THE dumping of a number of dead game birds at a beauty spot in the Scottish Borders has sparked anger.
Dog walkers and ramblers made the grim discovery on Tuesday morning at the moorland car park above Lauder.
As well as around 20 pheasants, the carcasses of several ducks were also discarded at the viewpoint, the BBC reports.
Dog walker Caroline Barron told the broadcaster: “It was horrible to arrive at the car park and see all these dead birds scattered around.”
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The birds were found dead a week after shooting season, which runs from August to January.
Barron added: “The shooting season ends for a reason – these birds would have been readying themselves for breeding and laying eggs.
“There are organised shoots in the area during the season and there’s no way they would just shoot indiscriminately like what has happened here.
“It’s absolutely shocking that they have done this in the first place, but to then dump the birds like they have is beyond belief. “
A local gamekeeper offered to collect and dispose of the carcasses a couple of hours after they had been found.
Various shooting and moorland management groups have condemned the behaviour.
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Mark Ewart from the Southern Uplands Moorland Group said: “We are infuriated by what has happened.
“This behaviour is inexcusable and undoes a lot of the good work that goes on within the shooting industry.
“We believe the birds may have been shot last week, before the season ended, but that doesn’t excuse the way they have been discarded like this.”
The National has approached the Scottish Border Council’s environmental services for comment.
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