Illegal hunting has always existed in the area, but is on the increase

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CAMPO DE GIBRALTAR Unemployment and families in financial crises are often given as the reason behind illegal hunting in this area (and probably everywhere else). But it has always existed, with poverty as the excuse. The cazador furtivo ('furtive hunter' - we like the name, though not what it means in real terms) is one who hunts out of season, usually but not always at night, on supposedly protected or private land, with neither a hunting licence nor one for the gun, etc. Just a week or so ago, one of them, a man from Jimena, was caught in Castellar shooting a pregnant female deer. Worse, he shot her having previously caught her in an equally illegal trap - he is facing charges and could (should) go to prison. Two more men were caught a couple of days later in the forest at La Almoraima, hunting illegally. Another one last week - and so it goes on. We sometimes get offered a 'nice piece of venison' at an excellent price - we never buy it because chances are the animal was killed illegally and there is no need to encourage the practice. This time of year, there's a lot of it about, so watch out for someone offering meat as if he was offering dirty postcards.