Al69ec Posted April 1, 2012 Report Share Posted April 1, 2012 Is it legal to shoot cormorants in this country? A farm I shoot over has a large specimen carp pond and it's behind hammered by these birds. I've been asked if I can get rid of them. What's the score with these? Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pontbeck Posted April 1, 2012 Report Share Posted April 1, 2012 Yes, unless you can get a licence. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave T Posted April 1, 2012 Report Share Posted April 1, 2012 Hi there, One of my shooting buds shoots cormorants occasionally as he looks after several carp lakes - he did say that he had to get approval (licence) to shoot them Apparently they take a lot of killing too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
super sharp shooter Posted April 1, 2012 Report Share Posted April 1, 2012 Yep you need be licensed to shoot them and they do take some steel to kill them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deershooter Posted April 1, 2012 Report Share Posted April 1, 2012 I have 5 license applications going through now Deershooter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al69ec Posted April 1, 2012 Author Report Share Posted April 1, 2012 Who do you apply for a licence to? Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CharlieT Posted April 1, 2012 Report Share Posted April 1, 2012 Who do you apply for a licence to? Thanks Natural England. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deano87 Posted April 1, 2012 Report Share Posted April 1, 2012 There's an article on this in the latest sporting rifle mag Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sharpshooter.123 Posted April 2, 2012 Report Share Posted April 2, 2012 Wasn't this covered a couple of weeks ago?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anth6568 Posted April 4, 2012 Report Share Posted April 4, 2012 Hello It's is illegal in this country and the rest are right by saying you need a licence from natural England. I use to have one on one of the shoots I use to manage. It was a large country estate with a a number of trout lakes on it. The cormorants were in large numbers and decimating the stock. Natural England came down and did an assesment and decided that I could shoot four over a few months with a shoot to scare policy. In the licence it gives you instructions on what ammunition to use, non toxic and if I can remember nostril no 4 shot. I used game bore mammoth 36g no4 up to ranges of about 30 yards. Knocked them down dead! These birds are bigger than you think and you won't realise it till you get up close. Don't undestimate them, they are some of the hardest quarry I've gone against. Please pm if you want the details of how I use to tackle them. Regards Ant Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ging125 Posted April 5, 2012 Report Share Posted April 5, 2012 As above good article in this months sporting rifle!! He used 17HMR I think! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave1992 Posted April 20, 2012 Report Share Posted April 20, 2012 I work in fisheries management and you cant shoot them unless you have tried other means of getting rid of them, for example human presence is one (they usually fly off when they see you from a pretty long distance), then using things like bird scarers on boats in the middle of the lake. Then and only then will they grant you the licence to actually shoot them, because still being protected they must see that you have tried everything in your power to get rid of them, and it all depends on the ways and means that your are able to use. If they belive that you can get your hands on a bird scarer then they wont let you, it has to be a last resort unless there are a massive population constantly hammering the stocks of fish, but if this is like you say a 'specimen' carp water large carp are usually left unscaithed. Personally i think that you should be able to shoot all year round without licence but only in the centre of england really. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pegasus bridge Posted April 20, 2012 Report Share Posted April 20, 2012 this is one species that really should be on the general licences when on freshwater, they are as common as muck around here, and are clearly very effective at eating large amounts of fish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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