naddan28 Posted June 28, 2007 Report Share Posted June 28, 2007 I was shooting today and chatting to one of the farmer's who made the comment about less pigeons about this year. Which got me wondering, how would people feel about the exctinction of pigeons and rabbits? Obviously from a farmer's standpoint, it would be a good thing. From our standpoint, clearly not good. I just wondered how people feel about hunting a species into exctinction like we did with Wolves in Scotland? Would you continue to partcipate in hunting pigeons/rabbits/foxes should they be thin on the ground? Afterall a pest species is a pest species regardless of numbers, but do we have the right to destroy them? Obviously this is all hypethitical and DEFRA would never allow such a situation to arise but I just wondered how people felt about potentially hunting a pest species into extinction. Dan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mungler Posted June 28, 2007 Report Share Posted June 28, 2007 I voted "Yes". Do wasps, gnats and traffic wardens all count as pests though? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnGalway Posted June 28, 2007 Report Share Posted June 28, 2007 I voted no. There's a reason it's called pest control. I remember chatting to a local fella who also shoots a few foxes earlier this year. We were commenting on how there weren't too many foxes around at the time, very few and far between infact. Now, the place is alive with them again, and I'm not talking cubs either. With the changes to society, people moving from the land to cities I don't believe eradication from shooting/hunting of a pest species is achieaveable anymore in their current legal guises. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cranfield Posted June 28, 2007 Report Share Posted June 28, 2007 I wouldn't be sorry to see the last rat die, or wasp, or mosquito, but not pigeons, crows , rabbits, foxes etc. It interesting that we are both from Kent and your farmer comments there are less pigeons about than last year. The general view in my area, south west Kent and shared by my farmer friend in north Kent, is that there are many more pigeons about this year than last. They are spread across peas, rape, laid cereals, clover and set aside. No big concentrations of birds, but they are everywhere. As these food sources dry up, you will see the birds flocking more and becoming apparent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
naddan28 Posted June 28, 2007 Author Report Share Posted June 28, 2007 Ideed cranners although saying that I have been seeing loads about in Thanet! Normally when I was sitting in the office at work gazing out the window Went shooting today and actually saw a proper flock on the field (well I say saw, about 20 flew up out of a field next to me scaring the bejeebers out of me!). Loads and I mean loads of crows about though, was watching a flock of 25ish sitting 100yds from me today! Dan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
njc110381 Posted June 28, 2007 Report Share Posted June 28, 2007 Once a species gets rare, it's no longer a pest. If pigeon numbers were down to a level that they were no longer causing major losses to farmers, then I wouldn't shoot them. Look at it this way, if there was an otter for every 50 yards of river bank in the country, I'd be out shooting them instead. As there are very few of them, I'd go out of my way to look out for them and see that they were safe and healthy. No animal is thet bad that it needs wiping out, even mosquitos. If they were rare enough that you could spend all year in warm damp woods and only get bitten once or twice, you'd probably be pleased to see one rather than hate it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
naddan28 Posted June 28, 2007 Author Report Share Posted June 28, 2007 I agree, except you got a bit carried anyway with the mossie bit Although, small numbers still doesn't stop them being a pest? or does it? Anything that causes an innconvience is a pest, so surely even one or two rabbits would still be a pest to someone! Dan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShaggyRS6 Posted June 29, 2007 Report Share Posted June 29, 2007 Seeing as most of us on here only really get the oppurtunity to shoot pest species I think its an obvious one to me that if we exterminated them all we would have nothing to shoot. So I voted no. Another point would be... Surely if we did shoot them down to low numbers they stop being a pest. Again, there will be arguments against this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vegeta Posted June 29, 2007 Report Share Posted June 29, 2007 voted no as no species deserves to be shot into the pages of history Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oly Posted June 29, 2007 Report Share Posted June 29, 2007 Every animal, bug, fish, bird etc etc has a place on this earth. The environment does untold billions of pounds worth of benefit to every economy in the world daily - pollination, rubbish clean up, sewage treatment, etc etc. and that is driven by ALL the species on this planet, not just some...it's a cycle. Besides, like has already been mentioned, if it's an endangered "pest" it wouldn't be classed as a "pest" anymore. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chunk Posted June 29, 2007 Report Share Posted June 29, 2007 Every animal, bug, fish, bird etc etc has a place on this earth. The environment does untold billions of pounds worth of benefit to every economy in the world daily - pollination, rubbish clean up, sewage treatment, etc etc. and that is driven by ALL the species on this planet, not just some...it's a cycle. Besides, like has already been mentioned, if it's an endangered "pest" it wouldn't be classed as a "pest" anymore. No. I wouldnt want to participate in the extinction of a species. As much as rabbits pigeons and foxes are pests i have the utmost respect for their right to exist and only shoot enough to keep landowners happy, just thinning them out. As it happens pigeon shooting on the land i cover has been dire, so i havent shot them much. Rabbits on the other hand are breeding with a vengance, so most of my time has been taken up controlling them. Pest they might be, but faced with extermination, i would bet most of us would be actively involved in some kind of conservation effort. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Browning GTS Posted June 29, 2007 Report Share Posted June 29, 2007 I wouldn't be sorry to see the last rat die, or wasp, or mosquito, but not pigeons, crows , rabbits, foxes etc. It interesting that we are both from Kent and your farmer comments there are less pigeons about than last year. The general view in my area, south west Kent and shared by my farmer friend in north Kent, is that there are many more pigeons about this year than last. They are spread across peas, rape, laid cereals, clover and set aside. No big concentrations of birds, but they are everywhere. As these food sources dry up, you will see the birds flocking more and becoming apparent. Well i agree with your first coment but without wanting to sound like a bunny hugger, every speices has its place in the food chain and if the last rat, wasp or mossy went what would the effect on the food chain be? As far as our freinds the pigeons go true no flocking this year, but every time i look up woodys everywhere. I was out walking the dog today and on almost every pnone wire or tree PIGEONS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mungler Posted June 29, 2007 Report Share Posted June 29, 2007 I demand that you retract your statement immediately. I fail to agree that either gnats or traffic wardens serve any purpose. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Browning GTS Posted June 29, 2007 Report Share Posted June 29, 2007 I demand that you retract your statement immediately. I fail to agree that either gnats or traffic wardens serve any purpose. Well no but they are good at biting you and giving out parking tickets, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suffolk shooter Posted June 30, 2007 Report Share Posted June 30, 2007 I voted No as we all have a duty to control and conserve all animals be they pests or game quarry. Each has its part to play in the environment. Look at the problem with the amount of deer in the country due to a lack of Bear/Wolf especially in scotland on the tree plantations. SS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Country Boy Posted July 2, 2007 Report Share Posted July 2, 2007 This site is pigeonwatch.co.uk We are in the 'forums' under the heading 'Talk from the field' Please talk about woodpigeons but for gods sake stop all this **** about extinct pest species, woodpigeons are alive, well and thriving. Who are you people, can't you discuss something positive. I've just been sat in traffic, on the M62 eastbound near Howden, watching hundreds of pigeons come and go from what looked like laid wheat, right up against the motorway! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferret Master Posted July 2, 2007 Report Share Posted July 2, 2007 NO. However wouldn't mind eradicating grey squirrels from Britain where they don't belong in the wild regardless of whether they were being a pest at the time. FM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peter-peter Posted July 2, 2007 Report Share Posted July 2, 2007 I demand that you retract your statement immediately. I fail to agree that either gnats or traffic wardens serve any purpose. traffic wardens do serve a purpose. if the wife's giving you a hard time you can nip down town and take it out on a 2 legged wasp. makes you feel a lot better. as for gnats, bloody flying croc's. specially up in haggis land round aug sept Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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