ernyha Posted March 7, 2003 Report Share Posted March 7, 2003 :what: Heard a story last week from farming circles that the EEC are going to pay subsidies to encourage farmers NOT to grow rape next year. If this is correct it can have two effects on pigeon shooting in my opinion. 1 : With less fields of rape for them to choose from,it will give us more chance to get at them. 2 : Far more worrying though, if this becomes a longterm programme it could lead to a decline in the pigeon numbers due to lack of winter food. Anyone else heard of this one and what are your thoughts? :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buzzer Posted March 7, 2003 Report Share Posted March 7, 2003 Ernyha I wouldnt be suprised if it were true. Here in Hampshire we have thousands of acres of oil seed rape, the farmers used to call it black gold! as it was a good earner. I for one would like to see a bit less as some times i can chase the pigeon all day long over the vast area of rape but like you have said i would not want to see the birds die of starvation. I wonder what the farmers would grow in its place and if the pigeon would have it on thier menu? Buzzer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cranfield Posted March 7, 2003 Report Share Posted March 7, 2003 A similar story seems to appear every year, that the EEC is rumoured to be either stopping the subsidy, or reducing it. Paying a subsidy to NOT grow it, is a slight and new, variation. My farmer says,that the current price paid for rape seed, makes it hardly worth growing now. As we don,t seem to have the hard Winters anymore, I don,t think that a reduced crop of rape would lead to pigeons starving. I expect the farmers would just plant more cereal crops. peas, beans or something else they got a subsidy to grow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ernyha Posted March 7, 2003 Author Report Share Posted March 7, 2003 If i understood correctly what i heard, the subsidy will be paid not to grow rape,or anything else in its place ie an addition to the "set a side" payments. I hope it is not the case,also I think it is a good point that cranfield makes about our milder winters of late. Perhaps this global warming has its good points then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MAJ Posted March 7, 2003 Report Share Posted March 7, 2003 Judging by recent results (for me) the reduction of rape acreage and the increase in set aside would actually be beneficial. In my last six outings - 3 on rape, 3 on set aside, the rape has come a very poor second. Admittedly we haven't had a severe bout of weather, but it seems that the set aside and the weed seeds are more attractive to the pigeon. I think we all agree that they will turn to the rape as a very last resort. From the farmers point of view, I hope the subsidies continue. Heaven knows the poor b*****s have had a bad time in the last couple of years, and the last thing they need is another kick in the goolies from Europe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
everygoodnamewastaken Posted March 7, 2003 Report Share Posted March 7, 2003 Farmers poor? Not the ones i know. Spending 30 odd grand on a holland and holland sbs and driving about in range rovers! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malc Posted March 8, 2003 Report Share Posted March 8, 2003 Right then, we all better invest our money in Vitalite. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ernyha Posted March 8, 2003 Author Report Share Posted March 8, 2003 If the government gave diesel engine drivers an incentive to use rape seed oil for fuel as they do in some countries, we would be doing our bit for the farmers ,get more mpg and be ecologically friendly to the planet. But that would ruffle too many feathers in the oil industry wouldn,t it !! :evil: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjimmer Posted March 8, 2003 Report Share Posted March 8, 2003 Farmers poor? Not the ones i know. Spending 30 odd grand on a holland and holland sbs and driving about in range rovers! Would you rather have to get your shooting from a civil servant? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjimmer Posted March 8, 2003 Report Share Posted March 8, 2003 What did pigeons feed on before oilseed rape? Are peas subsidised? Most green stuff, that pigeons feed on in winter, is not enough to sustain them. They might like the taste of it, but they would probably be better off in the woods and hedges. If there is less winter food around then their breeding season will probably be shortened. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G.I. countrysports U.K. GARY Posted March 10, 2003 Report Share Posted March 10, 2003 Over the last couple of years the acreage of Rape grown in my area of operations has definately dropped... Conversations with some of my farmers confirm this... Last year, two of the large farms that I shoot over even stopped growing Rape completely, stating that it was just not worth bothering with... You would immediately think that the reduction in the area of Rape grown would be good for us (the pigeon shooter) This doesn't seem to be the case... It is true that better bags can be shot INITIALLY. After those fields have been shot at several times they are a nightmare to decoy any birds on those fields. Further attemps at shooting them resulting in huge flocks circling around for best part of the day, all refusing to decoy... The only time they feed is when they are not being disturbed by shooters. The damage they do to the fields is huge. The farmer is pulling his hair out, with the frustrated pigeon shooter trying to explain that he has tried everthing that he knows to shoot a few without success... This has been the picture so far this winter. large numbers of birds on fewer rape fields... During my recce today I saw one field with as many as 5,000 on it, yet it will still be hard for a gun to put together a 40 bag in the morning... Rape is the sole reason why Woodpigeons flourish in this country. Take this very important food stuff away and pigeons will certainly take a downturn. They feed on it for at least 6 months of the year, changing now and again when other foodstuffs become available, but bouncing back to the Rape as soon as they run out. I have kept very detailed diary's for all of my 20 years shooting woodpigeons. Rape is a very important crop for the Woodpigeon. I personally think that there is more pigeons in this country now than at any point in history. I also think that there are more woodpigeons shot now than at any other point in history... I am sure that the world record bags that have been shot in recent years, would not have been possible, if this was not the true facts... Bag sizes will improve just as soon as the large winter flocks begin to break up. This should happen by the end of the month. This is also the time to make a big effort to get out and enjoy some good sport... I FOR ONE, WOULD NOT LIKE TO SEE ANY MORE REDUCTION OF RAPE CROP IN THIS COUNTRY, THE WOODIE WHICH WE ALL LOVE WILL BE MUCH WORSE OFF WITHOUT IT... Your thoughts please... GARY WILSON G.I. country sports U.K. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
supergame Posted March 10, 2003 Report Share Posted March 10, 2003 Over the past 5 years we have seen a reduction of rape crops in my area of Lancashire. This winter there has been less rape grown than ever. Last year in the first 8 saturdays of the new year myself and a mate shot 800 pigeons on flightlines to rape fields, this year we have shot 300 less. I have noticed this winter that the pigeons we have shot have had a far more varied diet in their crops, so maybe it wont be the end of the world as we know it if rape disappears Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ernyha Posted March 10, 2003 Author Report Share Posted March 10, 2003 I think Cranfield made a very valid point earlier in this thread when he said that the milder winters will compensate for less rape being grown. Also the mild winters are extending the breeding season to an almost allround one. Let,s hope so anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buzzer Posted March 10, 2003 Report Share Posted March 10, 2003 Down here in Hampshire you can not drive for more than 1 mile with out seeing a field of rape its every were! may be the farmers down here are making one last run at it. Ithink that I would have to agree with you Gary that if there was less rape then the pigeon probably would suffer? All the best Buzzer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hammergun Posted March 10, 2003 Report Share Posted March 10, 2003 Farmers poor? Not the ones i know. Spending 30 odd grand on a holland and holland sbs and driving about in range rovers! You should avoid using such generalisations as it does you no favours. What may be true in some odd cases does not necessarily follow for everyone. I know a number of farmers struggling to make ends meet. It's a bit like saying all people living in the South East are rich, or all foreigners are stupid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
everygoodnamewastaken Posted March 10, 2003 Report Share Posted March 10, 2003 I was talking about the ones i know, not farmers in general. I know there going through some tough times Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yorkshire Pudding Posted March 10, 2003 Report Share Posted March 10, 2003 Just ordered the true pair of Purdys and the new 4.2 v8 range is getting resprayed in real tree camo. all the best yis YP Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
everygoodnamewastaken Posted March 11, 2003 Report Share Posted March 11, 2003 Vinnie jones has a real tree coated disco, his dad is a gamekeeper dont you know Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yorkshire Pudding Posted March 11, 2003 Report Share Posted March 11, 2003 Vinnie ought to give up acting and become a farmer a disco i ask you. he must be skint cos my 4.2 range looks well in real tree!!!! all the best yis yp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
everygoodnamewastaken Posted March 11, 2003 Report Share Posted March 11, 2003 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
everygoodnamewastaken Posted March 11, 2003 Report Share Posted March 11, 2003 He really must stop singing!!!!! =( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest flightline Posted March 11, 2003 Report Share Posted March 11, 2003 If rape decreases (er..that`s the crop) 5 gets you 10 the pigeons will find something else to get them through the truly arctic winters we`ve been experiencing of late .....not! :( :( :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cranfield Posted March 11, 2003 Report Share Posted March 11, 2003 I think Gary is right, regarding the pigeon population increase, following the big agricultural shift to rape. If the rape acreages reduce,will the pigeon reduce proportionately ? I don,t know, but my best guess is it won,t. The milder Winters, almost year round breeding and whatever the alternative crops to rape will be, are all factors. It may be, that if areas of the country reduce their rape crops before others, the pigeons might "migrate" to where the rape is. But, this should only be a temporary thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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