Police appeal for witnesses after spate of wildlife crimes

Police in Perthshire are on the trail of poachers and hare coursers following a spate of suspicious incidents across the region.

Detectives made a public appeal to trace five men who were disturbed while walking lurcher dogs on private farmland near Abernethy last week.

Now details of further incidents have emerged.

Two suspected hare coursers, again with lurcher-type dogs, were spotted on land near West Dron, Bridge of Earn, at about 5pm on Friday October 20.

It was the second report of suspicious activity that week.

A blue Subaru Forrester, travelling between Hillfoot Holding Farm and South Gask Farm, is also thought to have been used by hare coursers. The vehicle was seen at about 2.30pm on Monday October 16.

Meanwhile, gill fishing nets, which are illegal in Scotland, were discovered on the banks of Loch Clunie, near Blairgowrie, on Monday October 23.

And the Saturday before, a white van with a spotlight was sighted near Loch Earn at St Fillans. A police spokesman said the occupants of the vehicle may have been there to poach deer.

Hare coursing has been illegal since 2004, but there is traditionally a surge in activity following the harvest, when large areas of land have been cleared of crops.

Similar incidents were recently reported on the Tullybelton and Tullybeagles estates, near Bankfoot.

Record numbers of cases of hare coursing have been reported during 2017. The practice usually happens at dawn or dusk and involves coursers walking along the edge of fields to frighten hares into the open.

Dogs are then let loose to chase, catch and kill their prey by “ragging it” – effectively seizing the animal in their teeth and shaking it until it is dead. The animals are often left discarded in the field.

Outlawed gill nets, which pose a threat to wildlife, are commonly set close to river mouths, and catch fish such as salmon.