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Woodpigeons...the way ahead


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Assuming the new GL with regards Woodpigeon shooting is explicit in stating killing to prevent serious agricultural damage isn’t it about time woodpigeons had an open and closed season similar to game?   They could have a winter open season so roost shooting and incidental shooting could continue on game shoots etc. Then be subject to the conditions of a GL in their closed season, so they can be shot to prevent serious agricultural damage.  

 

i.e an identical situation as did apply to Canada Geese. 

 

without such a belt and braces approach winter roost shooting and shooting away from crops may well be unlawful under the terms of any new GL’s.

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2 minutes ago, Yellow Bear said:

Open season would need to be August to March to be effective.

 It is not intended to be effective, it is intended to allow ‘sporting’ shooting during the autumn/ winter.  The GL would apply all year round so crop protection would be covered when required. 

 

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In this current climate of anti shooting, eco pressure groups and the general public's dislike of shooting I think that government time spent debating and passing a law to elevate the humble wood pigeon to the status of a game bird stands as much chance of a pig flying. Even if the EU directive on birds permitted such a change.

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12 minutes ago, scolopax said:

Assuming the new GL with regards Woodpigeon shooting is explicit in stating killing to prevent serious agricultural damage isn’t it about time woodpigeons had an open and closed season similar to game?   They could have a winter open season so roost shooting and incidental shooting could continue on game shoots etc. Then be subject to the conditions of a GL in their closed season, so they can be shot to prevent serious agricultural damage.  

 

i.e an identical situation as did apply to Canada Geese. 

 

without such a belt and braces approach winter roost shooting and shooting away from crops may well be unlawful under the terms of any new GL’s.

You need to define, "incidental shooting". Woodpigeon are a protected species and "I incdentally shot a couple while out rabbitting" does not qualify as vermin control - even under the old system of the GL.

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2 minutes ago, wymberley said:

You need to define, "incidental shooting". Woodpigeon are a protected species and "I incdentally shot a couple while out rabbitting" does not qualify as vermin control - even under the old system of the GL.

Sporting shooting, to be subject to purely sporting shooti g the woodpigeon will have to be afforded levels of protection akin to our quarry listed game species, ie open and closed seasons. Open season during autumn and winter months. 

 

The GL would still apply concurrently so that crop protection could continue year round. 

 

This is very similar to how Canada geese were treat. Both an autumn/ winter open season and year round ‘pest’ shooting

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10 minutes ago, scolopax said:

 It is not intended to be effective, it is intended to allow ‘sporting’ shooting during the autumn/ winter.  The GL would apply all year round so crop protection would be covered when required. 

 

Not talking sporting - the best number reduction is decoying over stubble and winter crops which I fear may be out.

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Head hits brick wall...it is not about number reduction!

 

it is about finding a way to legally allowing sporting shooting of woodpigeons.

 

Most likely under the terms of any new GL, as now shown to be under the terms of the last GL’s,  sporting shooting of woodpigeons will be illegal, no roost shooting, no pigeon popping whilst stood on a game peg, no shooting woodpigeon whilst out rough shooting, no flight line shooting away from crops. Etc etc.

 

the GL will allow for crop protection under certain conditions. Most likely tougher conditions than we imagined earlier.

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They here is ‘to prevent’ reducing numbers over stubble to protect excessive numbers eating growing crops in spring would be in scope.  The crow licence uses ‘to prevent’ meaning we can trap now to avoid damage to poults when they arrive.  As with any new law it’s open to interpretation and challenge and the proof will be when prosecutions are sought, I can see BASC insurance being popular...

Scolopax, nothing will wind antis and packhamites more than the idea of shooting pests for sport, preventing damage is the only leg we have to stand on, the fact you enjoy it is  incidental ...

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Just a simple line...

Pigeons can be shot over crops to be harvested & as game bird to run with pheasant season..... this would cover from drilling to harvest..

 

I'm a shooting person but if there must be a black & white no damage done to stubbles, clover,  cover maize etc 

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11 minutes ago, PPP said:

 

Scolopax, nothing will wind antis and packhamites more than the idea of shooting pests for sport, preventing damage is the only leg we have to stand on, the fact you enjoy it is  incidental ...

In some of the Packham / Avery propaganda I read it seems it’s the fact we enjoy shooting that they dislike the most. Now if we all say we really hate shooting birds but the farmer begged us..................

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I am pretty sure to be treat as a ‘game bird’ as per the Birds Directive the woodpigeon would need to be subject to protected status for that part of the year deemed to be the main breeding season.   There are many species that can be shot as a ‘sporting bird’ I.e not as a pest, according to the EU birds directive, just that many member countries choose not to. Brent geese, curlew, whimbrel, Godwit, bean goose can all be shot according to euro law methinks. 

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51 minutes ago, scolopax said:

Assuming the new GL with regards Woodpigeon shooting is explicit in stating killing to prevent serious agricultural damage isn’t it about time woodpigeons had an open and closed season similar to game?   They could have a winter open season so roost shooting and incidental shooting could continue on game shoots etc. Then be subject to the conditions of a GL in their closed season, so they can be shot to prevent serious agricultural damage.  

 

i.e an identical situation as did apply to Canada Geese. 

 

without such a belt and braces approach winter roost shooting and shooting away from crops may well be unlawful under the terms of any new GL’s.

It’s a good idea, but getting implemented is another question.

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19 minutes ago, PPP said:

 

Scolopax, nothing will wind antis and packhamites more than the idea of shooting pests for sport, preventing damage is the only leg we have to stand on, the fact you enjoy it is  incidental ...

 My thoughts exactly I don’t shoot pigeons For sport I shoot pigeons for Crop protection  if I want Sport I go Clay pigeon shooting 

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47 minutes ago, scolopax said:

Assuming the new GL with regards Woodpigeon shooting is explicit in stating killing to prevent serious agricultural damage isn’t it about time woodpigeons had an open and closed season similar to game?   They could have a winter open season so roost shooting and incidental shooting could continue on game shoots etc. Then be subject to the conditions of a GL in their closed season, so they can be shot to prevent serious agricultural damage.  

 

i.e an identical situation as did apply to Canada Geese. 

 

without such a belt and braces approach winter roost shooting and shooting away from crops may well be unlawful under the terms of any new GL’s.

So wot your saying is every spring crop let the pigeons get on with it. Every field of peas barley wheat beans just let them  destroy it. Game birds don’t do this. I wouldn’t won’t you looking after my crops. 

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12 minutes ago, The gouse said:

So wot your saying is every spring crop let the pigeons get on with it. Every field of peas barley wheat beans just let them  destroy it. Game birds don’t do this. I wouldn’t won’t you looking after my crops. 

Steve mate I don’t think he is saying that, what he is saying is we carry on shooting under the new GL in the closed season but during the open season we can shoot pigeons wherever and whenever.

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13 minutes ago, The gouse said:

So wot your saying is every spring crop let the pigeons get on with it. Every field of peas barley wheat beans just let them  destroy it. Game birds don’t do this. I wouldn’t won’t you looking after my crops. 

Not at all 

A woodpigeon can legally be both on the GL all year to allow killing for crop protection, and also listed as a game bird for want of a better description, with an open season and a closed season, allowing shooting not just for crop protection during that open season, whatever it may be.

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2 hours ago, scolopax said:

Assuming the new GL with regards Woodpigeon shooting is explicit in stating killing to prevent serious agricultural damage isn’t it about time woodpigeons had an open and closed season similar to game?   They could have a winter open season so roost shooting and incidental shooting could continue on game shoots etc. Then be subject to the conditions of a GL in their closed season, so they can be shot to prevent serious agricultural damage.  

 

i.e an identical situation as did apply to Canada Geese. 

 

without such a belt and braces approach winter roost shooting and shooting away from crops may well be unlawful under the terms of any new GL’s.

Yeah, I'd go along with that, especially as my suggestion to declare it a pest species and remove all protection will never be entertained. 

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Couple of years ago maybe longer now from Spalding to the wash area a group of shooters came funded to shoot pigeons on all land, roost, at night with air weapons, to see if it had any impact at length on crop damage ,

Never heard any more will have to enquire with farmers who run or sponsored it.

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