njc110381 Posted January 13, 2013 Report Share Posted January 13, 2013 I think common sense should be used. If you have a couple of birds that are causing an issue then don't make it too obvious and just shoot them. I certainly don't agree with dropping every pigeon that lands in the garden just for fun, but that's only my view. We had a pair start to make a habit of coming to our bird table. They chose to sit on the branch directly above our car and made a hell of a mess every day so I shot them. We still have pigeons coming in but they don't land on that favourite branch and **** on the car so that's fine. I'm happy for them to be here. I am lucky that as a professional gardener I grow a few plants and vegetables for sale and the birds do pick at them sometimes. That goes a long way to backing up the damage to crops reasoning if I'm questioned. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GingerCat Posted January 13, 2013 Report Share Posted January 13, 2013 Theres a lot of room on the gl for interpretation. I would suggest that as the wood pigeon is the daddy of all farm pests then shooting one would help prevent crop damage, it does not say where the crops have to be or that that particular pigeon was doing it at the time it was shot. It also provides for the prevention of the spread of.disease, as they spread them then clearly shooting them prevent this, it does not say tat a vet needs to examine that particular pigeon to ensure it is infected before it is shot. This topic is bizarre. I would suggest a 12ft break barrrel, either .22 or .177 wild do the job nicely. Stay away from pointed pellets and a cup of coffee will no doubt make it more fun if your in a cold shed. What's the next topic gonna be? Is shooting rats in a barn illegal, after all it wasn't eating the grain and I had no idea if it was the one spreading disease when I put 10 grains of lead through its box? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FalconFN Posted January 13, 2013 Report Share Posted January 13, 2013 This is where confusion happens, all bird species are protected but some can be shot if the terms of the GL are met whereas rats, and other rodents are not protected and can be shot without a reason as long as it is done humanely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jam1e Posted January 13, 2013 Report Share Posted January 13, 2013 It makes no odds whether you're the so called "consultant of" blah blah, have years of experience, Or a non shooter, but can read the gl rules verbatum without looking at the print! Everything you see in life, (let alone read!) will be open to interpretation! And as for the usual few self righteous ("how dare you question me") pretentious ***** it doesn't matter how big your ***** and *** are, you can't make people agree with you. Get over it...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin lad Posted January 13, 2013 Report Share Posted January 13, 2013 It makes no odds whether you're the so called "consultant of" blah blah, have years of experience, Or a non shooter, but can read the gl rules verbatum without looking at the print! Everything you see in life, (let alone read!) will be open to interpretation! And as for the usual few self righteous ("how dare you question me") pretentious ***** it doesn't matter how big your ***** and *** are, you can't make people agree with you. Get over it...... :lol: :lol: :lol: colin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SSS Posted January 13, 2013 Report Share Posted January 13, 2013 You seem to be answering your own questions Dekers... Shoot one in your garden in Chelsea and you're preserving public health and safety, preventing serious damage to livestock, crops, fruit growing etc etc etc. Whats so difficult to understand? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dekers Posted January 14, 2013 Report Share Posted January 14, 2013 You seem to be answering your own questions Dekers... Shoot one in your garden in Chelsea and you're preserving public health and safety, preventing serious damage to livestock, crops, fruit growing etc etc etc. Whats so difficult to understand? Seems you can't read my post or the GL! Let me be very clear here, I don't give a fig what any of you do, but broadcasting your complete lack of understanding or even worse, flagrant disregard, for the GL on an Open Forum is stupid! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bewsher500 Posted January 14, 2013 Report Share Posted January 14, 2013 82 posts and only 2 people had the decency to give the poor bloke some advice on his choice of air rifle....... I sometimes wonder why we bother. We are so self controlling and over sensitive to anything which might possibly be a potential breach of a almost completely unenforced situation that we would rather put someone off using an air rifle than actually advise them on joining what could soon be a "restricted club" this is an internet forum, not a court of law. what is said in here in jest or even in seriousness is not going to land you instantly in Pentonville for crimes against wildlife!! he only asked what kind of rifle might be good for shooting some pigeons!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SSS Posted January 14, 2013 Report Share Posted January 14, 2013 (edited) Thats the reason so many people stop coming on the forum I'm sure. Mostly, it is full of useful advice and helpful posts, but there is always that sanctimonious pr*** who doesnt care for helping others, which leads me seamlessly onto Dekers last post. If we are all so wrong on our understanding of the GL, please, put all of our minds at rest and explain to me why I am not allowed to kill a pigeon in my garden with an air rifle if I live in Chelsea. Like you said earlier, copy and paste from the GL would be appreciated Edited January 14, 2013 by SSS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dekers Posted January 14, 2013 Report Share Posted January 14, 2013 (edited) Thats the reason so many people stop coming on the forum I'm sure. Mostly, it is full of useful advice and helpful posts, but there is always that sanctimonious pr*** who doesn't care for helping others, which leads me seamlessly onto Dekers last post. If we are all so wrong on our understanding of the GL, please, put all of our minds at rest and explain to me why I am not allowed to kill a pigeon in my garden with an air rifle if I live in Chelsea. Like you said earlier, copy and paste from the GL would be appreciated I have NEVER said you are not allowed to shoot a pigeon in your back garden, and READ my post at 72 and try answering it! And I'd say endeavouring to help people avoid a fine and record is helping others! And I wasn't the one that said this...... I dont think people understand the general license and what it is there for. If you shoot a pigeon, regardless of where and when, it is covered by at least 2 different terms on the GL. Get yourself on the Natural England website and have a read. Why on earth do you think there is a GL with CONDITIONS if you can shoot a pigeon when and where you want? Like I also said, I don't give a fig what any of you do, but broadcasting your complete lack of understanding or even worse, flagrant disregard, for the GL on an Open Forum is stupid! NOBODY should be out shooting ANY Wildlife without having an understanding of the Law. I do this for a living and have to work within the law, perhaps if some of you had quotes, site surveys, risk assessments, method statements, special licences from NE and company clients to deal with you would understand better this is not school ground play, this is serious legal requirements involving guns. Some would be well advised to remember that or keep it buttoned on a public forum! Have a nice day! Edited January 14, 2013 by Dekers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SSS Posted January 14, 2013 Report Share Posted January 14, 2013 I think you're reading too deep into the GL and confusing yourself old chap. The rules set out in the general license allow you to shoot pigeons, as long as you are doing it by one or more of the terms on there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willos Posted January 15, 2013 Report Share Posted January 15, 2013 I think this thread has gone on so long due to the pc weve all forced to conduct our lives by in the last 25 years. Its a sad day when we cannot say what we want to say when we want to say it. Sorry but whatever you say will always offend someone in the world. Shooting pigeons is one of the subjects that will soon be classed as bad as fox hunting. Does anyone know what the environment agency stand is on this subject. Can we just conclude to read the GL and make sure you understand it If anyone comes calling you have the answers they want. To the original post. A good full powered rifle is what you need. It need to be as close to the 12 ft lbs you can get. Id personnally go for a 177 and a underlever or break barrel for budget. Forget co2 as you can never guess how much gas is left, and obviously head shots only. A nice scope aound 6-9 mag will help you pick out a feather. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bridges Posted January 15, 2013 Report Share Posted January 15, 2013 Bit of friendly advice would surely have sufficed? Was it really necessary to get into a massive tiff about the GL and probably put the bloke off using this forum for the forseeable? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crosshair Posted January 15, 2013 Report Share Posted January 15, 2013 At last two sensible members giving sensible advice. Take note the keyboard cowboys who have hogged this thread, together with the self professed experts that do more harm to shooting than the anti's. Let's hope the bloke who asked the original question can see that this forum has a lot idiots on here, and hope he enjoys his future shooting, with whatever calibre. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saab6110 Posted January 15, 2013 Report Share Posted January 15, 2013 How would I stand? I live next door to one of my permissions and control the pigeons for the farmer. When they go to roost they are then in the tree’s at the bottom of my garden! Would I be covered under the GL for using an air rifle to clear them up as they make a complete mess (health hazard) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gregthegreat Posted January 15, 2013 Report Share Posted January 15, 2013 (edited) ... Edited January 15, 2013 by Gregthegreat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dadioles Posted January 16, 2013 Report Share Posted January 16, 2013 I despair sometimes at the attitude people have towards guns and wildlife and sadly they are too foolish to realise the damage that can be done by their careless posts on open shooting forums. Dekers is absolutely right about the law and GL and at the end of the day, by careless posting, we will get what we deserve, more regulation, more expensive and restrictive licences, tighter controls. Too many of you mouth off about how much fun it is to kill things and take delight in publishing gory photographs which in most cases are nothing more than voyeuristic. I keep reading about people who clearly know absolutely nothing about shooting yet have gone to their local shop, been sold a cheap air rifle and pellets and are now out shooting at animals. Only last month a mate of mine asked me to have a look at an air rifle he had been sold by a local gun shop a year or two earlier that he used to shoot at rabbits in his garden "I have killed a couple". He is not an idiot (middle class very wealthy land owning property developer) but when it comes to shooting and lack of respect for wildlife words fail me and I cannot comprehend his attitude. When it came to shooting his ignorance was astonishing yet he was still happy to shoot - and frequently wound - rabbits. He did not understand pellet drop, how to zero or setup a scope, sensible shooting distance or even practice on targets. The shop told him that his gun was zeroed, took his money and left him to it. He believed that all he had to do now was point it at a rabbit and pull the trigger - and I know other people who think the same way aaarrgghh. More and more instances like that make me wonder whether ALL firearms, including sub 12ftlb air rifles should be licensed and I would add that attendance a basic course in shooting skills and firearms legislation including the topic of General Licences should also be compulsory before a licence is issued, why not? Like it or not we are living in a country increasing run by the wishy washy city based liberal elite who, if they eat meat at all, buy it neatly packaged from the supermarket on a plastic tray. Guns, including airguns, are not toys and killing animals is not for fun. If you enjoy killing you need help, not a gun licence. I shoot most days. I go out to kill animals (mostly rabbits) and I am pretty good at it. If I accidentally wound an animal I feel really bad about it. When I kill an animal cleanly I feel pleased with myself for having been skilful and humane but at the same time rather sad that such a beautiful creature has to die. One permission that I have is a council owned public park and wildlife area. It is a very sensitive area so I only shoot there (.22LR) between 0100 and 0500 to be discreet and avoid other people. It was a very difficult permission to get as many councillors have an unreasoned prejudice against shooting but would happily allow gassing or the use of poisons. Their perception is that shooting is cruel. Gassing is out of sight and therefore out of mind (and indiscriminate) - ignorance is bliss. After nearly 18 months I have the rabbit population under control, no-one has been upset by my activities and the council is satisfied. My point is that people are ill-informed about shooting. Look at the ban on hand guns - how stupid is that. I do not associate the word "fun" with killing but perhaps if it was not "fun" I would not do it. It is not killing which is fun, that is an unfortunate necessity, but the whole activity and the challenge, I do not think of it as a sport, I like to be out in the fresh air doing something useful and get a lot of satisfaction when I do it well. I feel privileged to have a firearms licence and privileged to be allowed to shoot on the areas of land where I have permission. A lot of it is about respect, respect for wildlife and respect for the privilege to be able to shoot. Maybe I am just getting too old..... I take my duties and responsibilities very seriously and try to persuade my friends and neighbours that shooting is an essential and safe activity that benefits society, if I can help educate them that can only be a good thing. Pests need to be controlled but for goodness sake do it properly and seriously and be seen to take it seriously. Despite what I said earlier, of course it is fun and we all enjoy it, but be careful how you express it. To say "shoot pigeons in the garden for fun" gives a really bad impression but I know what you mean. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
secretagentmole Posted January 16, 2013 Report Share Posted January 16, 2013 Plant some carrot seeds at the bottom of the garden - job done. No need to get all uptight about it. However, I have my doubts about an air rifle for woodies. You are going to end up with the RSPCA on your doorstep and they will be on a mission. What doubt? I have no doubts about an air rifle! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dekers Posted January 16, 2013 Report Share Posted January 16, 2013 dadioles :yes:, and I also repeat...... I have no desire to turn this into an international incident. secretagentmole I agree! :good: Now then, this has been done, I think views have been expressed, that's what happens on public forums, and perhaps it's time to put it to bed! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SSS Posted January 16, 2013 Report Share Posted January 16, 2013 So, to summarise, a cheap Weirauch HW97 or similar with a Nikko Sterling 4x32 scope or similar on top and shoot away... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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