jonnybgood Posted February 12, 2013 Report Share Posted February 12, 2013 i have been wildfowling from an early age, but i have never known the reason/ loophole in the law that allows us wildfowlers to shoot below high water mark untill the 20th febuary. Just wondering, hope everyone has had a good season! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penelope Posted February 12, 2013 Report Share Posted February 12, 2013 i have been wildfowling from an early age, but i have never known the reason/ loophole in the law that allows us wildfowlers to shoot below high water mark untill the 20th febuary. Just wondering, hope everyone has had a good season! It is believed that wildfowl on the coast are more likely to be migratory birds, less likely to be pairing up and preparing to breed than their inland cousins. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wildfowler.250 Posted February 12, 2013 Report Share Posted February 12, 2013 yeah its to stop nesting birds getting shot,(or something along that lines). February can be baltic some years though so not much sense in it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penelope Posted February 12, 2013 Report Share Posted February 12, 2013 yeah its to stop nesting birds getting shot,(or something along that lines). February can be baltic some years though so not much sense in it. A lot of geese will be paired as will ducks, coast or not, but damn good to have the extra time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anser2 Posted February 12, 2013 Report Share Posted February 12, 2013 I have mixed feelings shooting to Febuary 20th. I often feel I would like another 10 days after the end of the inland season , but by Feburay 20th the garden birds are singing and you know its spring realy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kent Posted February 12, 2013 Report Share Posted February 12, 2013 A later start makes more logic than an early finish IMO. Let the birds recover from their flight in un molested, I have no issues with an even later finish if it was allowed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mudpatten Posted February 12, 2013 Report Share Posted February 12, 2013 (edited) There have been a number of changes to the dates of the shooting season. Prior to the 1954 Protection of Birds Act, the end of the foreshore fowling season was the 1st of March. During the passage of the `54 Act the anti`s wanted the foreshore season to end at the same time as inland wildfowl season, the 31st of January, the then WAGBI (Now BASC) succeded in negotiating a compromise which is why the foreshore season ends on the rather odd date of the 20th. Edited February 12, 2013 by mudpatten Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonnybgood Posted February 12, 2013 Author Report Share Posted February 12, 2013 thanks for the replys lads, i have nothing agaist shooting untill the 20th, iv had some of my best flights in febuary! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greymaster Posted February 12, 2013 Report Share Posted February 12, 2013 Expect some more creepage of closing dates in the current wildlife law review then... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reabrook Posted February 12, 2013 Report Share Posted February 12, 2013 A later start makes more logic than an early finish IMO. Let the birds recover from their flight in un molested, I have no issues with an even later finish if it was allowed I view this much the same as the Bag Limit issue. It's the choice of the individual. We have dates set by law which Clubs or other bodies can work within. Many Clubs already restrict September access or February shooting etc. I really can't see the point or how we would profit from moving season dates. We certainly wouldn't gain from it that's for sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anser2 Posted February 12, 2013 Report Share Posted February 12, 2013 While I prefer to shoot drakes in good colour from a biological point of view its better to shoot early in the season and stop early in the new year. By shooting duck in September we are shooting many duck that would not have survived the winter anyway. By shooting in the new year we are shooting the survivors , the seed crop for the following season. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Al Posted February 13, 2013 Report Share Posted February 13, 2013 While I prefer to shoot drakes in good colour from a biological point of view its better to shoot early in the season and stop early in the new year. By shooting duck in September we are shooting many duck that would not have survived the winter anyway. By shooting in the new year we are shooting the survivors , the seed crop for the following season. Evolution in action. Survival of the fittest (and wariest!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anser2 Posted February 13, 2013 Report Share Posted February 13, 2013 Quote "Evolution in action. Survival of the fittest (and wariest!) " , but also the loss of breeding stock so fewer duck next year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rusticola Posted February 14, 2013 Report Share Posted February 14, 2013 i have been wildfowling from an early age, but i have never known the reason/ loophole in the law that allows us wildfowlers to shoot below high water mark untill the 20th febuary. Just wondering, hope everyone has had a good season! The question I have is why can we in Northern Ireland not shoot below the high water mark until the 20th February? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Al Posted February 14, 2013 Report Share Posted February 14, 2013 The question I have is why can we in Northern Ireland not shoot below the high water mark until the 20th February? I used to wonder about that too. Another strange one is that here the pheasant season ends on 31st Jan, but elsewhere in the UK it ends on 1st Feb. But when you think about our firearms licensing system and how totally different it is to the rest of the UK, we must have a different legal system. I just switch to pigeon roost shoots in Feb instead of fowling. I then leave them alone until August. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markyboy Posted February 14, 2013 Report Share Posted February 14, 2013 Don't geese pair for life ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anser2 Posted February 15, 2013 Report Share Posted February 15, 2013 (edited) Geese and swans will pair for life , but divorce is not unknown. Ducks do not in the wild. Family life is very important to geese the youngsters learn migration routes from their parents . I often suspect that when you see a single pink returning to the marsh at the end of flight its one who has its mate shot of a youngster who had become split up from its parents. These single geese are often very easy to call. Edited February 15, 2013 by anser2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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