BASC monitors scientific journals, environmental, policy and political alerts for the results of studies of relevance to shooting and conservation. Below are links to a selection of papers published in March – June 2025.
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Birds
- Seasonal densities of released Common Pheasants Phasianus colchicus and Red-legged Partridges Alectoris rufa on land used for shooting and on nearby non-release land in southern England
- Testing Hunter Counts to Monitor Waterbird Winter Abundance: Comparisons with the International Waterbird Census
- GPS-telemetry reveals individual plasticity in the movements of Eurasian Curlews Numenius arquata during a cold spell
- Framework for assessing species vulnerability whilst on migration to a spatially explicit anthropogenic pressure
- Co-Infection, but Not Infection Intensity, Increases Shedding in a Gastrointestinal Helminth of Gamebirds.
- Having a gander at goose behaviour. Evaluating time-activity of captive and wild geese at two different wetland sites
- Winter Ecology of the Hen Harrier, Circus cyaneus: Bridging Behavioral Insights and Conservation Requirements
- An evaluation of global LULC maps for the estimation of habitat use of a declining migratory waterbird along its flyway
- Assessing the vulnerability of wild bird populations to high pathogenicity avian influenza
- Using ring (band) recovery data to examine the impact of high pathogenicity avian influenza (HPAI) on wild bird populations
- Evaluating the use of carcass and testing data to assess the high pathogenicity avian influenza (HPAI) related mortality in wild birds in the United Kingdom and Crown Dependencies between 2021–2023
- Using expert elicitation to assess the likely effectiveness of conservation interventions during an unprecedented outbreak of high pathogenicity avian influenza (HPAI) in wild birds
- Naturalised populations of Barnacle Geese in the UK: an update on numbers, distribution and breeding
- Sanctuary for migrating and wintering waterfowl: Synthesis and insights for waterfowl management and conservation planning
- Grey Partridge (Perdix perdix) Introductions: Genetic Survey on Wild and Captive Populations at the Edges of the Range
- Assessment of recent Hen Harrier population trends in England through population modelling
- The return of raptors to Scotland’s skies: Investigating the diets of reintroduced red kites and white-tailed eagles using stable isotopes
Mammals
- Nutritional value of wild-harvested game meat of fallow deer (Dama dama), red deer (Cervus elaphus), and roe deer (Capreolus capreolus)
- A scoping review of evidence for the effects of seven global deer species on woody vegetation
- Impacts of Deer on Forest Conservation
- Deer Veterinary Medicine. A guide to the care and treatment of deer for veterinary professionals
- White-tailed deer behaviors at three forage settings: Implications for transmission of chronic wasting disease
- The essential, but complex, role of red deer as an ecosystem service provider: a comprehensive review across Europe
- Effect of High Hydrostatic Pressure on the Quality Parameters of Wild Red Deer (Cervus elaphus) Meat
- Projecting population dynamics and range expansion of reintroduced wild boar in Scotland using agent-based modelling
- Perceptions and Opinions Regarding the Reintroduction of Eurasian Lynx to England: A Preliminary Study
- Exploring the ecological feasibility of restoring Eurasian lynx to Great Britain using spatially explicit individual-based modelling
- A shifting baseline theory of debates over potential lynx and wolf reintroductions to Scotland
- Mortality in European lynxes
- Seven Year Decline of Mountain Hare Abundance in the Peak District, England
- Babesia Species Detected in Deer from Southwest England
- Is Britain still Great for Pine Marten? A Habitat Suitability Assessment – PREPRINT
- Nutritional value of wild-harvested game meat of fallow deer (Dama dama), red deer (Cervus elaphus), and roe deer (Capreolus capreolus)
- Illegal reintroductions of lynx are irresponsible and the wrong path forward for rewilding in Scotland
Land management
- Landscape context influences efficacy of protected areas and agri-environment scheme delivery for breeding waders
- Rewilding for biodiversity offsets: A case study of passive ecological restoration on lowland agricultural land for Biodiversity Net Gain in England
- Feasibility of woodland expansion for carbon offsetting in Scotland revisited
- Visioning future treescapes in upland landscapes: using deliberative processes to understand values and land-use preferences of local stakeholders
- Spillovers and legacies of land management on temperate woodland biodiversity
- Detecting and measuring the impacts of upland prescribed burning on air quality
- United Kingdom/Scotland:Â Assisted Regeneration to Restore Lost Forests
Other topics
- Investigating Consumer Attitudes About Game Meat: A Market Segmentation Approach
- How are nature exposures and nature connectedness related to well-being and environmentalism in the population of England?
- The Future of Game Shooting in the UK
- Effects of Lead Exposure in Wild Birds as Causes for Incidents and Fatal Injuries
- The Influencing Factors of Pheasant Meat Characteristics: A Review
- Diagnosis of external causes of population declines of wild species needs to be both quick and reliable.
- Improved detection of bird vocalisations using BirdNET embeddings and Machine Learning – Preprint paper
- The Release of Non-Native Gamebirds Is Associated With Amplified Zoonotic Disease Risk
- Sarcocystis infection in domestic and wild avian hosts: Inseparable flight partners
- Assessing stakeholder inclusion within high pathogenicity avian influenza risk governance strategies in the United Kingdom and United States
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