the parliamentary debate.
- Published details of how BASC’s white paper on grouse shooting had been highlighted in the parliamentary briefing paper ahead of the House of Commons debate.
- Welcomed the government’s response to Chris Packham’s online petition for a moratorium on the shooting of woodcock, snipe and golden plover.
- Responded to Government inquiry on marine protected areas.
- Attended the SNP conference in Glasgow to discuss snaring, and highlight it remains an essential pest control tool for land managers.
- Met Home Office minister Brandon Lewis MP reference firearms licensing.
- Welcomed the Scottish Government’s plans to change existing legislation to permit the docking of spaniel and HPR puppies if they are likely to be used as working dogs.
- Met shadow EFRA secretary of state Rachael Maskell MP.
Press
- Criticised claims made by the RSPB and the Scottish Raptor Studies Group in support for a state-regulated licensing system for gamebird hunting in Scotland.
- Produced a short film highlighting top tips for keeping dogs calm in the run-up to Bonfire Night.
- Launched our latest film in the #NoMoorMyths series which aims to tackle the misinformation about grouse moors and shooting.
- Provided an interview with Radio Cymru, highlighting the value of shooting sports to the Welsh economy.
- Sent a letter to the editor of the East Anglian Daily Times defending shooting sports and promoting the conservation of wader breeding.
- Reported on how the BASC Scurry League final was hotly contested
Conservation and land management
- Received praise from the Government for our Green Shoots programme.
- Provided assistance with complex land permission issue and open/closed conditions.
- Successfully supported wildfowling clubs in consent and lease negotiations.
- Met Natural England and Kent Wildfowlers to discuss coastal access issues which could affect shooting interests.
- Visited a record number of wildfowling clubs across the country in the last 12 months.
- Urged our members to join the fight against Asian hornets.
- Attended a FACE working group advising them on their biodiversity manifesto.
Courses, shows and events
- Held a BASC members meeting to engage our members with BASC Council and Senior Staff.
- Ran another successful snaring course for BASC members, including gamekeepers and shoot managers.
- Ran a stalking outing on the Dorset stalking scheme, giving BASC members the opportunity to stalk deer in a low land environment.
- Ran a deer stalking event near Cirencester – Over 100 BASC members attended plus around 20 non-members.
- Provided coaching on a ladies day at Mid Wales Shooting ground.
- Attended a range day at Corinium rifle range giving BASC members the opportunity to try new products on the market and seek advice for the staff present.
- Hosted the third stag week on the BASC Isle of Arran stalking scheme.
- Attended the fresher’s week clay shoot at Royal Agricultural University.
- Held a Young Shot Introduction to Wildfowling Day via the BASC Central office.
- Attended North Highland College in Thurso to give a presentation to the new gamekeeping students and attend the College’s prize-giving ceremony.
- Met the Loughborough University clay shooting club to discuss how BASC can help with their fresher’s event.
- Co-hosted a Talking Stalking event in Usk, Gwent, where Bill Harriman was guest speaker discussing knives and the law.
- Attended BASC affiliated Newcastle Wildfowlers meeting.
- Held an airgun assessment day for the grey squirrel control group.
- Hosted a Taste of Game event in partnership with Bodysgallen Hall & Spa in North Wales for more than 30 guests.
- Arranged a Taste of Game fundraising dinner to be held at Larchfield Estate, Co.Antrim NI on the 18th November, (the fundraiser will be in aid of the Northern Ireland Hospice).
- Organised and promoted several Ladies Shooting days for the coming couple of months – for further details please visit the Ladies Shooting webpage.
- Provided a driven pheasant shoot for nine young shots to give them their first introduction to live quarry shooting.
- Delivered shooting lessons for fresher’s at Reading University Clay Club using local BASC shotgun coaches.
- Delivered a DSC1 course in Surrey.
- Hosted a Night Vision and Optics event in Oxfordshire.
- Hosted a BASC Range Day for members at Bisley Clay Pigeon Shooting Ground.
- Attended a BASC Trade members opening evening in Suffolk.
Other
- Launched a game meat project alongside ‘Four Cymru’ in a bid to boost the Welsh economy.
- Called on BASC members to be vigilant in the fight against ‘rice breast’ disease.
- Published October’s issue of Science Matters highlighting recently published scientific papers of interest.
- Met the new owner of Lakeside Shooting Ground near Loughborough to discuss holding future BASC events at the venue.
- Met a BASC Trade member in Herefordshire, and planning a family activity day with them for March 2017.
