Lifting restrictions on Sunday shooting

[Brown Sauce]

Currently this affects about 15 plus clubs across the UK. Defra have started consultation to find out if we'd like to be able to shoot wildfowl on a Sunday, well derr springs to mind.

 

Should you wish to lend support to lifting this restriction then please write to Richard Beynon MP, Parlimentary Under-Secretary of State, DEFRA, Nobel House, 17 Smith Square, London, SW1P 3JR

 

All that's required of you, is to put something in writing explaining how the current ban affects your sport. For me, I can only shoot a small part of our 9 miles fore shore not in Glamorgan all 250 yards of it.

 

Thanks all,

 

BS

[anser2]

I live in Norfolk and am not in favour of lifting the restrictions of shooting wildfowl on Sundays. Most of the areas I shoot have open public access and Sundays is a day when many walkers and bird watchers are about. Much of the marsh I shoot on are of risk of being lost for wildfowling if too much public opinion is roused against shooting ( due to this we have have already lost parts of our marsh. While wildfowling is out of sight it is out of mind and unlikley to attract much public oppersition.

 

Another reason I object to Sunday wildfowling is I think to chase our quarry every day of the week is detrimental to the sport. Chase fowl too much and they will move away to somewhere quieter. I am a member of one club that only allows shooting on its marshes two days a week and the quality of shooting is much better than other clubs grounds very close by where they shoot 6 days a week.

 

Finaly Sunday shooting of wildfowl is something I have never done and even though in the past it has restricted my shooting to Saterdays only i have never felt the need to break with tradition. I suspect the real reason to push for Sunday shooting is to open the door for big busness pheasant shoots.

 

So I say NO TO SUNDAY WILDFOWLING IN MY COUNTY.

Edited September 19, 2012 by anser2

[wildfowler.250]

 

Another reason I object to Sunday wildfowling is I think to chase our quarry every day of the week is detrimental to the sport. Chase fowl too much and they will move away to somewhere quieter.

 

I agree with the above. It can't be beneficial to have the birds shot at ever day of the week.

[The Croc]

I'm in favour of it remaing as it is, if we start messing with this what else will be altered, that won't be in our favour.

A day of rest for the birds can only be good for them

Like Anser2 never felt the need to fowl on Sunday, that's for fishing

 

[Thunderbird]

I suppose for them's who commute and are up early and home late, not being to fowl on a Sunday effectively wipes out 50% of their wildfowling, not 1/7th.

[The Croc]

I can only fowl on Saturday because of work, and not every Saturday at that, but still vote no to Sunday fowling

[wildfowlingmad]

I would happily trade sunday for another day, but not everyone will ever be happy i guess. most times of the year i can only shoot weekends.. I agree though the birds need days off, our club gives them sunday and monday.

[Anser Anser]

Here in Northern Ireland, we dont shoot game or wildfowl at all on Sunday, and never have been able to im my memory. I have read the posts above and have to agree with anser2. the birds need a break to rest, preen and feed. So i have to join the "keep sunday sacred brigade"!!!!

[Fal]

_{I agree with the potential lifting of the ban, but only if clubs were to take it into their own hands and trade a week day for it.}

 

_{Maybe stop Wednesday shooting as a trade off for example. Unless I go shooting before work in the week, which I can only do very early in the season I am limited to one day a week which is the Sat.}

 

_{Its needs lots of consideration from the clubs in the areas of the proposed ban lift, As long as peole are not greedy, and use their heads, I think it will be ok.}

[Brown Sauce]

Agree, that to chase our quarry 7 days a week, would be leading to potentially no quarry at all. However for those fowlers working 6 days a week, wouldn't one extra day allow them to continue enjoying their hobby?

 

Are there any clubs that can shot 7 days a week and how do they manage? I'd think if you could shoot 7 days a week, we should give up a week day, possibly the Monday just to allow the land to recover.

 

If you don't agree with lifting the restrictions that's fine, but if the restrictions are lifted in your area, are you 'hand on heart' never going to consider a flight on the sabbath, not even a quickie???

[poontang]

 

 

Are there any clubs that can shot 7 days a week and how do they manage? I'd think if you could shoot 7 days a week, we should give up a week day, possibly the Monday just to allow the land to recover.

 

 

 

We shoot 7 days a week in Essex.

 

It's quite workable with a decent amount of land and a booking/monitoring system.

 

We have to book out every trip with the Field Secretary, and if any area looks like it's receiving too many visits it gets rested for a 2/3 week period. We also have a dedicated rest marsh, which is never shot.

 

Managed properly it's not a problem.

[Thunderbird]

I'm sure someone else will jump in with more info on the management of it (Ben?) but Glos shoots 7 days too. I know there are a lot of voluntary moratoriums on not shooting different marshes at different times and for different reasons.

[motty]

I often shoot on a Sunday and have had some of my best flights on that day. But only about 1/3 of the marsh i shoot on can be shot on a Sunday, because that part is in Lincolnshire. The only time my marsh gets really busy is when there are thousands of pinks about, other than that it can be very quiet on most days of the week.

I would leave the clubs/counties as they are, as far as Sunday shooting is concerned.

[Reabrook]

I'm sure someone else will jump in with more info on the management of it (Ben?) but Glos shoots 7 days too. I know there are a lot of voluntary moratoriums on not shooting different marshes at different times and for different reasons.

 

Frampton has time restrictions placed on Sunday shooting. That is more for preventing people disturbance than bird disturbance though.

I belong to several Clubs some have Sunday shooting some don't. By choice I generally don't shoot on a Sunday because that's the day I try and placate the wife for what I've done the week before or possibly what I will be doing the week ahead!

 

On a serious note I'm fortunate enough to go fowling in the week so aren't restricted to weekends like others and my main Club allows Sunday shooting anyway. I have in the past lived in areas where there was no Sunday fowling and I was working all week so have seen both sides and understand the arguments of those changing the by laws.

In theory I think it does make some sense in that people only have so much time/resources/disposable income etc and therefore what was carried out over 6 days would then be spread over 7 once the initial honeymoon period had worn off. As always there will be people who will blow the **** out of that theory but that's life.

The protectionists and conservation groups will not see that as justifiable argument and the headlines will be horrendous. Merely discussing this issue has in my opinion the chance of doing more harm than good. I can see the headlines in the papers now along with the pictures of little fluffy ducks that now can't even have a rest on the Sabbath? It doesn't matter a jot that DEFRA are involved or posing the questions one word with the right reporter and we get set back umpteen years. If you don't believe that look at the recent buzzard debate that is exactly what happened.

 

Leave things how they are.

[anser2]

• Giving the marsh a rest on a Sunday is far more effective than having the rest day on a weekday. Why ? for one a lot more fowlers are likely to be free to shoot on a Sunday increasing disturbance levels while on many marshes few if any fowlers are out on some weekdays and perhaps more important , I would guess the opinion on this will depend if you feel your right to shoot is more important than the conservation of your quarry. Also , Sunday is the day when conflict is most likely to arise with the public or birdwatchers , because there are far more of them about than on a weekday. We have a good workable system at the moment start tinkering about with and you open the door for the anties .
  

Edited September 20, 2012 by anser2

[windmig]

Very interesting discussion ! I would be pleased to complete with an echo of the situation in France as we are allowed to shoot every day.

 

But 10 years ago, there was an attempt from 'green' politicals to limit the days in the week where shooting and hunting was allowed. A law was voted and Wednesday was chosen.

 

The reaction of French hunters was very strong and we struggled to get the Wednesday back. The main reason was that it was not fair for all people that could not afford to go on other days. In France, hunters mainly think that 'hunting' is more in danger than 'ducks'. It may seem a bit strange to write that but I really think that it is true. Therefore, it is important to fight against restrictions that could end to a dramatic reduction of the number of hunters. If we become a sort of minority, we won't be able to survive as hunters in our societies. This is what happened for instance in Belgium or in the Netherlands were hunters have almost disappeared because of days and game restrictions.

 

Wednesday is now back, but the debate isn't as some people claimed recently that Sundays should be now no-shooting days in France.

 

But of course, Great Britain is not France and both countries have very different traditions !

[poontang]

• Giving the marsh a rest on a Sunday is far more effective than having the rest day on a weekday. Why ? for one a lot more fowlers are likely to be free to shoot on a Sunday increasing disturbance levels while on many marshes few if any fowlers are out on some weekdays and perhaps more important , I would guess the opinion on this will depend if you feel your right to shoot is more important than the conservation of your quarry. Also , Sunday is the day when conflict is most likely to arise with the public or birdwatchers , because there are far more of them about than on a weekday. We have a good workable system at the moment start tinkering about with and you open the door for the anties .
  

 

Not sure I understand your reasoning here.

 

If there's no shooting on a Sunday I can see that there may be less disturbance, but surely the birds will be disturbed by the extra public and birdwatchers who you say are about?

 

As I said earlier if there's enough land, and it's managed properly there shouldn't really be a problem, and it should open up 'fowling to more people who work during the week. Having the option to go out on a Sunday can only be a good thing in my opinion. Nobody's forced to go, and it would be down to the individual and the clubs as to whether they want to shoot.

 

As shooters we get precious little given to us, so I would support a move to Sunday shooting in all areas.

[xav]

A lot of people can only go out at the weekend, or shoot game on Saturdays so having the option to go out on Sundays can be useful. The key is to maintain membership levels that are workable and avoid creating unecessary pressure for the birds.

[norfolkboy84]

I live in Norfolk and am not in favour of lifting the restrictions of shooting wildfowl on Sundays. Most of the areas I shoot have open public access and Sundays is a day when many walkers and bird watchers are about. Much of the marsh I shoot on are of risk of being lost for wildfowling if too much public opinion is roused against shooting ( due to this we have have already lost parts of our marsh. While wildfowling is out of sight it is out of mind and unlikley to attract much public oppersition.

 

Another reason I object to Sunday wildfowling is I think to chase our quarry every day of the week is detrimental to the sport. Chase fowl too much and they will move away to somewhere quieter. I am a member of one club that only allows shooting on its marshes two days a week and the quality of shooting is much better than other clubs grounds very close by where they shoot 6 days a week.

 

Finaly Sunday shooting of wildfowl is something I have never done and even though in the past it has restricted my shooting to Saterdays only i have never felt the need to break with tradition. I suspect the real reason to push for Sunday shooting is to open the door for big busness pheasant shoots.

 

So I say NO TO SUNDAY WILDFOWLING IN MY COUNTY.

 

+1

[Terry P]

I'd rather have the control of sunday shooting with the individual clubs, than with goverment and local councils, we should take control of whatever we can. We are law abiding and should not be constantly bending over backwards to please the vocal anti shooting members of the public.

I'd like to see a push to get brent and barnies back on the quarry list, if it can be proved that numbers can sustain a takeable harvest then why not, hell even the rspb are calling for culls of geese, besides i'm sick of them black and white ******* making me twitchy on the Solway.