massacre in the roost

[oowee]

Just back from a nights roost shooting.

There for 2030 a short drive down an old roman track to the wood and it was mayhem. Greeted by a cacophony of squawks and swirling birds. Making my way through the wood to the tallest trees in the corner the massacre began. I say massacre as I was thinking of the discussion on here about shooting big numbers in Argentina. Did i want a high number or did I just want to shoot what i was asked to?

 

There were birds everywhere and i started with the adults and whilst I cant be sure of the count it was well over 70 birds based on shells used (a bag full around 100). Many of the branchers were taken two at a time and in some cases three at a time. The gun was hot and birds were dropping to the ground and hanging upside down in the trees. I stayed until 2130 when the cartridge bag was empty and the wood was still. Sitting on the tail gate drinking coffee listening to the now quiet sound of the countryside.

 

It may have been a massacre but it was a job that had to be done. Was it sport, i dont know but it was an exciting evening.

Two more rookeries to go.

[robbiep]

Good job - as you say, it's a job that needs doing.

 

We seem to be running late up here, no branchers about yet.

[FalconFN]

Forgive me if I misunderstood your post but from the description it sounds like you killed every brancher and virtually wiped out the whole rookery. Why?

[oowee]

I tried to kill them all and wipe them out. In reality I took out probably 30% of what was there. Its one of a number of rookeries (and crows is that a crowerie??) that feed in to a farm plagued by a variety of blacks. Each year I shoot around a 500 to 1000 birds at this farm which are on all of the crops in large numbers and stop the cattle coming in from the fields to feed. Last year several of the cattle fell over in the yard, scared of the birds which gather in large numbers on the feed. Despite the best efforts of the farmer and hands to right the animals two were lost. I do my best to control the numbers and part of that process is having a go at the two rookeries that are under the control of the farm to try to manage the numbers.

[fenboy]

I do not think massacre is a great word to use , it plays into the hands of our anti friends.

Edited May 11, 2016 by fenboy

[hoggysreels]

Thought it was me being sensitive FB .. but l thought the use of the word massacre on a shooting forum might have been chosen better .. understand there was no malice in using it .. atb

[Blackpowder]

Forgive me if I misunderstood your post but from the description it sounds like you killed every brancher and virtually wiped out the whole rookery. Why?

Most farmers would be glad to see a good kill on rooks.

 

Blackpowder

[FalconFN]

Most farmers would be glad to see a good kill on rooks.

 

Blackpowder

I think rooks suffer most because they look like crows.

 

I know every area has it's own particular problems but shooting, in my opinion, is about population management and not wholesale slaughter. My appologies to the op if I misunderstood the post, but it dosen't read well as it is.

[rjimmer]

Rooks are supposed to eat a lot of Leatherjackets, but they also cause a lot of losses in ripening cereal crops if allowed to, so can legally be killed to protect a particular field/crop under the General License. 50% of young Rooks die of natural causes in their first 6 weeks anyway.

[TONY R]

This thread is not going to end pretty.

[Blackpowder]

Rooks are supposed to eat a lot of Leatherjackets, but they also cause a lot of losses in ripening cereal crops if allowed to, so can legally be killed to protect a particular field/crop under the General License. 50% of young Rooks die of natural causes in their first 6 weeks anyway.

This particular farmer who I cull rooks for has seen rooks pulling up sprouting grain, perhaps to eat it, perhaps to search for leatherjackets at the root. In my allotment I have had the white plastic markers for seed beds pulled out and just laid down.

 

Blackpowder

[fenboy]

I have actually had farmers ask me not to shoot rooks in the past as they believed they did more good than harm.

[rodp]

This thread is not going to end pretty.

That's exactly what I thought

[FalconFN]

I have actually had farmers ask me not to shoot rooks in the past as they believed they did more good than harm.

I suppose it is different from farm to farm as I have some places where I'm told not to shoot them (I don't shoot corvids particularly anyway) but a friend with a turf business says they make a terrible mess of newly sowed fields and wants them gone.

[oowee]

Rooks here are out of control on some farms. I have three where the numbers gathered will be over a 1000. They will go down a row of seed pulling stuff out looking for grubs and easily clear a few acres if left to there own devices let alone intimidating stock. Ok I could have chosen less inflammatory language and I am sorry if I have upset some with my choice of words that was not my intention. The birds are very much a pest if not more so than any pigeon They weigh more eat more and here are present in vast numbers. They need to be managed end of.

[scolopax]

Is a job that needs doing, really?

 

Gave up shooting branchers years ago, only ever did it with an air rifle and biggest do's were 30 odd. I just grew to dislike the 'massacre of the innocents', and after all I quite like the humble rook.

[Cosd]

Just a terrible post.

Perfect fodder for the anti

[marsh man]

Rooks here are out of control on some farms. I have three where the numbers gathered will be over a 1000. They will go down a row of seed pulling stuff out looking for grubs and easily clear a few acres if left to there own devices let alone intimidating stock. Ok I could have chosen less inflammatory language and I am sorry if I have upset some with my choice of words that was not my intention. The birds are very much a pest if not more so than any pigeon They weigh more eat more and here are present in vast numbers. They need to be managed end of.

Why not use a crow / rook trap , you could buy one or make one up yourself , it will save you a lot of money on cartridges and be working every day of the week . if they are doing that much damage you could ask the farmers / land owners to chip in towards it .

 

P S . In all my years of shooting I have never heard of people going into a wood late at night in the dark to shoot Rooks , I might have missed something but why couldn't you go in the daylight hours

[scotslad]

The above is a good suggestion, u could site it round the feed areas.

I put a small set of wheels on mine that can come off and built it soit can fit on my trailer, means i only have tolift 1 end up to move it about myself

 

PS I woulkd check on the GL conditions but it is illegal to use illumaniting/dazzling (lamps) devices to shoot/trap crows, not sure wot score is with sunset etc if its like deer laws or fine if can still see the crows silloetted.

Just noticed the OP said he came away at 21.30, would still be quite light up here at that time off nite, but depends how thick the wood is.

 

 

Cosd. Are u sure u actually shoot u seem to be offended by alomst everyhing?

30+ years ago this would be done country wide in every rookery and yet they're still here probably in bigger numbers now than ever. With modern agri plenty of food for them so populations will only increase, porabably need more folk doing this not worrying about anti's (grantedin this PC world title won't help).

They will be upset kill 1 rook so numbers are immaterial. If where stop shooting crows/rooks wot do u think is going to eat there bloody vege/cerals.

 

Do u also object to local councils cruelly poisioning thousands/millions of rats a year??

Just the same thing except i'd rather get a quick death after being shot than poisoned

[rjimmer]

PS I would check on the GL conditions

I'm sure the OP would not ignore the rules imposed by his beloved EU, or would he?

[WelshMike]

Whilst the language used may not be the best choice of words I fear that with all the political correctness comments many people are going to either not post or look to other forums. I agree that we dont want to portray our sport in the wrong sort of way but why should we always ponder to the view that we dont want to give the antis any more ammo? Do you think that the misinformed views of PETA, LACS etc will be made any better or worse by the views of the shooting community? Give the wholly unbiased negative view towards shooting generally should we all stop posting pictures of dead animals entirely? ..or maybe given that this is a shooting forum we should not try and appease those who fail to understand the implications of what we do and why we do it. Just an opinion.

[fenboy]

Whilst the language used may not be the best choice of words I fear that with all the political correctness comments many people are going to either not post or look to other forums. I agree that we dont want to portray our sport in the wrong sort of way but why should we always ponder to the view that we dont want to give the antis any more ammo? Do you think that the misinformed views of PETA, LACS etc will be made any better or worse by the views of the shooting community? Give the wholly unbiased negative view towards shooting generally should we all stop posting pictures of dead animals entirely? ..or maybe given that this is a shooting forum we should not try and appease those who fail to understand the implications of what we do and why we do it. Just an opinion.

The way I see it is that a anti is already and always will be against blood sports , fair enough in my eyes as long as they are not breaking any laws they are welcome to that opinion.

There are however plenty that sit on the fence , reading things that suggest we go out and massacre wildlife could well be enough to tip them over the fence and have them land on the anti side of it .

Add the that the large amount of new shooters that turn up on this site do we really want them to think that is what the sport is about ?

Know one hates political correctness anymore than me but sometimes we do need to think about what we are saying or how we are putting ourselves across to others.

If there ever comes a time when a ban on blood sports is debated then we could well need some of those fence sitters.

[WelshMike]

The way I see it is that a anti is already and always will be against blood sports , fair enough in my eyes as long as they are not breaking any laws they are welcome to that opinion.

There are however plenty that sit on the fence , reading things that suggest we go out and massacre wildlife could well be enough to tip them over the fence and have them land on the anti side of it .

Add the that the large amount of new shooters that turn up on this site do we really want them to think that is what the sport is about ?

Know one hates political correctness anymore than me but sometimes we do need to think about what we are saying or how we are putting ourselves across to others.

If there ever comes a time when a ban on blood sports is debated then we could well need some of those fence sitters.

As I said, just my opinion. I feel that the OP may have been treated a little unfairly with some of the comments that have been made. I do feel that far to many people are quick to make negative comments without making any positive ones. Another great example is shooting milky vixens. I have seen plenty of "another set of cubs left to starve" etc comments but yet no comments from these people when somebody has dealt with a problem fox and not orphaned cubs. To be fair to the OP he has carried out some important pest control for the farmer and he should be commended on doing so. A slightly poor choice of words in the title but thats it.