Species removed from 'the list'

[Wildfowler12]

Evening all. A friend of mine was telling me some fowling tales of years gone by, and we got on the subject of species that have been taken off the quarry list. Does anyone know where this information is stored? I'd like to see what species have been removed since say... The 70's?

 

A google search hasn't proved too useful, so I'm hoping the PW massive can provide the answers as per

[ayano3]

During the debate leading up to the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, our MPs voted to remove the curlew from the list of quarry species. One justified his action by saying, "The curlew has such a lovely call." No one would disagree with that but it hardly seems a reason to give the bird full protection. Curlew were never in any danger from over-shooting. The main threat to the species, as to so many others, lies in the loss of habitat. Just why a fight was not put up at that time remains a mystery but the sad fact is that a valuable sporting bird was lost to the wildfowler

[langlands]

As well as redshank and long-tailed ducks, I think whimbrels were another, or was it godwits?

Passed by the 'Lords' who didn't shoot them, so couldn't see why anyone else should want to. Hence the quote about them sounding nice.

BASC rolled over and waited for its belly to be tickled

[955i]

Were lapwing ever on the GM?

 

Seem to be a lot around and while I would not shoot them because I enjoy there call and antics, can't see them as being endangered.

 

Regularly see large flocks when on site.

[mudpatten]

I`m not enrirely sure why, when so many people on here were not around for the passage through parliament of the Wildlife and Countryside Act that some should acuse BASC of "rolling over".

 

They fought tooth and nail to maintain the status quo in the quarry species list, but, as we all know, sadly, lost the fight.

 

There is a world of difference between the two things.

 

The first piece of legislation that bit into the quarry list was the 1954 Protection of Birds Act, the next was the WLACA `81, both of which can be found on `tinternet.

[dawntredder]

As well as redshank and long-tailed ducks, I think whimbrels were another, or was it godwits?

Passed by the 'Lords' who didn't shoot them, so couldn't see why anyone else should want to. Hence the quote about them sounding nice.

BASC rolled over and waited for its belly to be tickled

rolled over?....nope!

[Wildfowler12]

The first piece of legislation that bit into the quarry list was the 1954 Protection of Birds Act, the next was the WLACA `81, both of which can be found on `tinternet.

Thanks

[henry d]

I wondered if curlew tastes like a big woodcock? That would be awesome

[Grandalf]

I wondered if curlew tastes like a big woodcock? That would be awesome

 

Tastes more like a burnt brick if my memory serves me correct!

[wildfowler.250]

 

Tastes more like a burnt brick if my memory serves me correct!

I've heard it tasted very good? A lot of folk also say wigeon don't taste great. Sometimes it's just a hit or a miss,(no pun intended).

[snowmonster]

I wondered if curlew tastes like a big woodcock? That would be awesome

Tastes more like a burnt brick if my memory serves me correct!

 

Slightly irrelevant me thinks, at least to the law abiding citizens .

[Cranfield]

Curlew tastes like a salt marsh at low tide.

[Big Al]

Curlew have only been removed the the quarry list for a handful of years in NI .They tasted nice Sept and Oct as they fed mainly in the fields and on stubble. When feeding on the foreshore, they were muddy.

 

A number of my friends referred to the early season ones as "poor man's steak."

[strangford wildfowler]

Curlew have only been removed the the quarry list for a handful of years in NI .They tasted nice Sept and Oct as they fed mainly in the fields and on stubble. When feeding on the foreshore, they were muddy.

 

A number of my friends referred to the early season ones as "poor man's steak."

 

Was it last season they where taken off the list big all?

[anser2]

If properly cooked curlew were one of the best tasteing wildfowl. I used to debreast them, put in a cassrol dish with carrots, small spuds, any odd veg , ie ,sprouts , an oxo , a hint of curry powder and a tin of mullgatawny soup and cook on a slow heat for 4 hours. The end result was very good. I have tryed the same dish with geese breasts and duck , while ok they are noway near as good as curlew.Give me a curlew any day rather than a saltmarsh wigeon or teal. Some say late season birds tasted poor , but I never had a bad one. As for a sporting quarry they amoung the best , wary, hard to outwit and difficult to hit.

 

As for lapwings , they were on the list in some counties , but not others back in the 1940s. We may still large flocks of them but they are in steep decline . In reality we did not loose that much in the countryside and wildlife act, few of us would ever get the chance to shoot sea ducks like scooter and grey plover, godwits and wimbril were only a minor loss. True redshank were good to eat , but nowadays with the advent of steel shot i doubt if i would bother to shoot them. But curlew are a different story.

Edited December 15, 2013 by anser2

[Big Al]

 

Was it last season they where taken off the list big all?

I can't remember exactly but it is off 2 or 3 years anyway. I think they were taken off around the same time as the Irish Hare. I'm not good with dates!

 

We used to shoot a fair few in Sept Oct on Strangford south shore. They got very wary after a while - much more wary than the wildfowl!

[Penelope]

Ha Ha! You must of had a face full of both to find that out.

 

Me, I've only had the face full of low water salt marsh.

 

Curlew tastes like a salt marsh at low tide.

[Penelope]

I remember see huge flocks as a lad when my dada and I used to travel up to Bedford each Saturday for the pigeons. A not so common sight now though.

 

I also used to find nests and chicks on the pastures along the River Roding at Abridge in Essex, but again, no more.

 

If properly cooked curlew were one of the best tasteing wildfowl. I used to debreast them, put in a cassrol dish with carrots, small spuds, any odd veg , ie ,sprouts , an oxo , a hint of curry powder and a tin of mullgatawny soup and cook on a slow heat for 4 hours. The end result was very good. I have tryed the same dish with geese breasts and duck , while ok they are noway near as good as curlew.Give me a curlew any day rather than a saltmarsh wigeon or teal. Some say late season birds tasted poor , but I never had a bad one. As for a sporting quarry they amoung the best , wary, hard to outwit and difficult to hit.

 

As for lapwings , they were on the list in some counties , but not others back in the 1940s. We may still large flocks of them but they are in steep decline . In reality we did not loose that much in the countryside and wildlife act, few of us would ever get the chance to shoot sea ducks like scooter and grey plover, godwits and wimbril were only a minor loss. True redshank were good to eat , but nowadays with the advent of steel shot i doubt if i would bother to shoot them. But curlew are a different story.

[strangford wildfowler]

I can't remember exactly but it is off 2 or 3 years anyway. I think they were taken off around the same time as the Irish Hare. I'm not good with dates!

 

We used to shoot a fair few in Sept Oct on Strangford south shore. They got very wary after a while - much more wary than the wildfowl!

 

Yes your right big al. The south shore.always has plenty of curlew about it, more than ducks and geese at the minute anyway

[Grandalf]

 

I wondered if curlew tastes like a big woodcock? That would be awesome

Tastes more like a burnt brick if my memory serves me correct!

 

Slightly irrelevant me thinks, at least to the law abiding citizens .

 

Ah lad, some of us is old enough to have shot them legal - and a lot of other things as well

I once won a large bag of daffodil bulbs by shooting five straight redshanks - but that's another story.

Swan tasted good back in the war as well - road kill naturally

Edited December 16, 2013 by Grandalf

[kent]

Forget re-adding a big fat own goal for shooting! As such birds loose their caution (like the Brent) Peter Scott described the Brent as "the wariest of all the birds" yet today they paddle round my feet while the dog gives me perplexed looks, there would as such be no "sport" to be had only cold blooded murder until numbers are again under threat (what we maybe need to consider is incredibly short seasons for any future bird under threat, this way they are never again lost but gain the protection they deserve. Curlew breed here where I live and they struggle to leave in higher numbers than they come. I cannot even credit someone is thinking of shooting Lapwing, 20-25yrs ago there were lots now numbers are so low on the traditional breeding grounds I am wondering about the next 20

[snowmonster]

Ah lad, some of us is old enough to have shot them legal - and a lot of other things as well

I once won a large bag of daffodil bulbs by shooting five straight redshanks - but that's another story.

Swan tasted good back in the war as well - road kill naturally

 

Quite a while since I've been a lad , but point taken and I don't know how you cooked that swan to make it edible either .

[rusticola]

I can't remember exactly but it is off 2 or 3 years anyway. I think they were taken off around the same time as the Irish Hare. I'm not good with dates!

 

We used to shoot a fair few in Sept Oct on Strangford south shore. They got very wary after a while - much more wary than the wildfowl!

 

Thankfully Irish Hare is back on the list.

[wildfowler.250]

Forget re-adding a big fat own goal for shooting! As such birds loose their caution (like the Brent) Peter Scott described the Brent as "the wariest of all the birds" yet today they paddle round my feet while the dog gives me perplexed looks, there would as such be no "sport" to be had only cold blooded murder until numbers are again under threat (what we maybe need to consider is incredibly short seasons for any future bird under threat, this way they are never again lost but gain the protection they deserve. Curlew breed here where I live and they struggle to leave in higher numbers than they come. I cannot even credit someone is thinking of shooting Lapwing, 20-25yrs ago there were lots now numbers are so low on the traditional breeding grounds I am wondering about the next 20

Quite a lot of lapwing my way but obviously not the same all over. Same for curlew.

[kent]

Quite a lot of lapwing my way but obviously not the same all over. Same for curlew.

Your a lot younger than myself, all the upland grass areas was totally wick with them 20-30 yrs back! its the massive national decline not what you see today in the best areas.