Is this abuse okay?

[@jonathanairey5913]

Thank you to the NGO and Jonny and co another great video. Keep fighting the good fight.

[@TheTerryE]

@@petenikolic5244 Ridiculous statement. There are no absolutes in anything. You can't say "we'll not abuse or attack you if you do this .." That's abuse, mate.

[@zack100dogs]

I am not a keeper but I know that you guys do a great job. You all do more for the environment than the so called anti crowd. I would like to thank each and everyone of you for the work you do.

[@judyparsons1333]

Take a look at all the raptors that have been killed why should gamekeepers be allowed to get away with it

[@ddoherty5956]

​@@judyparsons1333 I'm not a gamekeeper or a game shooter. Why should all game keepers be tarred with the same brush? We have shoots round here and there are buzzards, kites, sparrowhawks and owls happily breeding and not being shot. Three young buzzards from one nest last year, and it wouldn't happen have happened without the cover crops for shooting the monoculture has wiped out most of the other wildlife, the cover crops and feeders are a godsend.

[@adrianlayen4119]

Well done all those involved in making this film. This should now be the first step to getting it recognised at Government level. Like the anti's do, get a petition and present to number 10. Make it known what good work game keepers, land managers and shooters do towards the up keep of the countryside we all know and enjoy.

[@Redders72]

Why isn’t this on every field sport social media outlet .. BASC and co should be pushing this out there hard

[@nationalgamekeepersorganis9866]

The film was made by the NGO to support our members. We would be happy if others want to share or host the film to raise awareness

[@TheTerryE]

This made me sick to my stomach. Put these people in prison. Throw away the key. It's intolerable.

[@laurencefox5884]

You may not be comfortable living in the UK. Saudi Arabia could suit you better? or Russia?

[@TheTerryE]

@@laurencefox5884 So you think harassing these people doing their jobs is okay? Sounds like you're the one who'd like to live in Saudi Arabia.

[@judyparsons1333]

Yea put the raptor killers in prison

[@joshuafletcher6001]

I’ve been wanting to see this issue raised more openly. Thank you for the video.

[@Eggfried123]

I work in an industry environment I will not stand for bullying in the work place or as a volunteer gamekeeper which I did for many years. We all have phones film it and phone police.

[@callumhepworth-smith6376]

We need to share this on all platforms to highlight the what Mr. Packham has generated.....SHARE SHARE SHARE

[@nationalgamekeepersorganis9866]

Thank you, please do share this film widely

[@bradleywoods3742]

Packham pointed out the truth, not his fault at all any of this happened.

[@callumhepworth-smith6376]

@@bradleywoods3742 Absolute rubbish... his woodcock promo is garbage (they are migratory so why would a season change over here make any difference) and his clear victimisation of Gamekeepers has created a hate culture from his followers. If this was against the LGBT community it would create chaos.

[@bradleywoods3742]

@@callumhepworth-smith6376 I dont care for the LGBT community. I am against violence or the damage done by activists against gamekeepers and their land. But if one thing is clear, its that gamekeepers (not all of them) are responsible for the persecution of raptors in the UK. That is a fact and you damn well know it. I have no idea what Chris has said about shooting woodcock, but I do know that they are also resident breeding birds, and this population is supplemented by a overwintering migratory population, so you are not entirely correct on that.

[@jgumblesonshuntingandfishi8251]

Me and my 13 year old son get abuse all the time from people when I’m ferreting they not got clue

[@tonyclack5901]

You could have the same objection to fishing, where people wrap bait around a hook in hopes the fish eats it, they pull a hook in to it and they get pleasure from catching it. Fisherman also pay to keep their stretch of water in pristine condition for wildlife and the fish. They go on working parties in their free time and keep the river healthy. Its a trade off. No fishing no interest in the river. No shooting no involvement in keeping game bird habitat healthy.

[@simon6ppc246]

This is right and there should be some law to stop these idiots that look like burglars harassing folk making a living and also as said if it was about religion, gender etc it would be a different story.

[@jempettit9075]

Excellent video, very well put

[@elliotmitchell1424]

Brilliant video. There really should be more being done. Frankly anyone who’s trespassing in such a manner AND wearing something to obscure their identity should be considered a lethal threat (to keepers and their birds) and should be acted on by the police as such. How’s it any different to someone in a city carrying a knife with something over their face after all?

[@jordy46682]

"lethal threat to the birds"... And you don't see the hypocrisy in that... 🤔😉

[@darrenlaithwaite7810]

Well done great film. First thing, people keep going on about the origin of food and low carbon foot print. You can't get more local then pheasant or partridge. Second, why isn't this taught in schools. Get the young kids out in the country and show them where food comes from. Third, yes there might be some rouge keepers out there , but 99.9% do a great job which is very demanding and at times probably quite lonely. If it wasn't for these estates doing these shoots, the land would be as well looked after the wild life would suffer and it would more than likely get sold off for housing. Fourth, before people criticize things they don't always understand,they should spend a day doing it or walk in another person's shoes.

[@darrenbarkham7639]

Great film many good points raised i have been a victim of hate crime because i help control vermin on a farm it's hard to report it!

[@alalder1533]

Misinformation peddled by the RSPB and a well loved TV presenter and accepted by a now almost wholly urban population is a major cause of this problem.

[@grahamsimpkins1540]

Absolutely disgraceful Nobody deserves to be persecuted ! Because of the job, skin colour or religion !!

[@shaunpreston2839]

I used to be a keeper in the 1970 it was hard and keepers where in those days! It's fire with fire I'm afraid we all knew the issues then and know!

[@dave_724]

There needs to be a law put in place to stop trespassing and aggravation it’s not just gamekeepers but all rural workers who face abuse from the public and sabs or vegans and yet the police will nearly always look the other way in australia they now have laws in place to stop all off this.

[@Perfect_pete]

Fantastic video more support is definitely needed, those that hide behind masks are obviously cowards, as it’s easy to intimidate individuals while there in large groups,

[@jonnyfications]

Sorry to hear this, but not daft enough to believe this is not a thing. Hope Ant and all involved are ok. My uncle was a Game Keeper and my Dad worked on the farm and I grew up in the countryside with shooting and farming as the norm. Back then this type if stuff was rare. Now I just think that people are uneducated and haven't got anything better to do with their lives. They don't understand how countryside management and conservation works and believe local vandalism and direct action is a thing! They should definitely be prosecuted, but unfortunately as with the NHS our Police service is underfunded and they don't have time for anything other than terrorism, drug importation or mass murder. Most of these are caused by our own government.

[@douglasherron7534]

The Police don't even do terrorism, drugs and murder - too busy dealing with mean tweets.

[@johnlea8519]

I was once a gamekeeper and it took dedication and knowledge to successfully manage conservation and game shooting, on the other hand to be a yobo takes very little intelligence. As gamekeepers uphold the game laws they should have similar rights of protection as police officers.

[@TheTerryE]

Johnny: a question for you and your colleagues. What can people do to help? Can we contribute to some fund that helps to protect, legally and otherwise, rural workers? I think it might be helpful if the industry itself could tell the rest of us how we can help them.

[@nationalgamekeepersorganis9866]

Reporting all abuse to the police is key, it will show a trend as a starting point. Once the scale of the problem is known things can move forward with the authorities. The key is getting the keepers to report it in the first place

[@merv690]

unfortunately the Gamekeeper has been the scapegoat for the big organisations who can tell JOE PUBLIC how evil they are and made out they just go about mass killing everything, unfortunately any one lucky enough to be involved in the countryside are in the minority, we who live in the countryside can see the decline, this is in no small part to the dwindling number of shoots and gamekeepers, I am glad I am the age I am

[@GavinM161]

This cannot be allowed to continue. It is truly despicable that the metropolitan morons who cannot think for themselves are able to harass, and even harm, law-abiding individuals and their families because some idiot behind a keyboard or so-called 'celebrity tells them it's OK to do so. Why aren't the police doing something about this? Everybody in the country is given the protection to perform their job without being abused. Why aren't gamekeepers allowed this same protection? Do they need to 'lawyer up' and have some sort of fighting fund created so that if the police fail in their duty at least things can be taken to a civil court?

[@allandobbs7059]

It is a disgrace decent hardworking people villified and abused by miscreants and the law by and large does nothing!😠

[@daverickards7647]

It makes my blood boil when people trespass and do damage on the land , at the end of the day it's your living. And ill bet most of these pond life haven't got a job . Keep up the good work .

[@Akeeperslife]

It has long been known that our proffesion is one where we are one man's best friend , but another man's arch enemy . We accept that we cannot please everyone. But ....and the but is this , to allow lowlifes in Balaclavas to intimidate a bloke simply because of his profession is criminal in itself. Keepers are the guardians of the countryside , the eyes and ears that notice things that your average individual wouldn't. We conserve and protect wildlife , it is in our blood . We care passionately about the work we do and the wildlife we protect . The job is hard , it's long hours and not overly well paid but we love it . Let us get on with what we do best ,without interference from those who only have hatred on their agenda .

[@adambiggadike2083]

Problem with these people is they are they think there doing best but the problem is there also putting themselves into danger with hiding but the law needs to change

[@michaelmongey494]

I found this disturbing to watch that game keepers and there families have to go through this ant got it right if it was a race,religion or gender issues it would be dealt with with the full force of the law, game keepers need protection now sad world we live in

[@sparkplugsteve402]

It is definitely stalking and that's not deer stalking or , it is terrorism, in any other profession the law would be on your side.

[@judyparsons1333]

They should get another job some species of raptors have gotten on the brink of extinction its a huge amount that has been lost this year damn the pheasants

[@bencooper6617]

Great video. I’ve heard about children of gamekeepers and farmers getting abused in schools because of shooting. This isn’t on needs to be stamped out.

[@sidneygibson1023]

Farmers somewhere produce the food everyone eats.

[@richf6111]

If you keep game for rich toffs to blast to pieces in agony , you get abuse , your kids do …then wake up and do a different job. Stop being cruel to defenceless animals. They have more right to the countryside than you, they don’t have a choice. You bring all the abuse on yourselves. If you feel happy killing animals , you have a mental health issue. No sympathy from me.

[@sidneygibson1023]

@@richf6111 they're by no means all rich toffs, many shooting syndicates are run by ordinary fellows who do all the work themselves.

[@georgevincent978]

So much pressure on young lads in the industry from rearing to GK nobody should take shit for it

[@whiggles9203]

Selective enforcement!

[@thegameofgames4741]

On the spot £5000 fine for trespassing. Minimum .

[@JungleAcid303]

I'm not into hunting but it's a way of life for some ppl always has been why should everyone have to change just cos some ppl don't like it?? Gamekeepers are needed for environment.

[@ozlarmtb8006]

It’s a real shame things like this are happening when gamekeepers that are managing land have been statistically proven (GWCT ottoman project) to increase biodiversity

[@paulsymons7643]

I'm afraid it's a sad state affairs we have in the UK. Criminality is being normalised. The crimminals have all the rights. They don't understand the countryside needs managing or it wouldn't be the countryside they say they love and want to " protect ". Keep up the good work lads.🙊🙉🙈

[@peterchaloner6762]

i thought sabs just showed up on hound fox hunts which i kinda get its just sport for them but this makes 0 sense this ur job:(

[@markusetzel1211]

It is the same situation here in Germany. The abuse that hunters and farmers get from uneducated, over emotionally charged people with too much time on their hands is disgusting. They have no idea about the natural world they live in. Time we all formed a group against the antis and for the people who actually look after nature. Unfortunately that isn't PC enough nowadays, and we are the people with guns, so automatically we are vilified from the start. I hope that these people (if you can call the antis that) grow up and wake up some day.

[@nationalgamekeepersorganis9866]

That is interesting and upsetting

[@miapdx503]

I remember when I was young, and got jobs waiting tables. So many people thought that it was okay to abuse me, because I was young, because I was a young woman. And often those people were my employers. I was abused sexually, financially, and even physically. To those people who got pleasure from making a girl cry...a big eff you! You had a little bit of authority and you abused it. As a mother, I taught my sons to not be like you. 🖕🏾

[@richf6111]

The people that abused you were probably either thick chavs or single sex public school boys. The latter who blast innocent animals to pieces and leave them dying in agony , just like fox hunting , stag hunting …the list goes on. So you are basically defending the people who abused you in the past. Wake up, tell your lads not to be like that.

[@timhoward5863]

The only folk who truly value the countryside and understand it for what it is are those who live in it. The people who attempt to intimidate gamekeepers are urban sludge fighting the last century’s class war, egged on by a second rate provincial zoology graduate with a protected characteristic.

[@woodpigeon2862]

Good video I shoot over a pheasant shoot controling vermin on the land.nothadanyodf thatcrap so far, although someone did report our game keeper for a firearms infringement which was of course false

[@doubledee7517]

Yes

[@Siritos]

Jesus, they laid this on thick. The overly sentimental music!

[@THE_ECONNORGIST]

It’s laughable isn’t it?

[@lifeatleigh271]

It's an interesting video, but I don't feel that it is conducive to changing peoples minds, especailly people who are anti hunting. The section on statistics is cobblers and totally irrelevant since you are comparing raptor crime statistics of gamekeepers against crime in general. It's not a fair comparison and as such, means nothing. Had you compared the number of gamekeepers who had been convicted of a crime vs the population then that would have some weight. It's like comparing hot air baloon crashes to all transport crashes! I don't normally comment on these types of posts as I find both sides of the party (hunters and sabs) tend to be shuttered in their opinions and fly off the handle, however, as someone who hunts nad lives in the countryside I feel frustrated at the hunting communities lack of ability to think outside of the box when it comes to sorting the issue. Videos like this don't really help either, it unfortunately lacks gravitas and yet again paints a poor picture of the hunting community. I understand the sentiment, but I thought the NGO would do better. To clarify, I'm not anti hunting, and I agree no one should face abuse in or out of their workplace!

[@djnormalnorman6590]

I would say learn jujitsu

[@curt3494]

Both sides abuse one another.

[@Doncorleone44]

Probably true but the sabs are generally trespassing and causing criminal damage before the abuse begins between the 2 sides

[@curt3494]

@@Doncorleone44 But it's alleged that the hunters are chasing and killing foxes, so.....

[@chunkypythagoras1732]

🎻 🎻 🎻

[@LB427SC]

Turn their own weapons back on them? Video them, get their faces where you can, include their cars number plates and post their behaviour online. People will know them. Expose them. They know they are in the wrong, otherwise why the face masks.

[@patrickomalley4115]

i got no problem with keepers and shooting. but , we all know its nonsense to say only a very few keepers kill raptors . im from the countryside and i know plenty keepers . they all kill raptors , ive never met one that doesent kill raptors in 50 years . i got no problem with any of it , but to deny it ,is nonsense. just be honest .

[@theewhaler]

All this mention of race, religion, gender in the video and the comments. I don’t think you need to be a rocket scientist to figure out which way these jolly good chaps political ideology lie.

[@THE_ECONNORGIST]

Boy, where to start with this. Absolutely brass neck of you lot to call out abuse when gamekeepers up and down the country abuse conservationists and 'antis' on a regular basis. Chris Packham for example has been sent death threats, had dead animals hung on his gate and his property torched. All because he is against game shooting. Yet you want us all to feel sorry for you? I've got the tiniest violin out playing a wee song for you (like the soundtrack to your video). The reason there is so much animosity towards gamekeepers is because of the constant wildlife crime associated with the practise, the damage it does to ecosystems and the complete denial gamekeepers are in when it comes to these factors. The chap in the video harping on about 'statistics' for example. He's just attempting to play down the significance of wildlife crime. Everyone knows it's very hard to convict gamekeepers of wildlife crimes because of the nature of their work - in rural, remote areas where there are hardly ever any witnesses. It's nothing but whataboutery. When a crime does happen - a poisoned buzzard, a shot hen harrier for example - found on a grouse moor or shooting estate - it's obvious to absolutely everyone that the culprit will be involved in the shooting industry. Nobody else in the right mind would carry out such a crime. But the shooting associations have failed to call out these vile crimes for what they are and refuse to acknowledge that the shooting industry and gamekeeping as a profession have a long dark history of criminal activity that still persists to this day. The denial is staggering and this is why people are angry. Pheasant shoots and driven grouse shooting are a stain on the UK. Releasing millions of non-native birds which are having an impact on our natural ecology. Burning vast swathes of land so rich people can slaughter grouse. Social media has had a wonderful impact in enlightening people of the truth behind this terrible industry and you lot don't like it because you are no longer considered to be the "custodians of the countryside" - you are the destroyers of it. Unless the shooting industry can undo the generations worth of criminal behaviour in game shooting that is ingrained in the minds of gamekeepers then the sport is doomed. No amount of sorry violin music and whataboutery is going to fix your mess.

[@brianthompson7950]

Do you mean the death threats that were in his own hand writing?

[@THE_ECONNORGIST]

@@brianthompson7950 and there we go. Yet more delusional, conspiracy theorist nonsense that has become the norm for the shooting industry. Thanks for making my point!

[@michaelwalton1013]

The burning of dead heather you mean that helps play a role in stopping wild fires which will be vital with climate change. And then cover crops sown that provide a natural habitat and food for many bird species and mammals, not just game birds. It’s not a sport for rich people, it’s a working man’s sport and is easily accessible for anyone. Not sure why bringing social classes in has to do with anything anyway, do you not like the sport because it’s supposedly in your eyes bad for the environment (you haven’t actually said why it’s bad) or it is because you don’t like rich people (even though most people in the sport aren’t rich and are hard working people).

[@THE_ECONNORGIST]

@@michaelwalton1013 suggesting burning heather is an important tool against climate change is false. Another exaggerated myth by the shooting industry and I’ll tell you why. First of all, it makes far more sense to allow habitats to revert to a more natural state than be burned by man for all of eternity. Burning heather released CO2. CO2 contributes to climate change. Burning moorlands can destroy peatlands which are vital for storing water and carbon. Burning heather prevents the succession of woodland and vegetation which contributes to the natural water cycle. Lack of woodland and damaged peatlands due to muirburn result in water rushing off the hills and impacting lowland communities. Climate change is bringing more freak weather and flooding events as a result of storms, so it makes sense to make our hillsides more resilient to this. Muirburn is carried out in a patchwork style effect across hills. This is done to create a mosaic of habitats for grouse. If, like some within the shooting industry suggest, that muirburn is done to prevent fires - why not burn linear strips on the hillsides to create a firebreak like they have in forestry? The shooting industry won’t accept this because it doesn’t suit their agenda to create the best conditions possible to shoot grouse and make money. It has absolutely nothing to do with fire prevention, it’s about the grouse and grouse alone. To suggest otherwise is either delusional or a lie. If grouse shooting was banned tomorrow do you think estates would continue to spend precious resourced on burning hillsides to “prevent fires?” Of course they wouldn’t. As for your final point, you are going to have to explain how you think shooting is accessible to everyone when it typically costs thousands of pounds to take part in shoots. This is an activity for people who have lots of money - these people make up the minority of the UK population. The hills are there to be enjoyed by everyone, not rich people who enjoy using wild animals as target practise. Because that’s all it is isn’t it? It’s certainly not hunting by any stretch of the imagination, it’s the mass slaughter of birds which are either non-native or had their numbers unnaturally bolstered through human intervention. A vile vile industry.

[@michaelwalton1013]

@@THE_ECONNORGIST Thanks for your reply. Really interesting to read up and I actually do agree with many of your points, I am a countryside management student at university so it’s a a topic I am passionate and interested in. Regarding the burning, surely that’s considered carbon neutral? You’re only burning what the plant has taken in and surely the patchwork burning that gamekeepers do would have a significantly smaller effect on the environment than a natural wildfire would? I understand your point about peatland, and the push for restoration as it’s something which you can be paid to help restore. I do agree that some shoots are very expensive in terms of grouse, but it’s important to take in that many many shoots across Britain are not expensive, and syndicates are the same. Shooting (as a sport) is actually cheaper than some sports to get into. Obviously shooting as a word also doesn’t mean shooting game, it can also mean clays which is something enjoyed by thousands of people.