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BASC southern gamekeeping conference held at Great Fulford Estate
The Great Fulford Estate in Devon provided a stunning backdrop for the first BASC gamekeeping conference to be held in the south west of England.
The southern gamekeeping conference, held at the Great Fulford Estate near Exeter on 28 March, was the final gamekeepers’ event in a series of three run by BASC over the past month. The day followed on from the northern gamekeeping conference on 14 March and its sister event at Blair Castle in Perthshire on 24 March. Both the southern and northern conferences were kindly supported by optic specialists, Hikmicro.
Seventy attendees joined a range of expert speakers for a morning session of talks and speeches on issues pertinent to shooting and conservation.
The keynote speech was delivered by Liberal Democrat MP for Tiverton and Minehead, Rachel Gilmour. Rachel spoke of her support for shooting and its importance to the local area, saying: “I have several shoots in my constituency, some of them commercial, and I also have smaller ‘DIY’ shoots. I know that shooting is a really important part of people’s lives. In terms of the local economy, if anything happened to shooting – particularly for the Devon side of my constituency and on Exmoor – it would be disastrous in terms of employment and skills lost.”
Rachel also spoke of the importance of shoot-led conservation and the role of shooting in sustaining the environment and the landscape. She stressed the need to put forward evidence-based reasoning, commenting: “People make very emotive arguments for and against what we enjoy doing in the countryside. The more you emotion you can take out, and the more fact, science and statistics you have to offer, leaves it more difficult for them [opponents of shooting] just to use emotion.”
She went on to highlight BASC’s role in political affairs, saying: “The fact that you’re a membership organisation gives you great credibility, because you represent the grassroots. If you are a member, make your voice heard, use your [BASC’s] political affairs team, and keep on doing the super job you’re doing.”
Meaningful insight
The remaining morning sessions were delivered by a range of specialists who travelled to Great Fulford to attend the event.
BASC was delighted to welcome Dr Joah Madden from the University of Exeter to discuss pheasant rearing and behaviour. Dr Madden has been responsible for a number of key research projects within the sector and discussed what can be done to enhance gamebird rearing and releasing practices.
Conference attendees also heard from Will Pratt from Kings Crops, who gave an insight into the opportunities for shooting posed by the government’s agri-environment funding schemes.
BASC was well-represented too, with the association’s executive director of shooting operations Gareth Dockerty, head of firearms Martin Parker, head of evidence and environmental law Marnie Lovejoy, and head of game and wildlife management Glynn Evans present, all of whom gave updates on live issues within their respective areas.
Chief Constable for Devon and Cornwall Police, Robin Curtis, provided valuable insight and perspective into suitability reviews and revocations, answering questions during the section of the day dedicated to firearms licensing.
The Gamekeepers’ Welfare Trust (GWT) also delivered a talk on the support available to gamekeepers and their families through the charity, with a GWT nurse on hand during the day to give free heath checks to attendees.
Networking and shooting
After the morning session of talks, networking time and lunch were followed by a 50-bird sporting clay shoot. A bright spring afternoon offered perfect conditions and there was some excellent shooting on display.
The eventual winner of the competition was Mark Dyer, who was presented with his prize of a Hikmircro M15 trail camera by Craig Mills.
Reflecting on the event, BASC’s director of shooting operations, Gareth Dockerty, said: “The conference saw a superb mix of BASC specialists speaking on current issues such as gamebird release, the transition away from lead ammunition and firearms licensing. These were interspersed with external experts providing the latest advice on advances in gamebird rearing, plus how shooting can benefit from the government’s agri-environment schemes.
“Thank you to our keynote speaker, Rachel Gilmour MP; we are really grateful to her for coming today and expressing her support for shooting and the rural community in this area.
“A huge thank you also to all of our speakers and to all the gamekeepers who attended, and of course to Francis and Kishanda for having us at Great Fulford. It was a highly informative and insightful day.”
The gamekeeping conference was one of hundreds of events organised by BASC across the country every year. You can find out what’s happening in your area here, or get in touch with your local BASC team here for more information.
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