kitchrat Posted July 16, 2014 Report Share Posted July 16, 2014 Further to the thread about picking all dead birds and my thread about crop loss/damage when shooting over swarthed rape, how would the farmer feel if he was often cleaning 2-3-week-dead pigeons out of the stone trap on his combine??? I know my farmers would be pee'd off.......... I say, leave the field as you found it, no decaying bodies, no empty cartridges to upset anyone. It's hard enough to get shooting perms, don't rock the boat!! Don't forget, word of mouth farmer to farmer is SO important.!!! Pee one off, you pee off all his neighbours too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B725 Posted July 16, 2014 Report Share Posted July 16, 2014 I think he would be more cheesed off with the damage to the rape by the bird dropping on the rape and knocking out the seed,I have combined a fair bit of rape and never had on in the stone trap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maddaftspaniel Posted July 17, 2014 Report Share Posted July 17, 2014 I was out last week shooting field of laid barley. It was folded over about a foot from the ground and when birds fell into it they disappeared without trace. Did not take the dog because it is beside a busy road. I picked less than half of what I shot and have vowed I won't shoot without a dog again Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnny Posted July 17, 2014 Report Share Posted July 17, 2014 (edited) I work on a farm and some times needs must. I shot 76 on some laid wheat last week and only picked half a dozen. The wheat was laid in lots of small patches but they where doing a lot of damage. You won't get a stone trap full of pigeons I've combined lots of foxes and badgers never found anything in the stone trap other than stones and bits of wood Edited July 17, 2014 by johnny Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simjakcal Posted July 17, 2014 Report Share Posted July 17, 2014 (edited) your there to carry out crop protection for the farmer...once the crop is cut and your shooting over stubble your just shooting for the sport-or the freezer because you can pick them up then ! ..our farmers would go nuts if they seen us rummaging around or sending a dog into their crop because of some piece of vermin youd just shot and didn't wont to leave behind... Edited July 17, 2014 by simjakcal Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marsh man Posted July 17, 2014 Report Share Posted July 17, 2014 your there to carry out crop protection for the farmer...once the crop is cut and your shooting over stubble your just shooting for the sport-or the freezer because you can pick them up then ! ..our farmers would go nuts if they seen us rummaging around or sending a dog into their crop because of some piece of vermin youd just shot and didn't wont to leave behind... How do you get your decoys and magnet out into the crop in the first place ? We have been through all this in a previous post. I have stopped kidding myself years ago I am there for crop protection . I am there for the sport and if I get it off the crop well that's a bonus for the farmer , the farms I go on are more than happy for me being there shooting pigeons ,weather its on plough , grass , outside of the woods , round the margeins or on a crop and I can honestly say I have never had a farmer moan or say I cant use my dog to pick up pigeons I have shot on a crop , most of them are shooting men themselves and I am sure they would moan more if I left the pigeons than me picking them up, and the newest farm I have got I have only being going on for sixteen years and the longest for over forty years so I must be doing something right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simjakcal Posted July 17, 2014 Report Share Posted July 17, 2014 your farmers aint welsh beleave me if I can pick pigeons for the freezer I will...both my farms I shoot,about 2000 acres in total,,we put about 1000 pheasant down between them and part of the contract of our syndicate is to carry out crop protection as and when the farmer shouts or we see fit to,,,and not to cause any more damage to his crop !....we usually set up in the tram lines Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rich1985 Posted July 17, 2014 Report Share Posted July 17, 2014 Oh dear oh dear, don't even get me started on this subject again! Where would we be without the humble wood pigeon?? Bord is probably the answer! The wood pigeon deserves a huge amount of respect and to not be taken for granted, the disrespect and ignorance some people show this bird is unbelievable, it is one of the best if the the best sporting bird we have in this country. I don't shoot if I can't make every effort to pick them up, yes I lose some but I do my best. Flags, gas guns and rope bangers have all served me well in the past on laid or standing crops as long as they are checked regularly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cocknee Posted July 17, 2014 Report Share Posted July 17, 2014 I work on a farm and some times needs must. I shot 76 on some laid wheat last week and only picked half a dozen. The wheat was laid in lots of small patches but they where doing a lot of damage. You won't get a stone trap full of pigeons I've combined lots of foxes and badgers never found anything in the stone trap other than stones and bits of wood Then as far as I am concerned if you only picked up half a dozen you can only claim to have shot half a dozen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kent Posted July 17, 2014 Report Share Posted July 17, 2014 golden rule " if in doubt ask" If he says pick them do so if he says no leave them and save further trampling damage do so. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnny Posted July 17, 2014 Report Share Posted July 17, 2014 Ok I got six but that's make my shot count pretty poor 110-6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flynny Posted July 17, 2014 Report Share Posted July 17, 2014 your there to carry out crop protection for the farmer...once the crop is cut and your shooting over stubble your just shooting for the sport-or the freezer because you can pick them up then ! ..our farmers would go nuts if they seen us rummaging around or sending a dog into their crop because of some piece of vermin youd just shot and didn't wont to leave behind... golden rule " if in doubt ask" If he says pick them do so if he says no leave them and save further trampling damage do so. Correctumundo boys, Atb Flynny Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flynny Posted July 17, 2014 Report Share Posted July 17, 2014 (edited) Then as far as I am concerned if you only picked up half a dozen you can only claim to have shot half a dozen. Utter tosh, I shot 60 odd last sat and picked bout half of them, I still saw 60 odd fall out of the sky after connecting with the shot, That's your opinion mate and I get it, but to claim I only picked two out of ten shot ,so really it's only 2 that count well, as said that's your opinion, at this time of year it is a pest control operation for our farmers plain and simple, I get the respect for the quarry, we would be idiots if we didn't have respect for it and shouldn't shoot if we don't have respect for it Atb Flynny Edited July 17, 2014 by flynny Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shootnfish Posted July 17, 2014 Report Share Posted July 17, 2014 Have never been told to leave them where they fall and if i was i wouldn't shoot them, i ain't that desperate to kill some pigeons. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marsh man Posted July 17, 2014 Report Share Posted July 17, 2014 I work on a farm and some times needs must. I shot 76 on some laid wheat last week and only picked half a dozen. The wheat was laid in lots of small patches but they where doing a lot of damage. You won't get a stone trap full of pigeons I've combined lots of foxes and badgers never found anything in the stone trap other than stones and bits of wood Yesterday I shot 32 on laid wheat down on the marsh and even without my dog I could have picked at least 20 and I don't think the laid bit looked any different when I finished than when I started, with all the heavy rain were had lately I don't think walking round a small area is going to make a big difference compared with the rest of the field. Would you have done much more damage looking for the dead and wounded ones ? after saying there were lots of small patches. Combines are pretty good nowadays at lifting laid areas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kent Posted July 17, 2014 Report Share Posted July 17, 2014 Have never been told to leave them where they fall and if i was i wouldn't shoot them, i ain't that desperate to kill some pigeons. That's coz your killing them for you not the landowner. I have had some strange requests over the years but if they say that's what they want when asked fine, its really not about me though I hate wasting what should be good food Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WGD Posted July 17, 2014 Report Share Posted July 17, 2014 (edited) Priority No 1: assist farmer in ridding his land of crop raiding vermin that affects his livelihood. Priority No 2: get some wood pigeon breasts for the BBQ to defend the fact that "I always shoot what I eat". Edited July 17, 2014 by WGD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motty Posted July 17, 2014 Report Share Posted July 17, 2014 Is there really anyone who shoots for pure crop protection? I don't think so. Anyone who decides to shoot pigeons where they don't intend to pick them should be ashamed. No-one has to shoot somewhere just because a farmer asks them to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bullet1747 Posted July 17, 2014 Report Share Posted July 17, 2014 this should be good Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FalconFN Posted July 17, 2014 Report Share Posted July 17, 2014 (edited) Is there really anyone who shoots for pure crop protection? I don't think so. Anyone who decides to shoot pigeons where they don't intend to pick them should be ashamed. No-one has to shoot somewhere just because a farmer asks them to. I totally agree. I shot over laid barley today for the first time as this was where 100s were feeding on Monday (I was shooting over wheat then and only shot 6 all of which were full to bursting with barley), needless to say they didn't show in any great numbers. I set up 10 FUD decoys over a badly flattened patch and waited for them to commit to land - the result was another 6 and a crow but i picked them all. I missed at least 10 but left about 30 normally attempted shots as they either flying too fast or outside of the zone where I'd have no chance to pick them without doing too much damage. Edited July 17, 2014 by FalconFN Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kent Posted July 17, 2014 Report Share Posted July 17, 2014 Well to be fair most of us shoot non edibles Crow, Rat, ferals, fox. Now how far do you push it if the landowner on who's consent you rely says don't walk into the crop to pick birds Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rich1985 Posted July 17, 2014 Report Share Posted July 17, 2014 I'm with Motty! Top bloke! Must be some very rich crop protectors on here to buy cartridges and go out there way just to keep a farmer happy! Landowner buys all my ammo, cartridges and bullets and I am very lucky but I would never dream of shooting and leaving and edible animal! I've had a very interesting chat with a farmer tonight bearing in mind he buys all my ammo, he said he would not expect me to shoot on his land and be unable to pick up the quarry weather it be a standing crop or not, I think people are using the " I'm a pest controller" attitude to justify not looking for shot quarry. I think this should go to some sort of vote! To pick or not to pick. I vote to pick! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kent Posted July 17, 2014 Report Share Posted July 17, 2014 Is there really anyone who shoots for pure crop protection? I don't think so. Anyone who decides to shoot pigeons where they don't intend to pick them should be ashamed. No-one has to shoot somewhere just because a farmer asks them to. Must be real easy to keep permissions round you, I do say no but not because I cant eat or sell what I shoot. To intentionally kill edibles and then not pick them because they cannot be bothered is very wrong and is also very different to a request to leave slain within a crop to avoid damage surely? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simjakcal Posted July 17, 2014 Report Share Posted July 17, 2014 (edited) Is there really anyone who shoots for pure crop protection? I don't think so. Anyone who decides to shoot pigeons where they don't intend to pick them should be ashamed. No-one has to shoot somewhere just because a farmer asks them to. yes ! if we didn't we would loose the land ! a farm of 600 acres that we have just gain this year with a nice wood,pen,all feeders,drinkers,electric fence,,all free of charge to use..all weve had to do is a bit of tidying up and strimming and put 200 pheasant down.....on the condition that we as a syndicate carry out the crop protection....now if we turned round and said to him when he is complaining that crows/pigeons are hitting his crops that sorry but our ethics don't allow us to shoot over standing crops...........we wont be there next year he'd find someone else ! ashamed ? lol ..........no ! at the end of the day their classed a vermin along with rats foxes rabbits crows etc ...... were helping the farmer out,and hes helping us out ! if I can pick up I will...got a m8 in work who swaps for eggs..plus I don't mind a few in the freezer..... some must have very understanding farmers...on our main farm we shoot we got good relations with him,,,but we are on egg shells with him !!! Edited July 17, 2014 by simjakcal Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rich1985 Posted July 17, 2014 Report Share Posted July 17, 2014 Have you never heard of gas gun, rope bangers or flags? Flags on lay works a treat, if it's rooks etc on lay shoot 1 and hang it on a stick by its legs on sum string, will stop em instantly, the pest controll rubbish won't wash. I've got the feeders the pens the drinkers and I realise double what you do and I get my ammo bought me, I'm not shooting and leaving stuff laying about though!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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