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Shooting Starlings ???.


samboy
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15 minutes ago, oowee said:

You can get a licence from NE but it's usually for just 50. 

Health and hygiene is the usual reason when they reach plague proportions.

It didn't think they were round for that long, understand they can make a mess when they reach large numbers, 

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Sad thing is, in the UK they are becoming more and more rare, whilst in South Africa they are at plague proportions and doing a fair amount of damage.  

 

If you go to Natal you can shoot them by the shed load, and be thanked.   Seems a bit of a trek mind...

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I know a farm where there are thousands crapping all over the feed and on the cattle can the farmer apply for license 

Just now, snow white said:

I know a farm where there are thousands crapping all over the feed and on the cattle can the farmer apply for license 

He as tried all the things that should work but nothing deters them he as hawk recordings.laser light flashing.banger rope.

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2 hours ago, snow white said:

I know a farm where there are thousands crapping all over the feed and on the cattle can the farmer apply for license 

He as tried all the things that should work but nothing deters them he as hawk recordings.laser light flashing.banger rope.

Nothing to stop him applying,  but things might be different in Wales?

He might be better getting someone actually flying a hawk or falcon on his land.

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You could always try Rome if South Africa is too far.

Many years ago I was beating somewhere that I'd never been before in Norfolk. Pointing to a large wood at the top of a hill, I asked a local if there'd been a frost the previous evening. We'll be going there and you'll see - have you brought your gun? - was his reply. I did see, a starling night quarters and some 10 acres of wood totally ruined. At the end of the shoot the beaters were going to surround it and with ammo supplied by the farmer ready for an ambush which was done on a frequency basis.

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I've seen them at plague proportions where I used to shoot, one farmer would lose 1/2 tonne a day he estimated. Tried everything to get them moving, tarps, kites, bangers, gas guns, it's weird I've come over the border there's hardly any here. 

My old house on a hill I used to get 10,000 plus go over, usually in groups of about 1000, regular as clockwork every afternoon (about hour before dusk) on the way back to roost, and they'd **** like rain on the way over. Id sit out side and let a few shots off, watch them shift direction over to next doors b&b. Thankfully it rained a lot so the **** wouldn't stick too long. 

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12 hours ago, dipper said:

Starlings are protected.

 

Gentle reminder maybe?,,,,,,,, All birds are protected unless a specific GL gives specific terms under which they may be dealt with.

I remember many winter years ago where in one Staffordshire woodland there were so many thousands that the fire brigade were sent in on frosty nights to douse them.

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It was a sad day in 2005 when these damned birds were removed from the general licences!,myself & a neighbour had to give up feeding the garden birds because of them,nothing else stood a bloody chance!,they'd appear in flocks from nowhere within minutes of putting feed out & they emptied everything!,i watched 2 of them attacking a robin on one occaision,unreal!,nothing but vermin!

Edited by 51/50
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Starlings have declined some 66% since the 'hallowed 70's", and even through locally some roosts are still popular the large countrywide flocks have gone.

 

Like other farmland burds, most of the decline relates to farming practises, in particular for starlings the wide spread use of insecticides which have killed all the worms and grubs they would normally feed on in the turf.

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31 minutes ago, Walker570 said:

Back in the 1950s there used to be organised shoots in Hopwas woods near Tamworth, Staffs to kill as many as possible. It was dead mens shoes to try and get on the team.

The relatively new plantation back then was being destroyed by the sheer weight of the birds coming in to roost.

They could kill a plantation with their droppings and it took a lot of shooting to make them move on.

Blackpowder

 

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1 hour ago, Walker570 said:

Back in the 1950s there used to be organised shoots in Hopwas woods near Tamworth, Staffs to kill as many as possible. It was dead mens shoes to try and get on the team.

The relatively new plantation back then was being destroyed by the sheer weight of the birds coming in to roost.

That's the location, must have been the 60;s for the hoses?

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