Heronry Target Practice

Milk bottle target
The island stock fences have been cut to the point where they are irreparable. We will now have to go to the expense of replacing all the fencing before we can safely graze the island.
I found a milk bottle target, peppered with air gun pellet holes, hanging from a tree close to the heronry.
Not a good sign, filled with pellet holes!
Today a plastic milk bottle is filled with pellet holes, and tomorrow a heron might suffer the similar fate.
This kind of behaviour really makes you wonder. We’ve seen similar activity at our local reserve, it gets me so angry.
Makes me angry too.
I’m all for target practice, but why on a reserve? 🙁
The herons are arriving to start their breeding season. It might be someone trying to improve their shooting accuracy. The milk bottle is attached to a length of string and the shooter might be practicing hitting a moving target.
Hopefully, it’s just someone trying to improve their skills and nothing more. 🙁
I agree with Re-Farmer: practice your shooting skills by all means, but why on a reserve?
Disturbing and frustrating.
It is indeed disturbing, frustrating, and costly.
That must be depressing for you after all the work you put in.
Yes. And there is the thought that it might happen again when the stock fencing is replaced. It is out and out mindless destruction. Obviously, my main concern is the cattle escaping along the canal tow path.
I hope the pellets are lead free and that no one takes shots at the birds.
Me too!