Feral pigeons

[daveman]

I'd be very interested to know the most feral pigeons members have shot with an air rifle in one session and the circumstances (e.g. in a grain store)? Thanks.

[BigDave15]

I shot 2 last year in a grain store. One was white with black spots on it and the other looked like an average towine pigeon. My dad has to shoot then every year when the harvest starts he runs the Corn dryer so its up to him to deal with them. We have put some netting in their now so they cant get in but you some times see a few droppings.

Id say we shoot about 3 a year on average.

[highdowns hunter]

I shot 45 a couple of years ago in an old aircraft hanger in Pembroke Dock

Anyone living near Hull docks should ask for permission to shoot in the fertiliser stores as there are 1000's there

[M ROBSON]

I've done a fair bit of feral shooting, mainly out of beef cattle sheds, it keeps the farmers happy. I found the best way to shoot them is not with the air gun but with the shotgun.

Simple flush the birds out of the barn without shooting at them, then sit at the entrance and they will come back in bits and pieces all day long. This works best in wet and windy weather, I once shot 80.

[markadams]

I shot 20 in 20 minutes, it was inside a builders merchants warehouse, I used a 12 ft/lb air rifle, in .177 so it did not damage the roof to much.

 

Mark.

[Teal]

I'd be very interested to know the most feral pigeons members have shot with an air rifle in one session and the circumstances (e.g. in a grain store)? Thanks.

Do collared doves taste good? I've seen a place which must have a flock of about 50-100, three years ago I remember just seeing one pair and thinking how nice they were little did I know they would soon reach plague proportions I reckon the ferals would have taken their place in england but you just don't get large numbers of ferals in N. Ireland, anyway thats going to be fun, going to try a shotgun and an airifle on them, airifle first to knock off the sitters then as they get more wary bring out the 20gauge

[Hammergun]

Collared doves are very good to eat. The flesh is much more delicate than woodpigeon.

 

I have shot typically 20 ferals a month in the barns.

 

I am thinking of downrating my air rifle to prevent damage to the roof. Does anyone know the minimum ftlbs that can be used effectively?

[Adamo]

It is VERY illegal to shoot collared doves in N.Ireland, if your caught, as a friend of mine was, the penalties are severe, all it takes is someone out walking etc to spot you and you are ******

[Shropshire Lad]

If your in close ie a barn or sneaking around in a wood then 10 ft/lb will do for shooting upto 15 yards.

[leon]

Hammergun, I shhot ferals on a regular basis (about 4-500 a year) I use a rapid twelve in 20 cal running about 8.5 f/lbs it knocks um dead at 15 yards, if you dont want to down rate your gun just use H points they dont come out the other side unless your shootin under 10 yards.