dodeer Posted May 16, 2003 Report Share Posted May 16, 2003 Do you think that there should be a close season for pigeons? If yes why, if no why. I personally think not. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BTMS Posted May 16, 2003 Report Share Posted May 16, 2003 I agree with Sam. How about a poll? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hammergun Posted May 16, 2003 Report Share Posted May 16, 2003 Pigeons breed throught the spring and summer months, the time when they do the most damage. They are first and foremost an agricultural pest, not a game bird. I dont think there should be a closed season for them any more than there should be a closed season for rabbits, or even rats. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buzzer Posted May 16, 2003 Report Share Posted May 16, 2003 Perish the thought.........like HG said they are a pest...... causing thousands of pounds worth of damage to the growers. All the best Buzzer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tiercel Posted May 16, 2003 Report Share Posted May 16, 2003 In our area the damage that pigeon do is minimal. There is no need of an all out attack on them.So conciquently i do not shoot them through the spring and early summer, having said that if i had a call of a farmer i would go and shoot the birds. Its more of an availability thing than a closed season.I personly see nothing wrong with shooting them 364 days a year Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
red_stag88 Posted May 16, 2003 Report Share Posted May 16, 2003 They are pests all the year round, why not shoot them all the year round! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjimmer Posted May 16, 2003 Report Share Posted May 16, 2003 Pigeons have been known to breed in every month of the year in Britain. Shooting pigeons has been shown to have no affect on their numbers, but it will protect crops locally. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neil Posted May 16, 2003 Report Share Posted May 16, 2003 As everyone else has said really,they are classed as vermin,if they are damaging crops etc then they need to be controlled Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
supergame Posted May 16, 2003 Report Share Posted May 16, 2003 Pigeons are a serious pest all year round. During the winter months they hammer rape and during spring summer they are a pest on a wide range of crops. If there were to be a close season you simply couldn't determine when the season should begin and end. In my area ( Nortwest ) the summer months are when the pigeon is most abundant and doing the most damage so it would be ridiculous to have a close season even if they are breeding. A pest is a pest and may the woodie remain that way, even if I and thousands of other shooters consider it to be their favourite sporting bird. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrapShot Posted May 17, 2003 Report Share Posted May 17, 2003 I think this is going to make me slightly unpopular, but I think it has to be said. I think it is a shame that we don't all show this bird the same respect as we do for game birds. I think that a genuine countryman would notice when birds in his area are breeding and leave them for a few months apart from if a field was getting hit too hard by pigeons then he would have to move them on but this very rarely happens during the breeding season round by me as they tend to just flap around and sit in the sunshine. As for the total number of pigeons not been affected by shooting them all year round this is true, however if you overshoot a small area you will see less birds as they can only be shot once. If it is numbers you like then resting your shoot during breeding season will certainly go in you favour and all though the number of birds will double they are no threat to crops when sat in their nests. I am not an Anti of the sport by any stretch of the imagination and enjoy all forms of shooting but in my opinion I think a close season maybe a good idea. Crapshot Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest flightline Posted May 17, 2003 Report Share Posted May 17, 2003 I still don`t understand why you are in favour of a close season. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrapShot Posted May 17, 2003 Report Share Posted May 17, 2003 I just think its only fair to let the birds breed and feed the young as we do with game birds. Just my opinion and not against those who don't. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hunterswind9465 Posted May 17, 2003 Report Share Posted May 17, 2003 I have to agree with Crapshot. Even thogh I am a shooting agent I never shoot Pigeons from mid April until the first week of August you have to give them a rest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjimmer Posted May 17, 2003 Report Share Posted May 17, 2003 they are no threat to crops when sat in their nests. Where do you think they get the nourishment to produce the milk to feed their young? If I had crops that I let someone shoot pigeons on, I would soon find someone else to do it if they didn't turn out in the summer. It's like leaving a field alone for numbers to build up and sod the crop protection. Bad PR!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrapShot Posted May 18, 2003 Report Share Posted May 18, 2003 Where do you think they get the nourishment to produce the milk to feed their young? Round by me the birds are feeding mostly on clover around this time. If I had crops that I let someone shoot pigeons on, I would soon find someone else to do it if they didn't turn out in the summer. "apart from if a field was getting hit too hard by pigeons then he would have to move them on" It's like leaving a field alone for numbers to build up and sod the crop protection. Bad PR!!! Never been asked to protect clover before. Like i said just my opinion and don't want to offend anyone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest flightline Posted May 20, 2003 Report Share Posted May 20, 2003 I just think its only fair to let the birds breed and feed the young as we do with game birds. Just my opinion and not against those who don't. There`s no reason why you shouldn`t have a self-denying ordinance if that`s what your conscience tells you. But if you want a close season you would be stopping others who did not share your view from shooting, wouldn`t you? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G.I. countrysports U.K. GARY Posted May 20, 2003 Report Share Posted May 20, 2003 First of all I will put aside the fact that I make my living shooting pigeons.... I will try as best as possible to give a fair and independant view as to why the woodpigeon ....MUST.... be shot all year round in this country... Please check out my website www.gicountrysportsuk.com if you click on the tab BEST MONTHS you will instantly see that the vast majority of serious woodpigeon control is at it's most effective during the so called breeding period, which for the bulk of the birds is May, June, July, August... A couple of facts before I go any further: 1. Both sexes incubate the eggs. (males tend to do the night shift, they spend most of the day maintaining and marking their nesting territory. 2. Both adults feed the youngsters. (both sexes have the same glands within the crop, the walls of the crop swell up to enable foodstuffs taken in to be turned into a milky secretion for feeding the young) 3. Shooting has no effect whatsoever on Pigeon numbers. (even in my area where we are shooting them constantly) 4. Recent studys have shown that the Pigeon population is growing at a rate of between 2% - 5% yearly. The woodpigeon is the number 1 agricultural pest in this country. The total cost of the damage the woodpigeon causes is not acurately quantifyable, but it costs Millions of pounds to the farmer every year. A reasonable sized flock feeding on a pea field costs the grower £1,000.00 a day in lost yield. When they are eating the pea flowers in June they can devastate a field in 2 day's. The farmers need the field protection we willingly provide for them in the vunerable growing period, April, May, June, July. Also, during the winter months the birds congregate into huge winter flocks. This makes it very difficult to control and reduce their numbers... WE HAVE ALL CHASED HUGE FLOCKS AROUND THE RAPE FIELDS IN WINTER AND ENDED UP GOING HOME WET AND COLD WITH ONLY A FEW BIRDS IN THE BAG... During the summer is the time when the serious job of the pest controller/crop protector really gets underway. Better bags can be shot and numbers can be reduced to acceptable levels... The whole country is granted a special licence by the E.U. (exemption from some of the laws laid down in the european bird directive) to allow us to control woodpigeon and corvids throughout the summer months. The rest of europe can shoot the Woodie from September - end of February, only 4 months. That is what we would have to contend with if we lost the right to shoot them all year. Should the woodie be put off limits during the summer, the population would INITIALLY explode in 2 years, without a doubt. The farmer would struggle to grow any winter Rape due to losses. You would no doubt see farmers looking for alternative break crops with the resultant decrease in the national winter Rape crop, this in effect would then starve out the large numbers of woodpigeons during winter in future years, and we would see the winter mortality of the birds leap up to where it was prior to Rape being grown, AS MUCH AS 20% DIE OFF. MY THOUGHTS BEING, LESS PIGEONS THAN WE HAVE NOW EVEN THOUGH WE WERE NOT SHOOTING THEM DURING THE BREEDING PERIOD... You only need to look at the study figures (prior 1970) to see the evidance of breeding success we have now because of Rape. Prior to the introduction of oilseed rape the biggest killer of woodpigeons was winter mortality... The woodpigeon is a hugely successfull bird. It has a large range stretching as far west as India, south to north africa, and north to the extent of the treeline in Norway. It is not under any threat from shooting pressure... We fought long and hard to put across our well informed argument to allow us to continue to control the woodpigeon during the summer months... Leave well alone... or you could find many other unwanted shooting issues being forced down our throats by european ministers hell bent on spoiling our fun... e.g. 1. Denmark has a total ban on lead shot (even clay shooting) 2. The end to releasing game birds, Holland 3. Crazy shooting seasons. The only issue is a personal and moral one to the individual. If you preferr not to shoot them at this time then don't, but it won't make a single bit of differance to the overall numbers of Woodies in this country... However, air your personal views on this subject with caution... All the very best GARY WILSON G.I.country sports U.K. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MAJ Posted May 20, 2003 Report Share Posted May 20, 2003 As usual, a very articulate and informed response from G.I. Personally, I shoot pigeons 12 months a year, and yes my biggest bags are invariably taken during the summer months. I feel no guilt, as I know the damage that is (not maybe) caused during the so called breeding season. For this reason I also shoot and trap rabbits during the months with an "R". Having said that, don't let me, or anyone else, be your conscience. If you're unhappy shooting them at this time of year, don't do it. But as Gary said, let's not make too many waves about this. If a close season were to be imposed by, I'm sure, well meaning beaurocrats, we would have a hell of a job to get it revoked. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MARK 1 Posted May 20, 2003 Report Share Posted May 20, 2003 :< :< as usual a complete and totally correct response from gary,and as maj say's lets not give the ignorant/misinformed country do gooder's any more ammunition . our sport is in enuogh danger as it is without our own sort talking about close season's for pest's. next week the shoting times are doing a full page spread on the very topic. in my opinion not only a waste of valuable space& time, but do they not realise there's not only shooting foke buy it. were do they think the anti's get most of there information. on that we must all stick together Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buzzer Posted May 20, 2003 Report Share Posted May 20, 2003 bang on with those last 3 posts........VERY well put guys, totaly agree with all that has been said in those posts!!! All the best Buzzer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Austin Posted May 21, 2003 Report Share Posted May 21, 2003 Sam They seem to be breeding March to Nov round here with potentially 2-3 broods per year and spring birds breeding later in the same year, mild winters and plently of winter food crops so no shortage my area. Given their vermin status no reason for a closed season here. However we are only shooting over crops where they tend to do most damage at the moment. Possibly there is a need to lay off in some areas to maintain reasonable numbers and keep the sport intresting. I do not like shooting rabbits and hares, April through Aug as it was 'not the season' and 'just not done son!'. However we have been clearing rabbits with mixy, I think it helps to keep the rest healther. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ernyha Posted May 21, 2003 Report Share Posted May 21, 2003 . However we have been clearing rabbits with mixy, I think it helps to keep the rest healther. Personally i hate that idea and also thought it was illegal anyway. Would like to hear the thoughts of others on this practice. :< Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.223 Posted May 22, 2003 Report Share Posted May 22, 2003 I think he means he has been shooting the rabbits which have got mixy. not he has been using mixy to kill them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ernyha Posted May 22, 2003 Report Share Posted May 22, 2003 :*) Sorry i misunderstood, reading it differantly now sober. :*) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buzzer Posted May 22, 2003 Report Share Posted May 22, 2003 On the red stuff still then Ern... . ...... All the best Buzz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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