Greenhunter Posted January 14, 2009 Report Share Posted January 14, 2009 You can also add Golden Plover to that list! Reading another thread about quarry lists prompted me to ask this question. Coot, Moorhen and Golden Plover are on the shootable game list and have their open seasons like everything else on there. I am of the opinion that I would prefer them not to be, I mean, who would shoot a Golden Plover Certainly not me But then I don't shoot Common Snipe, Hares or Grey partridge either and yes I do see plenty! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CharlieT Posted January 14, 2009 Report Share Posted January 14, 2009 Yes i do. A very sporting bird as is snipe when walked up or driven over our boggy moors, they rank alongside woodcock. Although I have not shot coot or moorhen for years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al4x Posted January 14, 2009 Report Share Posted January 14, 2009 I've shot moorhens mainly as they were getting out of control on some duck ponds that were being well fed. As well as paying to feed the ducks the shoot were feeding 50 odd moorhens as well so the decision was taken to have a drive. Not the most sporting but needs must Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baldrick Posted January 14, 2009 Report Share Posted January 14, 2009 As above. I have shot moorhen when there is a genuine need. I've never been brave enough to eat moorhen though (it's reputed to taste disgusting). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MC Posted January 14, 2009 Report Share Posted January 14, 2009 I have shot golden plover, There are a superb bird to eat. Not very sporting to shoot though. We get them in flocks of 1000's. A bit like dove shooting in Argentina. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Highlander Posted January 14, 2009 Report Share Posted January 14, 2009 Why wouldn't you shoot Golden Plover? A very sporting bird to shoot (not many people I know can catch up with them let alone hit them) and damn good to eat into the bargain. As for Moorhen & Coot they're a bloody nuisance around game birds, very agressive and territorial, they will smash eggs and kill young. Last thing you want around pheasants and partridges especially during breeding season. Can also be expensive to have around on flight ponds for same reasons plus they eat a lot of grub. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
955i Posted January 14, 2009 Report Share Posted January 14, 2009 I'm surprised golden plover are allowed as I believe they are a Species of Conservation Importance in the UK. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackbart Posted January 14, 2009 Report Share Posted January 14, 2009 What does the term "species of conservation importance" actualy mean ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whitebridges Posted January 14, 2009 Report Share Posted January 14, 2009 (edited) Moorhen or "Wally duck" as we call 'em locally taste disgusting believe me. We shoot them. If they have a good side they will keep a pond open when it would otherwise freeze over. There are big coot shoots on the Norfolk Broads, they get to pest proportions and taste equally as bad. They ***** and stab ducklings. I suppose taking any quarry depends on the considered opinion of landowners and personal attitudes, there is no right or wrong if the decision is within the law of the land. Edited January 14, 2009 by Whitebridges Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
955i Posted January 14, 2009 Report Share Posted January 14, 2009 (edited) What does the term "species of conservation importance" actualy mean ? Generally it will be a classification given to species particularly closely associated with a certain type of habitat and considered a vital part of that ecosystem. Many of the species this applies to are in decline and while it doesn't confer any special protection on the golden plover except during the closed season I thought it may have meant that they were not listed as a quarry species. Just found it interesting as we flag them up as a species of particular noteworthyness when we find them on sites. Edited January 14, 2009 by 955i Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trussman Posted January 14, 2009 Report Share Posted January 14, 2009 To those that have eaten it, what does Moorhen actually taste like? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anser2 Posted January 14, 2009 Report Share Posted January 14, 2009 (edited) Like all game their taste is all in the cooking. Moorhen is very good if skinned , debreasted and lightly grilled and served with toast and mushrooms. They taste like the best liver you have eaten. If shot properly they can give testing shots. On a friends old shoot there was a mixture of reed , willow scrub and older trees in a belt that ran out onto some open meadows. We used to pick a windy day and push the moorhens to the end of the woody\scrub. Rather than fly out over the meadow they would rise into the wind climbing fast and then whirl back over our heads often 40 yards or moor high. On a good drive we would get 40 birds and many a good pheasant shot found them very hard to hit. As for golden plover and snipe , I never pass them up given the chance and would rather eat them than wood pigeon any day. True an odd one is a bit of a nuisance , but they can always be frozen until you have enough for a feast. As for coot ask anyone who has taken part in an organised coot shoot on a windy what the shooting was like. They can provide very difficult shots when coming back high over head flying sideways !!!! Just because one individual does not shoot a quarry species is no reason to think about protecting them. When I first started to shoot as a kid I shot loads of moorhens , the ground I shot only had a few pigeons and crows and the humble moorhen kindled my interest in shooting which then expanded to wildfowling , game and finaly pigeon shooting. Edited January 14, 2009 by anser2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greenhunter Posted January 14, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 14, 2009 Well, I'm really surprised at these replies. Not in a critical way at all. If there's a need and that many about doing damage etc then fair enough. I guess that in all the years I've shot all the usual stuff there's never been anything like the numbers to warrant shooting moorhen, coot and golden plover. I've never known anyone who did either so I wasn't really 'brought up to it'. I've shot snipe and could go out tomorrow and do so again but as I don't eat them(probably missing a treat I know) I can't justify shooting them to myself. I've really learnt something so thanks for your contributions guys. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evil Elvis Posted January 14, 2009 Report Share Posted January 14, 2009 never even seen a golden plover....but theres a field about 100 yards from my house that has about a 1000 lapwings on it at the moment!!! Coots I have shot and once in large numbers.My friend ran a carp syndicate and they were over run by them, they got a defra ticket allowing them to be culled.I shot 66 and they were all eaten over the next few months, by my friends african rock python, not one was wasted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trussman Posted January 15, 2009 Report Share Posted January 15, 2009 Thanks for the reply, Anser. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
webber Posted January 15, 2009 Report Share Posted January 15, 2009 I was on holiday in Italy a few years ago, and visited the lakeside home of the composer Puccini. On display were a number of wild fowling pieces. Apparently he was a keen wildfowler and pursued coot and moorhen with relish. webber Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scolopax Posted January 16, 2009 Report Share Posted January 16, 2009 Shot moorhen occasionally, mainly in my younger days but also more recently on rough days, but only when presenting a challenging shot as Anser describes. And they are very missable, likewise coot if driven on a windy day are tricky. Eaten moorhen, not too bad at all but confess years ago most went to the ferrets, a bit of a waste as they are very edible. Still shoot goldies and snipe if one presents itself, had some fantastic goldie flights on the foreshore. We have 10's of thousands of GP on the Humber but for some reason most 'fowlers ignore them, which is odd as we don't have that many wildfowl to go at. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peck Posted January 16, 2009 Report Share Posted January 16, 2009 you should have gone to Shavington pool when it was nearly all frozen over, there must have been 50 or 60 coots on the small patch of unfrozen water. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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