Chamber and committees

Petitioner submission of 15 September 2021

PE1859/F: Retain falconers rights to practice upland falconry in Scotland

At the petitions committee meeting on September 1st 2021, connected to PE1859, the convener questioned the number of falconers practicing the heritage art of falconry in Scotland.

The falconry information portal ‘A Future With Falconry’ executed a survey of falconers in Scotland, and from abroad of Scotland in February 2021 (producing the most accurate and up to date figures available).

The survey was aimed specifically at falconers who either have an active history of hare hawking, or those who intended to in the near future. This produced a total of 121 falconers with a vested interest in hare hawking in Scotland.

33 of those are Scotland residents. (I am a resident in Scotland, having moved here in 1996 to have close access to the Cairngorms and Grampians to fly my eagles).88 live abroad of Scotland.

The average number of years those falconers have hunted mountain hares is 12. (I have been flying birds of prey over mountain hares in Scotland since 1994.)

Of those living outside Scotland, the average number of years they have travelled to Scotland for hare hawking is 14.

The average maximum number of hares taken by a bird of prey in a day is 2. I only ever take one hare in a day with an eagle, and the eagle, having eaten its fill, will not fly (the same as their wild counterparts) for several days.

‘If you were no longer able to hunt mountain hares, do you believe it would be detrimental to the wellbeing of your bird?’ Two thirds of falconers said Yes.

The question was asked ‘What draws you to Scotland hunt with your bird of prey?’

• 95% responded that the mountains provide a suitable, safe environment to fly their bird of prey.
• 92% also mentioned the unique natural landscape.
• 82% also mentioned that they like to support managed habitats for the benefit of wider species.

‘How much time in total, per year, do you spend hawking in hares in Scotland?’

• 1 to 3 days: 14 respondents
• 4 to 6 days: 15 respondents
• 1 week: 17 respondents
• 2 weeks: 40 respondents
• 3 weeks: 7 respondents
• 4 weeks: 11 respondents
• 5 weeks: 4 respondents
• 6 weeks or more: 10 respondents

3 respondents said that the time they hawk over land that holds hares varies, but thus far, they have never caught one.

When asked what Scottish amenities they made use of, all included;

• Accommodation
• Local attractions
• Local retail
• Food shops/supermarkets
• Pubs/restaurants
• Landowners

Most falconers said their hawking in the mountains of Scotland takes place between October and February. These numbers demonstrate that the pressure that falconry places upon hare numbers is tiny.

During petition hearing on September 1st 2021, committee member Bill Kidd MSP noted a concern that hare numbers could not sustain the pressure from falconry.

In my view, this concern is utterly groundless.

Depending on what resource you trust, the number of hares shot in Scotland each year (before this legislation was enacted, and the very reason for the legislation) is between 26,000 and 38,000, and even as many as 50,000. Despite this, more and more evidence and science is coming forward to suggest that the claims about hare numbers declining on managed land is false, indeed suggesting that in North East Scotland (where most falconers go) their range and numbers are expanding (a range expansion of 61%).

Regardless of the interpretation of the data and science, the fact is that the hares have sustained their numbers in the face of this pressure.

Based on the ‘A Future With Falconry’ survey, if every falconer who flies their bird(s) over mountains where hares live, fulfils the maximum possible time they try to hawk hares in Scotland, is never held back by weather (in the mountains of Scotland in winter), hunts the MAXIMUM possible number of hares their bird can, on 6 days out of every week (or every day of a stay shorter than a week), - a set of scenarios which are utterly impossible, the number of hares taken in Scotland through falconry each year would be 2,886. The reality is MUCH lower.

I fly over hares for 6 weeks each winter (December to January). Within these figures, my hawking statistically amounts to accounting for 72 hares, yet the MOST I have ever taken in a full season is 40, and most years, around 20, it must be acknowledged that this is an unrealistic number of hares for falconry to account for, and is indeed only a statistical maximum possible, not a reality.

If the ban on shooting hares is maintained, but an exemption is allowed for falconry, even the utterly unrealistic but possible total number of hares taken by falconry, this would represent little more than between 11% or as little as 5.9% (data source for shooting dependent) of the number historically taken by shooting alone.

In reality, the number of hares taken in the practice of falconry in the Scottish mountains each year is likely to be approximately 1,000, or less than 4% of the average of quoted numbers previously accounted for by shooting.