This is an important book. It is written by an expert who probably knows more about wildlife crime in the UK & especially in Scotland than anyone else. It is important because so little is known & understood about a widespread & deeply disturbing illegal practice... Extract from Foreword by Sir John Lister-Kaye OBE Through the professional life of Dave Dick the RSPBs Senior Scottish Investigation Officer between 1984 & 2006 the often murky world of wildlife crime is revealed. This is the first book that faces up to the realities of the often unsuccessful efforts by the justice system in its attempt to stop these crimes. Unflinching accounts of the shocking levels of killing & the cruel & callous nature of the killers are related. However black comedy & lighter moments prevent this being just another catalogue of mans inhumanity to nature with personal accounts of the thrill & joy of watching some of our most beautiful birds & animals in their equally beautiful landscapes. The author examines the motives of both criminals & their pursuers in an attempt to show the truth of what has become a highly-charged & politicised topic. He reveals the truth of what is happening in some corners of our countryside where the public may be discouraged to tread & hopes to inform a more reasoned debate on the topic. This timely & inevitably controversial book lifts the lid on the pressures faced by some of our most iconic wildlife species which are being shot trapped & poisoned.