Close season for pigeon

[Davyo]

AT LAST we have some sensible debating and interesting posts without being abusive !It is now a fascinating debate collating views from around the UK, my faith in shooters is restored .So many though seem to be blood thirsty , shoot as many as poss , fill your boots & let the government worry about any consequences !This is not the right attitude , we should all be sportsmen first & respect our quarry. Pigeons do not threaten humans like rats & mice by spreading disease & coming in houses. They only eat farmers profits & there are many other ways available to protect cabbages & rape. Most of which are infinatly more efficient than a man with decoys.Some farmers do not allow decoying as they can not see how attracting birds to a field is protecting that field, especially as the shooter packs up & does not return for days, leaving the field vulnerable.

Sorry mate but this respect quarry stuff realy makes me laugh.If you want to respect quarry simply stop shooting.Plus pigeon shooting is to shoot as many as possible as its crop protection.Farmers wouldnt be happy if you turned up,shot half a dozen then cleared off.You'd find yourself losing your permisions pronto.

Edited December 28, 2013 by Davyo

[Big Mat]

Sorry mate but this respect quarry stuff realy makes me laugh.If you want to respect quarry simply stop shooting.

 

I dont agree, you can show respect to quarry and still shoot them.

[sitsinhedges]

Sorry mate but this respect quarry stuff realy makes me laugh.If you want to respect quarry simply stop farming.

 

Fixed it for you. That's if he is a farmer at all

[bunnage]

To sitsinhedges, I am a farmer ,& a good one & have been since mid 1960s.

So, show some respect for other peoples views , your bigoted attitude is harmful to public opinion of shooters.

[sitsinhedges]

To sitsinhedges, I am a farmer ,& a good one & have been since mid 1960s.

So, show some respect for other peoples views , your bigoted attitude is harmful to public opinion of shooters.

 

You come on here with no introduction to explain in your first trolling post how we should embrace restrictions upon the sport we love. Your opinion is marginal at best amongst both pigeon shooters and real farmers who appreciate the free crop protection they receive in return for access to their land.

 

If you don't like people carrying out pest control on agricultural land why don't you go and join PETA or suchlike instead where your views will be warmly welcomed?

[David BASC]

As far as I can see, all the OP said was to suggest a voluntary restriction on shooting, this is something that I believe some woodpigeon shooters already do depending on local circumstances, and that all live quarry shooters do to a greater or lesser extent. We should all realise that woodpigeons are much more of a problem in some areas than others, doubtless farmers who grow crops that are prone to pigeon attack will understandably want, indeed need, pigeons controlling all the time;farmers who are mainly livestock farmers may not see such a problem with pigeons.

 

We would all condemn unsporting behaviour in the field regardless of quarry and its perfectly possible and something that we must all strive to do, to show full respect for our quarry, pest or otherwise, indeed BASC have produced a code of practice on this very issue.

 

Pigeon populations will vary on a local or even regional level, as will all wild quarry, but there is no evidence for a decline in this very significant agricultural pest on a national level, and as I have said a closed season would not work.

 

David

[sitsinhedges]

As far as I can see, all the OP said was to suggest a voluntary restriction on shooting, this is something that I believe some woodpigeon shooters already do depending on local circumstances, and that all live quarry shooters do to a greater or lesser extent. We should all realise that woodpigeons are much more of a problem in some areas than others, doubtless farmers who grow crops that are prone to pigeon attack will understandably want, indeed need, pigeons controlling all the time;farmers who are mainly livestock farmers may not see such a problem with pigeons.

 

We would all condemn unsporting behaviour in the field regardless of quarry and its perfectly possible and something that we must all strive to do, to show full respect for our quarry, pest or otherwise, indeed BASC have produced a code of practice on this very issue.

 

Pigeon populations will vary on a local or even regional level, as will all wild quarry, but there is no evidence for a decline in this very significant agricultural pest on a national level, and as I have said a closed season would not work.

 

David

The chap says quite a lot in his first post and most of it is erroneous. The idea of not shooting in the most busy 3 months of the year when we can give the population a decent haircut is ridiculous. If the population did drop significantly any reduction in shooting would happen organically anyway as people got fed up sitting in a field hedge for no result.

[bunnage]

To sitsinhedges, Whats a' real farmer' ? Come to that what's an unreal farmer ?!!!!

Perhaps you are not a real shooter !!

Only teasing you boy !!

[motty]

AT LAST we have some sensible debating and interesting posts without being abusive !

It is now a fascinating debate collating views from around the UK, my faith in shooters is restored .

So many though seem to be blood thirsty , shoot as many as poss , fill your boots & let the government worry about any consequences !

This is not the right attitude , we should all be sportsmen first & respect our quarry. Pigeons do not threaten humans like rats & mice by spreading disease & coming in houses. They only eat farmers profits & there are many other ways available to protect cabbages & rape. Most of which are infinatly more efficient than a man with decoys.

Some farmers do not allow decoying as they can not see how attracting birds to a field is protecting that field, especially as the shooter packs up & does not return for days, leaving the field vulnerable.

More rubbish posted.

Yes, at times I do shoot as many pigeons as is possible. Does that make me blood thirsty? No! What's wrong with that attitude?

Could you please enlighten me of the best way to keep pigeons off a field that doesn't require a mobile scarecrow?

Do you know anything about pigeon shooting? Decoying attracts birds to a field? Please don't talk ****!

I have given pigeons a good hiding on a field and not seen them return in any number.

 

Please keep giving generously to the RSPB.

[fenboy]

Decoying attracts birds to a field? Please don't talk ****!

 

Dam it Motty , I was going to peg out my new decoys on the ploughed field out the back of my house , I thought it would have been blue over with them by the end of the week

[JDog]

Someone should offer to take bunnage out decoying in the near future to see whether he accepts the invitation or not. I suspect that he would decline the invitation.

[fenboy]

Thats not going to work JDog , you need to make friends before such offers are made !

[JDog]

As I haven't got any friends I am unable to make the gesture.

[fenboy]

I was refering to bunnage needing to make friends , which lets face it is looking pretty unlikely at the moment !

[JDog]

Sorry fenboy, my brains are somewhat slow after the excesses of the festive season.

[-Mongrel-]

 

I think the other very important point that have come out, is how much damage pigeons are still doing, and that shooting for pest control is not just a weekend issue, and in some cases with the best will in the world a lone shooter cannot always deliver. Consequently in some cases it would be more helpful for the farmer to have a pest control club looking after his land, so that members of the club are on call 24/7.

 

If any farmer has problems with pests and no one is controlling them please let me know and I will do what I can to help.

 

David

 

Spot on comment. Which is why, when I got offered a big permission that I knew I wouldn't be able to service properly, I had two choices. Decline the offer or, as I did, set up a small syndicate of like minded shooters, most of whom are on here. That way opening the sport up a little more to a few others. I personally think that's a better option than offering an possibly inadequate service.

 

We don't get the option to ease up on them, we are surrounded by quite a lot of National Trust land and as such there seems to be a never ending supply of pigeon and corvid. It's enough of a job to keep the numbers pegged back without giving them a 1/4 of the year break.

[kitchrat]

More rubbish posted.

Yes, at times I do shoot as many pigeons as is possible. Does that make me blood thirsty? No! What's wrong with that attitude?

Could you please enlighten me of the best way to keep pigeons off a field that doesn't require a mobile scarecrow?

Do you know anything about pigeon shooting? Decoying attracts birds to a field? Please don't talk ****!

I have given pigeons a good hiding on a field and not seen them return in any number.

 

Please keep giving generously to the RSPB.

"Some farmers do not allow decoying as they can not see how attracting birds to a field is protecting that field, especially as the shooter packs up & does not return for days, leaving the field vulnerable."

Hopefully, decoying DOES attract pigeons to the field - that's when you shoot them! Then they cannot return to eat the crops at a later date. You then take the birds to the game dealer and take the decoys with you!!

These farmers with their " just so long as the rockets get them off my field" attitude have not thought it through. A population of pigeons will eat a set amount of crops, making them fly about all the time just makes them MORE hungry (and more difficult to shoot). Not one bird that I have shot has left my fridge or the game dealer's chiller to plunder a field.

Please try and explain this reasoned argument to all farmers you meet....

[kitchrat]

I put my topic on here to open a debate, yes debate, on what I view is a worrying lack of pigeons this year. I have been met with a torrent of abuse such as he is "daft"," must be an anti ", "scum", " he is a troll " . I am disappointed at some peoples intelligence.

Sparrows once plentiful as the pigeons & starlings in huge flocks , have diminished to very small numbers . It could happen to pigeons is all I am debating.

Most shooters who have replied seem to want to exterminate the lot, one hopes to be rewarded £1000000. !

I think some serious shooters also worry about shooting birds at the height of the breeding season leaving squabs to die in the nest, so only shoot when its a must to protect a crop.

Also I am a farmer & a sportsman in the field. Yes , I was farming in the 1960s . I can remember vast flocks & I marvelled at them. We see nothing like it today.

As for pest control , coming to shoot my field on the weekend & then not coming back for a week is not much good, you need to walk round the fields all day every day to keep them away. So muggins has to do that plus buy gas guns scare crows etc. Most shooters ,lets be honest treat it as a sport, fair enough, but dont make out you are doing the farmer a great service.

Obviously if you are a conscientious pest controller or professional , thank you for a grand job.

If you thought the £1,000,000 offer was a serious reason for me to shoot pigeons, then you ARE daft! And to try and use my farmer's joke to defend your position shows desperation. However, I do see your point, (I would hate to see pigeons become rare), it's just that don't share it.

[Gunnerbob]

Is Bunnage jonathanL in disguise

[thepasty]

Is this thread still going?!

 

As has been said many times already there is no debate, Wood Pigeon are not in decline, the population increases year upon year and thus no need for a closed season.

 

This taken from the British Trust for Ornithology...

 

http://blx1.bto.org/birdtrends/species.jsp?&s=woodp

 

Status summary

The CBC/BBS trend for this species is of a steady, steep increase since at least the mid 1970s. Since 1994, BBS has recorded significantly upward trends in the UK, and in England, Wales and Northern Ireland separately, but stability in Scotland. The BBS map of change in relative density between 1994-96 and 2007-09 indicates that increase has been very widespread, with decreases only in parts of northeastern Scotland. Numbers have shown widespread moderate increase across Europe since 1980 (PECBMS 2012a).

The end.

[Fisherman Mike]

Is this thread still going?!

 

As has been said many times already there is no debate, Wood Pigeon are not in decline, the population increases year upon year and thus no need for a closed season.

 

This taken from the British Trust for Ornithology...

 

http://blx1.bto.org/birdtrends/species.jsp?&s=woodp

 

Status summary

The CBC/BBS trend for this species is of a steady, steep increase since at least the mid 1970s. Since 1994, BBS has recorded significantly upward trends in the UK, and in England, Wales and Northern Ireland separately, but stability in Scotland. The BBS map of change in relative density between 1994-96 and 2007-09 indicates that increase has been very widespread, with decreases only in parts of northeastern Scotland. Numbers have shown widespread moderate increase across Europe since 1980 (PECBMS 2012a).

 

 

The end.

The population has possibly peaked however and it will be interesting to see the results from the 2013 BBS..

 

Although the correlated information shows an upward trend in pigeon numbers since the advent of large scale rape cultivation it should not be relied upon as a definitive estimate of bird numbers as it is compiled only from sightings of breeding birds in designated squares by 2000 volunteers across Britain.

 

The figures are percentage increases on year so 2 pigeon sightings in a survey square in 1975 and 4 in 2009 = a 100 % increase. Proportionally the actual increase in pigeon population could be quite small.

 

There always seems to be plenty of sightings on the squares which I survey for the BTO in April and June. but for some reason they don't seem to flock up and hit the rape in the same huge numbers these days in this area like they did in the 80,s...and its hard to explain why.......but I'm working on it.

[thepasty]

but certainly a better indication than one of us guffers saying "Aint seen much pigeon lately, must be in decline"

Edited December 30, 2013 by thepasty

[Fisherman Mike]

but certainly a better indication than one of us guffers saying "Aint seen much pigeon lately, must be in decline"

Without a doubt...

[Country Boy]

A close season for wood pigeons ?

What next protection for grey squirrels ?

Well, where I live there is much grass ley with sheep and beef cattle surrounded by a large scattered ancient woodland acreage, every morning hundreds of woodpigeons converge on the trees, still lots of acorns to be had, rooks also eating acorns

I've noticed on my way into Leeds that since xmas a few pigeons are beginning to drop into the oilseed rape and it's quite high, once they are in there you can't see 'em.

[pigeon controller]

As I haven't got any friends I am unable to make the gesture.

 

Your not using that old chestnut. You've got lots of cyber friends.