Jon – it can be but it is not always – pheasant shoots around where my parents used to live plant and maintain shelter strips of woodland. They also encourage (pheasant shoots) maintenance of the “pretty” rural landscape
Grouse moors are a different situation – burning off the heather destroys one habitat to the promotion of another. Burning off heather destroys biodiversity.
Large deer herds destroy the landscape – the erosion caused by them on the highland estates is awful
without hunting and shooting our landscape will change. How much to the good is a matter of opinion and will vary in different areas.
wysiwyg – not what I have seen and you really think a bird that is not native, has been kept and reared in pens and released for a few weeks is wild?
I have seen pens of birds still penned up while shoots go on over the hill. What you say happens is not my experience.
Please note I am not saying its all bad – but some aspects of hunting and shooting destroy habitat and biodiversity some enhance it.
What about the persecution of raptors? defend that?