Cranfield Posted June 30, 2015 Report Share Posted June 30, 2015 This subject always elicits some differing opinions and is one that really splits the PW community. Are we crop protecting, or sporting shooting ? Why the different attitude between shooting crows/rooks and pigeons ? Why is certain quarry shown "respect" and other quarry isn 't ? The list goes on. Everybody is entitled to make their own mind up, probably influenced by the attitude of the Landowner who has given them shooting permission. Its not a crop protection exercise that can't be done properly and there are a lot of helpful hints here on shooting laid cereals, as efficiently as possible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shootingmachine Posted June 30, 2015 Report Share Posted June 30, 2015 some cases its impossible to pick them all ive done it long enough to know that,if i say to my farmer no im not shooting them i wont be able to find them i know what he would say anyway roll on harvest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marsh man Posted June 30, 2015 Report Share Posted June 30, 2015 In my opinion they should be recovered to go into the food chain , so you shoot then where they can be recovered without causing further crop damage. I have seen fields which they have left the birds to rot and the damage that predators have done to the crop is more than the pigeons and the smell and flies were all going into the locality Todays combine have no trouble lifting any laid areas , so what little damage me or anyone else do walking out in the same track to pick up shot birds isn't really a problem , alright you might say I am knocking the grain out of the ears , but they haven't invented a combine yet that don't lose a certain amount of grain when it is cutting , you only have to look on a stubble field once its been combined and see the amount of grain left behind and as you say leaving dead and drying birds can cause a bigger problem than using your dog or yourself to pick up as you go along . I have very rarely if ever been in the situation where there been coming in that fast for a long period I haven't had time to go and pick up , a few years ago I shot over 200 in a day on a laid field of barley , admittingly it was very flat , but even with that amount of pigeons being shot there were times where I had more than enough time to go out for a pick up and tidy things up a bit . and when I finished more than 150 were next to the hide with the rest being used as decoys , and as far as I was aware very few were left unpicked . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kitchrat Posted June 30, 2015 Report Share Posted June 30, 2015 That shows a particularly poor attitude. Agreed JD. Leaving dead birds in the field just gives ammo to the antis. I have heard of 50+ birds left after being shot on a fresh drilling. No difficulty in collecting them just too lazy and "what do you do with them?" If you don't eat them and the game dealer is 20+ miles away and only giving you 10p, it's a good question. However, it's our duty to put them in the food chain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shootingmachine Posted June 30, 2015 Report Share Posted June 30, 2015 im on about somtimes you can trample half the field down and still wont find what you shot i think we have all done one way or another needle in haystack somtimes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Milo Posted July 1, 2015 Report Share Posted July 1, 2015 In four decades of pigeon shooting I can't recall having a day where picking up was impractical and I wouldn't shoot for a farmer who insisted that dead birds be left behind. It's fine to have a different ethical position on any subject as long as you are willing to be held accountable when the day comes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marsh man Posted July 1, 2015 Report Share Posted July 1, 2015 I agree with Milo on the above post , if the truth is known how many have been asked by there farmers or land owners to shoot pigeons and leave them where they fall for fear of damaging the crop there shooting over ? I know I haven't and if the farmer rang me to say pigeons are going on a particular crop he would expect me to devise a way of shooting them and putting myself in a position where I can pick up , even if it mean not getting the full potential by going on a part or a place where retrieving is more practical . After all it will be only a matter of days away now from getting to any part of the field where you think it will give you the best shooting . so show willing and be patient . and like one of the previous members said there are other ways of keeping them off without using a gun . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cocknee Posted July 1, 2015 Report Share Posted July 1, 2015 I personally would not shoot at anything I thought couldn't be recovered and I certainly wouldn't count anything I hadn't picked in my bag total. I have found you can usually follow the flightline back to somewhere like a grass field or set aside and shoot them flighting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Milo Posted July 2, 2015 Report Share Posted July 2, 2015 I personally would not shoot at anything I thought couldn't be recovered and I certainly wouldn't count anything I hadn't picked in my bag total. I have found you can usually follow the flightline back to somewhere like a grass field or set aside and shoot them flighting. Cocknee makes an excellent point. We have had some good days decoying birds onto nothing as long as there is a strong flight line. In most instances I have used the biggest pattern I can muster. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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