The wildlife minister, Elliott Morley, is ordering the extermination of the entire ruddy population of 6,000. Experimental shoots over the past three years have bagged 2,500.

Geoffrey Lean, environment editor. The proposed cull its Animal Aid against the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB). English Nature, the Wildlife Trusts and Sir Peter Scott's Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust.

Ornithologists investigating the dramatic collapse in UK woodland bird populations are finding the prime suspect to be deer, which therefore must be culled.

Tens of thousands of American mink are facing slaughter in a bid to save one of Britain's best-loved mammals, the water vole.

DEFRA wildlife minister Elliot Morley announced the ruddy duck is set to be wiped out in Britain after the government agreed in principle to eradicate it to protect other endangered species.

Despite the government's manifesto commitment to shooting, Simon Hart explains how the current Hunting Bill will detrimentally affect shooting by its restrictions on gamekeepers and field trials.

Valerie Elliott, Countryside Editor. Douglas Batchelor, LACS chief executive, has now turned his attention to student beagle packs at public schools.

Martin Evans. Describes the long history of coursing and the Waterloo Cup in Altcar and interviews people attending. "Some tribes have their Glastonbury, others their Bayreuth, the coursing family have their Waterloo Cup."

James Owen. Deer are on the rampage and putting rare birds at risk, according to the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, the British Trust for Ornithology, and the British Deer Society. The League Against Cruel Sports (LACS) wants the deer population to be self-regulating, regardless.

David Charter and Anthony Browne. The RSPCA reversed its opposition to the Hunting Bill after Alun Michael arranged amendments during the committee stage to rewrite his own bill.