bunnage

I operate a voluntary close season on the pigeons, June , July , August . Perhaps others who notice a decline in numbers might consider it. All other species of birds are in decline, take the sparrow or starling, we used to see vast numbers of these , so why do we think the pigeon is going to be around in vast numbers forever ?

Worse still- I was walking the dog with my two young grandchildren ,early one morning, past were a decoyer had been the previous afternoon, and where his hide had been, were two pigeons gasping for life still , surrounded by half a dozen dead ones & cartridges everywhere ! You can but imagine the reaction of the 5 & 6 year old kids ! I duly killed the two struggling birds . Returning home furious, i rang the farmer ( who is a friend & neighbour ), who squeeked it was nothing to do with him , he only gave the chap permission & is not responsible for him. No wonder the public do not like shooters.

thanks Muncher, that is very interesting. Pigeons tend to roost early & get up late so i always wondered about their vision in the dark.

When pigeons are scared from their tree roosts at night , when its a really dark night, do they manage to land in another tree or do they spend the night on the ground ?

Its only been 24 hrs since I put this on , give me a chance !!! I am not an anti, I am a farmer, a shooter, but I do love the countryside and all it holds.With the countryside shrinking with urbanization, pressure from public opinion against shooting , I like to air some of my thinking to make others think. I am very disappointed with the views so far. As usual they are abusive & arrogant . Shooters posing like Victorian big game hunters or Maltese Turtle Dove shooters do no good to our public image. Remember what happened to the Passenger pigeon in the USA, wiped out !

Why are so many shooters obsessed with numbers shot , on here. ? At this time of year birds are either adults nesting or young birds , not fully grown , recently flown the nest. Where is the skill in shooting a young bird , it is an easy target & not big enough to eat anyway. Adults nesting are easy targets as they are busy trying to raise young & are not in the true alert & wild mode. Also remember that by shooting an adult you may be leaving young in the nest to starve to death. Surely an afternoon shooting half a dozen good testing birds, that you can pluck & put in the freezer before they a maggot infested,is perfectly adequate at this time of year. Shooting scores of easy birds is not skill its greed. Pest control is achieved by you being there, but on stubbles who needs pest control ? I wish shooters were more happy to just be out there in with the wild life.

Thank you all ,especially CharlesP !!!! ( he ought to write a book ). I must not be lazy , there is no substitute for a strip down & thorough clean . ( of the gun barrel I mean ).

All my life I have shot side by sides , now I have bought a semi auto to reduce recoil. The question is , what is the best cleaning method as I don't want to keep taking the gun apart. If you use a rod cleaner all the gunk goes in the action , which is the best pull through to buy ? Thanks for any advice.

Do the Maltese trap Swifts, or are they safe as they fly so high ?

To Scully & Sneaky D & others who may think we should let the Maltese shoot & trap what they like. We are not being hypocrites by trying to stop this indiscriminate slaughter. In this country we do not shoot rare , endangered birds. We monitor populations of birds & protect them when necessary , by law. Thankfully we also obey these laws. The Maltese do not obey the laws.

Well done Packham, we should ALL support him . I have sent money to the cause to stop this evil practice. Who has seen a Turtle Dove this year yet ? No Cuckooos heard here yet. Swallows low in numbers as well.

You cant magic up pigeons from no where, if there are non in your area you wont be able to shoot any however good your field craft is . Only sparing a thought for those less fortunate folk in blank pigeon areas.

I make that a ratio of kills of 1 in 4 shots. I think that's good shooting and about average for shooters. What do others achieve ?

Can I recommend to all cigarette smokers that they change to cigars or a pipe. you taste the smoke in your mouth & do not inhale. the nicotine kick you desire is achieved through the tongue & not your lungs. the taste of a Cuban cigar is wonderful . electronic cigarettes still involve inhaling & thus are still dangerous & do not' kick' the habit.

Could not agree more 'hoggysreels'. Don't forget the Stock Dove is protected as well. Looks very similar to a woodie to the uneducated especially in autumn when you get a lot of young woodpigeon.

Dear Carpentermark,Dave K, Sitsinhedges & the like, You abusive comments & total lack of ability to debate an argument reasonably politely, have won . I give up & wish you well , its been fun ! ps. I have had several personal messages of support ,why ? perhaps they have given up posting because of you & your ilk. Whats the point ?

It is still strictly illegal to shoot across it whatever sitsinhedges says ! You would not shoot across a road would you sitsinhedges, oh yes you would I suppose !

You must never shoot across a footpath, it is illegal to shoot within 15 yards of a path as it is a public highway. Be careful !

To sitsinhedges, Whats a' real farmer' ? Come to that what's an unreal farmer ?!!!! Perhaps you are not a real shooter !! Only teasing you boy !!

Well said Dr D , respect for quarry , & awareness of how the public view us , is important . This video does just the opposite !

To sitsinhedges, I am a farmer ,& a good one & have been since mid 1960s. So, show some respect for other peoples views , your bigoted attitude is harmful to public opinion of shooters.

AT LAST we have some sensible debating and interesting posts without being abusive ! It is now a fascinating debate collating views from around the UK, my faith in shooters is restored . So many though seem to be blood thirsty , shoot as many as poss , fill your boots & let the government worry about any consequences ! This is not the right attitude , we should all be sportsmen first & respect our quarry. Pigeons do not threaten humans like rats & mice by spreading disease & coming in houses. They only eat farmers profits & there are many other ways available to protect cabbages & rape. Most of which are infinatly more efficient than a man with decoys. Some farmers do not allow decoying as they can not see how attracting birds to a field is protecting that field, especially as the shooter packs up & does not return for days, leaving the field vulnerable.

I put my topic on here to open a debate, yes debate, on what I view is a worrying lack of pigeons this year. I have been met with a torrent of abuse such as he is "daft"," must be an anti ", "scum", " he is a troll " . I am disappointed at some peoples intelligence. Sparrows once plentiful as the pigeons & starlings in huge flocks , have diminished to very small numbers . It could happen to pigeons is all I am debating. Most shooters who have replied seem to want to exterminate the lot, one hopes to be rewarded £1000000. ! I think some serious shooters also worry about shooting birds at the height of the breeding season leaving squabs to die in the nest, so only shoot when its a must to protect a crop. Also I am a farmer & a sportsman in the field. Yes , I was farming in the 1960s . I can remember vast flocks & I marvelled at them. We see nothing like it today. As for pest control , coming to shoot my field on the weekend & then not coming back for a week is not much good, you need to walk round the fields all day every day to keep them away. So muggins has to do that plus buy gas guns scare crows etc. Most shooters ,lets be honest treat it as a sport, fair enough, but dont make out you are doing the farmer a great service. Obviously if you are a conscientious pest controller or professional , thank you for a grand job.

You need a true cylinder auto or pump ( so you can rapid fire ),12g, 2 3/4 inch , loaded with SSSG shot . squeak them in to 25 yards or nearer , no further, as pattern too thin . I have shot 25 this autumn near our free range hens .

Where have all the woodpigeon gone ? Some say in the woods, others say the have migrated across the channel, all say they will be back. I say thousands have died from Trichomonas Gallinae or Canker this autumn. This causes lesions in the throat & digestive tract ,which is why we saw all those sick birds in the autumn. It is spread by a parasite. It gets more common every year. To help combat this, I believe we should have a close season on pigeon shooting in June,July & august, voluntary of course but strongly recommended by BASC & the like. I never shoot adult birds to leave the squabs to die of starvation in the nest & nor should others except under dire circumstances.