steve_b_wales Posted June 7, 2020 Report Share Posted June 7, 2020 This afternoon, while in my back garden, there was quite a lot of commotion coming from some Jackdaw's on my roof. They were making the distressed call and looking down into next doors garden. It turned out that a young Jackdaw was behind their bunker. My neighbour didn't know what to do, so I climbed over, managed to grab the bird and then using a ladder, put it up on the main roof of my house. It partly flew further down the roof to another property. My neighbour, who knows I go shooting, said that he was surprised that I had rescued it and then let it go. I told him that it's not all about killing them, and other species, and that if that same bird ever flew over one of my permissions, it would probably (if I didn't miss!!) get shot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old'un Posted June 7, 2020 Report Share Posted June 7, 2020 (edited) Yep, as shooters of wildlife we do sometimes show that we are not the heartless murders some would paint us as. I have killed a lot of stuff in my life but I have also saved the life of some of the things I kill, now the wife loves her garden birds and we get a fair mix of birds on the feeders and bird table, needles to say we have a good number of wood pigeon taking advantage of this free and easy food supply but the last few years we have been hit by pigeon canker and usually have at least half a dozen pigeons each year showing signs of canker, if left untreated the birds will succumb to this disease and slowly die of starvation, so silly me catches these pigeons, puts them in a cage in the shed and puts some canker treatment in the drinking water and some wheat on the cage floor, I only go back in the shed when they need some more water or food as they go a bit mad, usually after a few days they recover, I then ring their necks and put them in the freezer (only joking) once I am happy they are ok I let them go, crazy I know but you see Mr Packham we are not really that bad. Edited June 7, 2020 by old'un Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dead eye alan Posted June 7, 2020 Report Share Posted June 7, 2020 5 minutes ago, old'un said: Yep, as shooters of wildlife we do sometimes show that we are not the heartless murders some would paint us as. I have killed a lot of stuff in my life but I have also saved the life of some of the things I kill, now the wife loves her garden birds and we get a fair mix of birds on the feeders and bird table, needles to say we have a good number of wood pigeon taking advantage of this free and easy food supply but the last few years we have been hit by pigeon canker and usually have at least half a dozen pigeons each year showing signs of canker, if left untreated the birds will succumb to this disease and slowly die of starvation, so silly me catches these pigeons, puts them in a cage in the shed and puts some canker treatment in the drinking water and some wheat on the cage floor, I only go back in the shed when they need some more water or food as they go a bit mad, usually after a few days they recover, I then ring their necks and put them in the freezer (only joking) once I am happy they are ok I let them go, crazy I know but you see Mr Packham we are not really that bad. You old softy you! 😎 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WalkedUp Posted June 7, 2020 Report Share Posted June 7, 2020 24 minutes ago, old'un said: usually after a few days they recover, I then ring their necks and put them in the freezer 🤣🤣🤣 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old'un Posted June 7, 2020 Report Share Posted June 7, 2020 21 minutes ago, dead eye alan said: You old softy you! 😎 Yeah I know, when I think of some of the animals I have saved over the years I sometimes wonder if I am a bit soft, some of my mates used to call me Dr Doolittle, but I do like a good day on the pigeons or blacks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDog Posted June 7, 2020 Report Share Posted June 7, 2020 In the same way that no one would ever deliberately run over any creature on the road. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old man Posted June 7, 2020 Report Share Posted June 7, 2020 12 minutes ago, JDog said: In the same way that no one would ever deliberately run over any creature on the road. 👍 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WalkedUp Posted June 7, 2020 Report Share Posted June 7, 2020 I run squirrels over, well I don’t stop for grey squirrels. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTaylor91 Posted June 7, 2020 Report Share Posted June 7, 2020 A few weeks back after much persuasion and guilt tripping from the mrs I found myself stripping down to my pants and wading into a dyke up to my waist to save a lapwing chick that had fallen down the side. I couldn’t find the nest so placed the chick in a spot that what I assumed to be a parent was calling over about 15 minutes prior. I was under no illusion that my “rescue” was extremely unlikely to change the outcome but it made my other half think we had “saved” it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benthejockey Posted June 8, 2020 Report Share Posted June 8, 2020 A few weeks back I sat and watched/videoed a cub and vixen hunting. Today I went down to see if the silage had been taken off yet - it hasn't grrrr - and I saw that same cub now 3/4 grown looking very healthy and mischievous. It was lovely to see. I will at some point try and shoot both the cub and the vixen and any other foxes on the ground once the silage is off. When I saw them weeks ago I could have all but picked the cub up and killed the vixen with a pointy stick. Everything deserves some compassion sometimes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve_b_wales Posted June 8, 2020 Author Report Share Posted June 8, 2020 48 minutes ago, Benthejockey said: A few weeks back I sat and watched/videoed a cub and vixen hunting. Today I went down to see if the silage had been taken off yet - it hasn't grrrr - and I saw that same cub now 3/4 grown looking very healthy and mischievous. It was lovely to see. I will at some point try and shoot both the cub and the vixen and any other foxes on the ground once the silage is off. When I saw them weeks ago I could have all but picked the cub up and killed the vixen with a pointy stick. Everything deserves some compassion sometimes. Same as me, Ben. Many a time, I've watched cubs playing in tall ferns etc and could have taken them all. But I give them a chance to grow and enjoy a little bit of life. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
treetree Posted June 8, 2020 Report Share Posted June 8, 2020 Every year I curse the seagulls that make their nest on my roof. Every year at least one chick will fall from the nest at a young age, and every time I'll drive it to the local bird sanctuary. And then I spend the rest of the year cursing seagulls when they steal my children's pasties or icecream. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTaylor91 Posted June 8, 2020 Report Share Posted June 8, 2020 13 minutes ago, treetree said: Every year I curse the seagulls that make their nest on my roof. Every year at least one chick will fall from the nest at a young age, and every time I'll drive it to the local bird sanctuary. And then I spend the rest of the year cursing seagulls when they steal my children's pasties or icecream. Maybe they are re paying their stealing with a gift of their first born? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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