Removal of Canada geese from the pest list.

[anser2]

There are moves starting to get Canada geese reinstated as quarry species with a proper shooting season , but with the provision that a special licence being available to be applied for those who need to control Canadas in the breeding season . Its hoped that this will halt the rapid decline of the geese now being reported in several parts of the country and perhaps more important stop the cowboy shooters who seem to delight in killing breeding geese and their goslings for the hell of it before the news media gets hold of the story and the stop bad reflection that will be cast on all sensible shooters in the publics eye.

 

With the up and coming wildfowling club AGM season I would urge all wildfowlers who agree with bringing Canadas back into the normal quarry season to raise this topic under the AOB and if their club agrees with the proposal to contact BASC to lobby DEFRA for a change in the law.

 

I would suggest offering club members three options to vote on.

1. Leave Canadas on the general licence to be able to be killed at any time of the year without excuse.

2. To reinstate Canadas to the normal wildfowling season Sep 1st Jan 31st inland and Feb 20th on the coast.

3. To reinstate Canadas to the normal wildfowling season Sep 1st Jan 31st inland and Feb 20th on the coast , but with the provision of easy access to a special licence to be available if the geese are causing damage.

 

Already a number of clubs are making moves on this subject including press releases and lobbying BASC . If you want to continue to have Canadas as a sporting quarry now is the time to act or you will end up in the situation in my home county Canada where this once common goose found in flocks several thousand strong has declined by over 80% and is now a very rare addition to the wildfowlers bag.

Edited March 15, 2011 by anser2

[Psyxologos]

Absolutely spot on. Canada geese are a majestic bird and should be treated with respect like all quarry. When and where they create a problem a special culling licence should suffice.

[al4x]

this rapid decline you mention are there any facts and figures to back it up?

 

with a non native species its addition to the general license to help farmers with problems was as pest control, i take it they are no longer about in numbers to be a problem?

[MC]

They certainly aren't around me, "BIG THANKS" to the RSPB and their egg pricking campaign :no:

 

The sooner they are removed from the OGL the better. If they are a pest then apply for the appropriate licence to shoot as you have to for Brent Geese or Cormorants etc

[garygreengrass]

If I had vote it would be reinstate Canada’s to the normal wildfowling season – Sep 1st – Jan 31st inland and Feb 20th on the coast.

[Tim Kelly]

I can't see it makes any difference to most of us, and most of the public in general. If they're proving a pest they get shot, but I've never heard of anyone shooting one outside of the normal fowling season anyway. Canadas are certainly not a rarity. Cormorants should be added to the pest list too, double quick.

[kdubya]

I can't see it makes any difference to most of us, and most of the public in general. If they're proving a pest they get shot, but I've never heard of anyone shooting one outside of the normal fowling season anyway. Canadas are certainly not a rarity. Cormorants should be added to the pest list too, double quick.

 

I know of them being shot anytime, and with anything, at least taking them off the list might put paid to the "can I with my air rifle" questions?

 

KW

[al4x]

They certainly aren't around me, "BIG THANKS" to the RSPB and their egg pricking campaign :no:

 

The sooner they are removed from the OGL the better. If they are a pest then apply for the appropriate licence to shoot as you have to for Brent Geese or Cormorants etc

 

 

will that stop the RSPB?

 

In theory at the moment what you and anser are saying is that the OGL doesn't work, as if you are complying with it then there shouldn't be an issue

[MC]

The OGL doesn't work does it?

 

The OGL gives general permission to shoot birds that are being a pest under certain conditions. It does not give the right to anyone to just go and blaze away willy nilly like some of the comments/posters on here would have you believe.

 

If the birds (Whatever species) are being a pest and causing real damage then yes they should be shot. Shooting hundreds of geese when they are flightless is not on. Never has been and never will be which is why there is/was a season for them.

 

The sooner the season is brought back the better.

[kent]

The OGL doesn't work does it?

 

The OGL gives general permission to shoot birds that are being a pest under certain conditions. It does not give the right to anyone to just go and blaze away willy nilly like some of the comments/posters on here would have you believe.

 

If the birds (Whatever species) are being a pest and causing real damage then yes they should be shot. Shooting hundreds of geese when they are flightless is not on. Never has been and never will be which is why there is/was a season for them.

 

The sooner the season is brought back the better.

 

 

Well put and 100% with you, I even saw them on sale once.

[MC]

Well put and 100% with you, I even saw them on sale once.

 

 

Well I sincerely hope that you reported that? It is 100% illegal

[Tim Kelly]

Shooting hundreds of geese when they are flightless is not on. Never has been and never will be which is why there is/was a season for them.

 

Where has this been happening, and under what circumstances?

 

Are you sure you're not just worrying about something that isn't a problem?

[MC]

Where has this been happening, and under what circumstances?

 

Are you sure you're not just worrying about something that isn't a problem?

 

 

Just do a search on here for CANADA GEESE, you will find loads of arguments about shooting canada's

[stokie]

The rspb have just gas a cull at a nature reserve near me. They started shooting at 7am and didn't stop until they shot 300.

[Tim Kelly]

Have to wonder whether PETA would be more appropriate than the BASC for some of you? If there were a problem with canadas becoming rare or ceasing to be a pest, then you'd have a point, but other than the probably waste of meat with culled geese I don't see the problem!

 

A friend of mine used to own a pest control firm. They had the contract to thin out some of the geese on the islands on the Thames. I couldn't believe that part of the contract was that they had to administer lethal injections to the birds, rather than shooting or just wringing their necks. They also had to do a huge amount of egg pricking.

[mudpatten]

I`ll be putting forward Ansers suggestions at my fowling clubs forthcoming AGM.

 

The canada should be treated with more respect than it is currently afforded by many who completely fail to understand the ethics of sportsmanship.

[highseas]

i have shot them as pests quite often when they are on silage grass is the main one we got a licence to shoot grey geese to last year for the same reason, i dont think they should be taken off no. its them today, woodpidgeon tomorrow

[Scully]

I`ll be putting forward Ansers suggestions at my fowling clubs forthcoming AGM.

 

The canada should be treated with more respect than it is currently afforded by many who completely fail to understand the ethics of sportsmanship.

 

I have no problem with Canadas or any other species being on whatever license is deemed appropriate,but people have to get away from the illusion that PEST CONTROL has anything to do with sportsmanship.Professional pest controllers cannot afford to give pest species a 'sporting chance',regardless of whether it can fly,walk or whatever.It may be unpleasant and distasteful,but PEST CONTROL is NOT about SPORT!

[al4x]

they also are a non native species hence they are on the list in part to help our existing flora and fauna. Its an interesting quandry managing what is best for the land and what is best for sportsmen. It seems to be coming up more and more with people trying to manage populations of non natives rather than think about our existing species. If you look at Boar, muntjac and cwd they are being managed for sport rather than any other concern. Canadas are very similar can be devastating to crops in certain circumstances and when the RSPB want to control them you begin to think there is a bit more behind it in the bigger picture

[highseas]

I have no problem with Canadas or any other species being on whatever license is deemed appropriate,but people have to get away from the illusion that PEST CONTROL has anything to do with sportsmanship.Professional pest controllers cannot afford to give pest species a 'sporting chance',regardless of whether it can fly,walk or whatever.It may be unpleasant and distasteful,but PEST CONTROL is NOT about SPORT!

too tru

[CharlieT]

this rapid decline you mention are there any facts and figures to back it up?

 

with a non native species its addition to the general license to help farmers with problems was as pest control, i take it they are no longer about in numbers to be a problem?

 

 

If this "rapid decline" is in fact true then it goes to prove how successful the GL is. By adding Canada Geese to the list NE have achieved the desired result at no cost to the tax payer, unlike the Ruddy Duck who's eradication has cost us the tax payer millions.

 

We amateur conservationists and wildlife experts should be clapping our hands in glee, no more polluted water margins, hundreds of acres of cereals saved to help feed the world, the list goes on and all this good achieved by a few shooting enthusiasts at no expense to the nation. Well done chaps, wildlife managers we truly are.

 

However I would say that for wildfowlers or the BASC to lobby for a species to be removed from the GL is just not on, It's not their livleyhood at stake, think of the economic damage others have to suffer. The Canada Goose was put on the list for a reason and I'm sure NE are quite capable of deciding on their own if and when it should be removed.

 

Infact taking this a stage further berhaps a licensing regime should be introduced for all the species on the GL or are waterfowl something special and above all other birds.

[anser2]

Al4x , We used to have a flock at Holkham in excess of 2000 ( ref wildfowl of GB ) , 250 in the River wensum Valley , 400 in the Broads , 750 in the upper wavenly valley and 500 in the upper Yare valley. data from the last 6 years shows no site in the county had more than 130 in 2006, 320 in 2007 , 212 in 2008 and an exceptional 458 ( though that site only held canadas on one count and none for the remainder of the year so its probable thewas an unusual gathering of geese.) Count data from Norfolk bird report.

 

Tim Kelly just cast back over past posts on this subject and you will see a lot of people are shooting them in the breeding season including some who appear to delight in shooting goslings and blowing the heads off geese with high power rifles . What sort of picture does that paint to the public about sporting shooting.

 

Obviously you do not like Canada geese Charlie T . However for many they are as important a quarry as pheasants are to others. Even the humble pheasant can do a lot of damage to sprouting corn when its present in numbers. I know of farmers who get a payment for this from the landowners. When you consider there only 60-70,000 Canada’s in the country and many millions of pheasants though an individual pheasant does little damage multiply that by millions it adds up. Part of the reasoning behind out of season culling canadas is to exterminate all non native birds from our landscape , when the canadas are gone , whats next pheasants ? NE has no love for pheasants . In some European Countries its already against the law to breed and release pheasants for shooting. Us next perhaps. its time to draw a line here . As I have said in previous posts there are other very effective ways of stopping goose damage other than the lazy way of shooting them.

 

I am not suggesting restricting Canada’s to being shot in season only , but allowing people with good reason to apply for a licence to control them while stopping the wholesale shooting in the breeding season that brings our sport into disrepute.

Edited March 15, 2011 by anser2

[poontang]

I'm all for taking them off the OGL.

 

I had an interesting conversation with NE last year about Canada's being exempt from the protection afforded to other wildfowl during the severe weather restrictions. It seems they're are alrady discussing giving them that protection in the future, which is a start.

 

I'll certainly back any move by my club to have them taken off the OGL.

[andrewluke]

they also are a non native species hence they are on the list in part to help our existing flora and fauna. Its an interesting quandry managing what is best for the land and what is best for sportsmen. It seems to be coming up more and more with people trying to manage populations of non natives rather than think about our existing species. If you look at Boar, muntjac and cwd they are being managed for sport rather than any other concern. Canadas are very similar can be devastating to crops in certain circumstances and when the RSPB want to control them you begin to think there is a bit more behind it in the bigger picture

 

 

you could say pheasants are non native and alot of british wildlife suffer because of them,

 

andrew

[Magus69]

I'm in support of Canadas being removed from the OGL but afforded a special licence where they are a pest.

I don't believe that the OGL is,has,or will ever be,there to bring about the total eradication of non native species,it is there to control/manage the numbers of certain species.Based on upto date data on the numbers of Canadas,I believe their numbers have been reduced to such a level that they now ought to be removed from the OGL.

I appreciate in some areas they are still causing problems but this can be dealt with by special licence.If the population explodes they could always be added back on.

Mike...