can you still shoot on

[percypigeonshooter]

hi a old frend told me he used to shoot on the sollway and powfoot beach does eneyone know if you can still shoot there cheers

[TJ91]

A lot of the free foreshore on the Solway is controlled through access to it. So basically it is free but you cant actually get to it unless you have a permit from the Solway Wildfowlers, or thats how I understood it when I lived up there. They have a deal with the farmers who own the land you would have to cross or park on.

 

There is a large section totally free near Brow Well which was good for duck on splashes and also a good section available through SNH for about £30 a year.

 

There are also various guides operating in the area, not sure how reputable they are though, one in particular at Powfoot

 

(copy and pasted from a previous topic)

type solway into the search bit, there is a 2 page thread on it

[percypigeonshooter]

A lot of the free foreshore on the Solway is controlled through access to it. So basically it is free but you cant actually get to it unless you have a permit from the Solway Wildfowlers, or thats how I understood it when I lived up there. They have a deal with the farmers who own the land you would have to cross or park on.

 

There is a large section totally free near Brow Well which was good for duck on splashes and also a good section available through SNH for about £30 a year.

 

There are also various guides operating in the area, not sure how reputable they are though, one in particular at Powfoot

 

(copy and pasted from a previous topic)

type solway into the search bit, there is a 2 page thread on it

cheers mate thanks ile try that

[TJ91]

cheers mate thanks ile try that

 

you thinking of heading over there?

i will be over in december again

[percypigeonshooter]

you thinking of heading over there?

i will be over in december again

i was thinking about it i went up the other day as i have got a couple of shoots in carlisle

so had a drive up i also seen a field full of geese and i meen full my eyes nearly fell out this was just off the A69

never in my fields when im up there

[Lord Geordie]

i was thinking about it i went up the other day as i have got a couple of shoots in carlisle

so had a drive up i also seen a field full of geese and i meen full my eyes nearly fell out this was just off the A69

never in my fields when im up there

 

Friend of mine gets the odd skien over his place in Carlisle but not that often.

[TJ91]

i was thinking about it i went up the other day as i have got a couple of shoots in carlisle

so had a drive up i also seen a field full of geese and i meen full my eyes nearly fell out this was just off the A69

never in my fields when im up there

 

Did you go door knocking, there is still a few nice farmers who will elt you have a go, not sso many people bother asking now though, they assume that guides have it all which isnt the case

[Pipmoff]

Did you go door knocking, there is still a few nice farmers who will elt you have a go, not sso many people bother asking now though, they assume that guides have it all which isnt the case

 

I know the fields you mean we have land near there and there was probably about 1000 geese on the fields the other day. You wont get on there though I know a couple of guys that have that and the farmer wont have anyone else on he's even knocked back the guides offering to pay him. I wish some of the geese would come onto our bit though.

[TJ91]

I know the fields you mean we have land near there and there was probably about 1000 geese on the fields the other day. You wont get on there though I know a couple of guys that have that and the farmer wont have anyone else on he's even knocked back the guides offering to pay him. I wish some of the geese would come onto our bit though.

 

yes there is plenty who already have someone who shoots or have guides paying for the shooting but its always worth trying if you have travelled a long way to have a go...you never know

[percypigeonshooter]

yes there is plenty who already have someone who shoots or have guides paying for the shooting but its always worth trying if you have travelled a long way to have a go...you never know

yes your right wots the worst he can say no

[TJ91]

yes your right wots the worst he can say no

 

exactly.. you dont get anywhere without asking..its just the same when looking for rabbit and pigeon shooting, if you see a field covered you go ask...why should it be different with geese!?

[anser2]

exactly.. you dont get anywhere without asking..its just the same when looking for rabbit and pigeon shooting, if you see a field covered you go ask...why should it be different with geese!?

 

Because shooting geese on their feeding ground can seriously screw up the birds and if over done will make them leave the area. I never shoot migratory geese on their feeding grounds ( 99% I shoot below the high tide line ) even though i have 1,000s on two of my shoots.

 

Last year a group of idiots shot on a beet field all night under the moon at the back of my marsh where most the local pinks had been feeding. The result was the goose population on my estuary dropped from 30,000 to 4,000 and it took over a month before the main skiens returned and even then numbers were less than a quarter we would usualy expect at that time of year.

Edited November 3, 2010 by anser2

[utectok]

Quite often these threads come up and I get the impression people assume that in scotland people are marching all over the coast shooting everything that moves and never asking anyones permission! This is not my experience that's all I can say but good luck!

[TJ91]

Because shooting geese on their feeding ground can seriously screw up the birds and if over done will make them leave the area. I never shoot migratory geese on their feeding grounds ( 99% I shoot below the high tide line ) even though i have 1,000s on two of my shoots.

 

Last year a group of idiots shot on a beet field all night under the moon at the back of my marsh where most the local pinks had been feeding. The result was the goose population on my estuary dropped from 30,000 to 4,000 and it took over a month before the main skiens returned and even then numbers were less than a quarter we would usualy expect at that time of year.

 

i have never heard of a group of people making 26,ooo geese shift roosting and feeding grounds in 1 night, thats quite amazing (********!!)!

 

but taking a few wont make that big of an impact on them , if i take my bag limit the rest still come in and feed, i arent scaring the lot/ shooting at them all.

i never said to go take a triple figure bag like you would with pigeons!

 

but i do understand what you are saying

Edited November 4, 2010 by TJ91

[TJ91]

Quite often these threads come up and I get the impression people assume that in scotland people are marching all over the coast shooting everything that moves and never asking anyones permission! This is not my experience that's all I can say but good luck!

 

why would you ask permission to shoot on the coast

[percypigeonshooter]

i have never heard of a group of people making 26,ooo geese shift roosting and feeding grounds in 1 night, thats quite amazing (********!!)!

 

but taking a few wont make that big of an impact on them , if i take my bag limit the rest still come in and feed, i arent scaring the lot/ shooting at them all.

i never said to go take a triple figure bag like you would with pigeons!

 

but i do understand what you are saying

yes thats right i would be happy with 1 and over the moon with 2 i dont want to kill eveything in sight

my girl frend has been asking me for 2 years to get her 1 thought i would realy try this year

[TJ91]

yes thats right i would be happy with 1 and over the moon with 2 i dont want to kill eveything in sight

my girl frend has been asking me for 2 years to get her 1 thought i would realy try this year

 

 

My limit varys..depending on how many are shooting and how many geese are using the field

 

never more than 4 geese (migratory)

[anser2]

Taking a brace or two out of the early skiens will not upset the main group of geese over the feeding grounds, but shoot at the main skiens a few times and they will soon move on. Give a pink foot a safe roost and feed and he will take a lot of shooting on the flightlines. But a pink foot needs somewhere safe to come from and go to , otherwise he will move elsewhere.

 

A couple of mates had a good good feeding field and over the years they regulary each year shot a few birds feeding on stubble or beet tops . One year the birds came in by the hundreds. They shot the field twice in a month getting 37 the first time and 11 the second. That was 10 years ago and they have never seen the geese return to that field or the farm since.

[scolopax]

Shot one of the big bays in Scotland a few years ago, approx 8000 Pinks in. Some idiots went right out onto the roost for eve flight, the barrage of shots was none stop for half an hour and afterwards the geese were flying around calling like mad in the pitch black. Next day there were about 1000.

[shakin stevens]

Shot one of the big bays in Scotland a few years ago, approx 8000 Pinks in. Some idiots went right out onto the roost for eve flight, the barrage of shots was none stop for half an hour and afterwards the geese were flying around calling like mad in the pitch black. Next day there were about 1000.

That same thing ruined my holiday last year in scotland on one of the big bays these boys dug in for three nights till the tide changed didnt see a goose again.

worst thing was the poor geese tried for two nights getting in on the roost, looked more like feral pigeon shooting.

[The Duncan]

That same thing ruined my holiday last year in scotland on one of the big bays these boys dug in for three nights till the tide changed didnt see a goose again.

worst thing was the poor geese tried for two nights getting in on the roost, looked more like feral pigeon shooting.

 

It doesn't put shooters in a very good light or seem that sporting.

These days, moderation is key and most thinking shooters seem to accept that.

You always get the odd one though! Going over the top with his 12 gauge

Edited November 30, 2010 by The Duncan

[guest1957]

It doesn't put shooters in a very good light or seem that sporting.

These days, moderation is key and most thinking shooters seem to accept that.

You always get the odd one though! Going over the top with his 12 gauge

 

Not being a wildfowler, is there anything you can even do with a whole load of shot geese? Isn't it illegal to sell them? Completely agree with moderation when wild birds (not pest species) are the target.

[malantone]

why would you ask permission to shoot on the coast

Our local wildfowlers pay rent to different landlords who own the saltmarsh which is below high tide marks, people seem to think that anyone can shoot below the mean high water mark, this is not true, A tremdous amount of our coast is privately owned.

[malantone]

Shot one of the big bays in Scotland a few years ago, approx 8000 Pinks in. Some idiots went right out onto the roost for eve flight, the barrage of shots was none stop for half an hour and afterwards the geese were flying around calling like mad in the pitch black. Next day there were about 1000.

It`s about 45 yrs since I shot geese on the Solway, but back then it was against the rules to leave the grass to shoot,

by going out onto the roost, do you mean going out on to the mud?

[TJ91]

Our local wildfowlers pay rent to different landlords who own the saltmarsh which is below high tide marks, people seem to think that anyone can shoot below the mean high water mark, this is not true, A tremdous amount of our coast is privately owned.

 

in scotland it is true

unless nnr/lnr, mod or harbour/port authoritys