bongo321 Posted January 31, 2011 Report Share Posted January 31, 2011 (edited) Hi can anyone confirm that canadian geese are now classed as vermin under general license , ive looked on BASC but depending which result you want it depends on which way you interpret it ta gerry ps what cal would you say was suitable 22lr 17hmr ? or 223 and 12g Edited January 31, 2011 by bongo321 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al4x Posted January 31, 2011 Report Share Posted January 31, 2011 they are on the general license so can be taken out of season and with different methods, whether you can use your rifles does depend what you have written on them condition wise and whether you are complying with the general license Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MC Posted January 31, 2011 Report Share Posted January 31, 2011 And they are not classified as VERMIN. You may shoot them under the terms of the general licence but they are still Geese. Which is why you have to use Non Toxic cartridges in England. Anyone looking to shoot anything should really know the laws that apply to them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bongo321 Posted January 31, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 31, 2011 (edited) Ive rang round the houses today and yes i can shoot canadian geese , and i need to get a condition on my license to add canada geese , the game conservancy for one said ok that was from under the banner of duram constab for advice ,But this is only for England which was the major confusion , it has come under general license from 1-1-11 untill dec 11 and as such also become vermin , my head is spinning so dont shout im only passing on what ive been informed today and what is happening as in , a added condition of use for my 223 for fox and now canada geese , ive contacted defra , basc , all sorts of wildlife agencies as above the game conservancy all gave a green light .as long as all other methods have failed etc the norm . Edited January 31, 2011 by bongo321 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mudpatten Posted January 31, 2011 Report Share Posted January 31, 2011 Not shouting and fully appreciate what you`re saying but nowhere are they described as "vermin" and you respectfully need to get the idea out of your head that they are. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MC Posted January 31, 2011 Report Share Posted January 31, 2011 Being on the ogl does not make a bird vermin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scully Posted January 31, 2011 Report Share Posted January 31, 2011 Ive rang round the houses today and yes i can shoot canadian geese , and i need to get a condition on my license to add canada geese , the game conservancy for one said ok that was from under the banner of duram constab for advice ,But this is only for England which was the major confusion , it has come under general license from 1-1-11 untill dec 11 and as such also become vermin , my head is spinning so dont shout im only passing on what ive been informed today and what is happening as in , a added condition of use for my 223 for fox and now canada geese , ive contacted defra , basc , all sorts of wildlife agencies as above the game conservancy all gave a green light .as long as all other methods have failed etc the norm . Is this the definitive answer then bongo....you CAN shoot Canadas with your rifle so long as you comply with all criteria? I can't find the link regarding the shooter who headshoots them with his HMR. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poontang Posted January 31, 2011 Report Share Posted January 31, 2011 (edited) Simple facts are YES you can shoot them under the terms of the General Licence. YES you can shoot them with a rifle. If you shoot them with a shotgun you MUST use non-toxic cartridges, as they may be on the OGL but they are still classed as WILDFOWL. Edited January 31, 2011 by poontang Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bongo321 Posted January 31, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 31, 2011 (edited) Is this the definitive answer then bongo....you CAN shoot Canadas with your rifle so long as you comply with all criteria? I can't find the link regarding the shooter who headshoots them with his HMR. well my opinion was a 17hmr was a bit light for a canada , but as my 223 was only for fox ive asked for canada to be added , now as said previous 'mudpatten' is maybe why ive had to put it on as a condition on my license along with fox ,or was it because i wanted to use my 223 to shoot them , but it reads to me and most that they are as of from jan 1st vermin .under general license IM NOT bothered by having them added i can shoot them , the road i followed was BASC search 'canada geese' followed down then IN england read down to canada , follow link to fauna and flora ?? something like that . But back to a hmr you check it out tomorrow with your feo and see what answer you get as a comparison , see if they class them as vermin or do you need a special condition ? . How are they shot now as game Edited January 31, 2011 by bongo321 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scully Posted January 31, 2011 Report Share Posted January 31, 2011 Cheers bongo,farmers around here are going crackers re' canadas at the moment.Will pass on the info'. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bongo321 Posted January 31, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 31, 2011 Simple facts are YES you can shoot them under the terms of the General Licence. YES you can shoot them with a rifle. If you shoot them with a shotgun you MUST use non-toxic cartridges, as they may be on the OGL but they are still classed as WILDFOWL. I will go with that,Its the clearest answer ive got all day atb gerry moss lol, it would be nice though if when you phone those that should know, did! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bongo321 Posted January 31, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 31, 2011 Cheers bongo,farmers around here are going crackers re' canadas at the moment.Will pass on the info'. thats the reason i asked , i was at the farm i go and it came up and i only had my 223 for fox only ,so was snookered but wanted to know for later this week what the score was , lets get them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anser2 Posted January 31, 2011 Report Share Posted January 31, 2011 I can never understand why after 5 months of the wildfowling season as soon as the season closes and the birds start to think about breeding does someone think about shooting them. Or are they just looking for a target to shoot at. Sheer madness! By the way , by law you have to take measures to scare the geese away before you think about attempting to shoot them. We used to have thousands in my part of the country , but the powers that be started to control them in the breeding season and now they are becomming rare , how long before this starts to happen elsewhere. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scully Posted January 31, 2011 Report Share Posted January 31, 2011 I can never understand why after 5 months of the wildfowling season as soon as the season closes and the birds start to think about breeding does someone think about shooting them. Or are they just looking for a target to shoot at. Sheer madness! By the way , by law you have to take measures to scare the geese away before you think about attempting to shoot them. We used to have thousands in my part of the country , but the powers that be started to control them in the breeding season and now they are becomming rare , how long before this starts to happen elsewhere. We've been shooting them all season when we get the chance,but they're very large flocks which move around a lot.To be quite honest I'm not particularly bothered whether they're 'thinking about breeding'(this is a pigeon forum,another 'pest' species like Canadas,that are shot all year round)or not,as a 'pest' species and non-indigenous landowners want 'rid'.Aren't alternative methods prior to shooting supposed to be used as regards pigeon shooting?I know of no-one(except farmers)who do this,most pigeon shooters put out decoys to ATTRACT them,including myself.Pest control is pest control,regardless of breeding seasons. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guest1957 Posted January 31, 2011 Report Share Posted January 31, 2011 (edited) Cananda Geese are non-native. They don't enjoy the same 'scaring' measures as native species. Read explanatory note O on the OGL. Remember though, it doesn't look good controlling them in situations where they aren't doing damage. Edited January 31, 2011 by guest1957 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bongo321 Posted February 1, 2011 Author Report Share Posted February 1, 2011 They must be becomeing a real pest all over if they have been put under the general license so they can be shot with rifle anytime , where i go there is a huge lake and all the swans and other native wildfowl are been pushed right out of it , there are thousands the sky goes black certainly no shortage around here , well maybe soon lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al4x Posted February 1, 2011 Report Share Posted February 1, 2011 just use your shotgun with a decent sized non toxic shot, then you have an element of sport involved. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gyp Posted February 1, 2011 Report Share Posted February 1, 2011 just use your shotgun with a decent sized non toxic shot, then you have an element of sport involved. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scully Posted February 1, 2011 Report Share Posted February 1, 2011 just use your shotgun with a decent sized non toxic shot, then you have an element of sport involved. Pest control isn't about 'sport',it's about controlling pests.I can imagine our landowners reply if we mention we want to give them a 'sporting' chance! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al4x Posted February 1, 2011 Report Share Posted February 1, 2011 Pest control isn't about 'sport',it's about controlling pests.I can imagine our landowners reply if we mention we want to give them a 'sporting' chance! keep on believing that, and of course you go pigeon shooting just to control vermin not for a days sport. When we have had to do it believe me shotguns can shoot a few if you position yourself right and have a few people with autos. Certainly more effective than using a rifle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scully Posted February 1, 2011 Report Share Posted February 1, 2011 keep on believing that, and of course you go pigeon shooting just to control vermin not for a days sport. When we have had to do it believe me shotguns can shoot a few if you position yourself right and have a few people with autos. Certainly more effective than using a rifle I believe it alex! I enjoy all the shooting I do,otherwise I wouldn't do it,but 'pests' are not givcen a 'sporting' chance.'Sport' whether you like it or not,has absolutely nothing to do with 'pest' control.Ask Jerry Moss Red squirrel ranger at Centre Parcs Cumbria, if he gives greys a 'sporting' chance.Are foxes given a 'sporting' chance?Rabbits?Pigeons?Rats?Mink?Landowners around here would laugh in your face,tell you to ****** off,and then get someone else in! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al4x Posted February 1, 2011 Report Share Posted February 1, 2011 It all depends on your definition of sporting, there are more effective ways of keeping pigeons off than shooting but you still do it. Shooting wouldn't be quite the same if you knew you were going to kill with every shot it would be too predictable. Shotgun shooting geese is more effective and you will shoot more than with a rifle, of course if it was pure pest control you would wait till their feathers moulted and they couldn't fly and herd them up and despatch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scully Posted February 1, 2011 Report Share Posted February 1, 2011 It all depends on your definition of sporting, there are more effective ways of keeping pigeons off than shooting but you still do it. Shooting wouldn't be quite the same if you knew you were going to kill with every shot it would be too predictable. Shotgun shooting geese is more effective and you will shoot more than with a rifle, of course if it was pure pest control you would wait till their feathers moulted and they couldn't fly and herd them up and despatch. I agree with you alex,firstly about the definition of 'sporting'.Describing the shooting of totally defenceless(in the face of a firearm)creatures asa 'sport' has never sat easy with me.I think it's an archaic description that belongs back in the 17th century.But anyhow,that's another subject. We don't shoot pigeons unless landowners ask us to,the same goes for geese,and we haven't shot the latter all season.If the landowners want to wait until they moult then fine,but I know now what the answer will be. Early last summer we were out shooting bunnies one evening and came across two canadas and a nest with two young.They knew we were there and just squatted in the rushes while we watched them through our 'scopes for ages.Middle of nowhere,no-one would ever have known,and we snook away and left them inpeace.We do an awful lot of pest control,and it certainly isn't 'sport',but we're not out to slaughter everything,indigenous or not. You're probably right about the shotgun being more effective also,I agree with that,and I would rather fire a shot and scare them from a distance than sit in a ditch or hide for hours under a flightline just for the sake of a couple of geese that no-one wants to eat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dekers Posted February 1, 2011 Report Share Posted February 1, 2011 keep on believing that, and of course you go pigeon shooting just to control vermin not for a days sport. When we have had to do it believe me shotguns can shoot a few if you position yourself right and have a few people with autos. Certainly more effective than using a rifle Circumstances and situations, there are plenty of times a well placed HMR (etc, etc, etc) is the tool of choice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dekers Posted February 1, 2011 Report Share Posted February 1, 2011 The only things I shoot for sport are Pheasant (rarely...and frankly that is murder), targets and clays. Everything else I shoot is "pest" control....including the deer! If I get to eat/sell lots of it, and happen to be content in my work that does not make it sport, it is "pest control" Canada Geese have lots of reasons for legal despatch, some under the sport heading and some under the GL. ATB! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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