ilovemyheckler Posted January 20, 2022 Report Share Posted January 20, 2022 I was picking up today on a driven day and one of the guns shot a jay. Wheni picked it, it wasn't deat dead so I despatched it with my priest. The guy who shot it came up to me and said "its actually illeagal to kill a jay" so I said "if thats true why did you shoot it?" He looked at me as if I was something on the bottom of his shoe and walked off. I know you can shoot them under the general licenses for pest control if they are eating/damaging crops etc but can you shoot them on a driven pheasant day? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TIGHTCHOKE Posted January 20, 2022 Report Share Posted January 20, 2022 (edited) We all shoot them! But NOT before the pheasants are flying! Edited January 20, 2022 by TIGHTCHOKE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDog Posted January 20, 2022 Report Share Posted January 20, 2022 9 minutes ago, ilovemyheckler said: I was picking up today on a driven day and one of the guns shot a jay. Wheni picked it, it wasn't deat dead so I despatched it with my priest. The guy who shot it came up to me and said "its actually illeagal to kill a jay" so I said "if thats true why did you shoot it?" He looked at me as if I was something on the bottom of his shoe and walked off. I know you can shoot them under the general licenses for pest control if they are eating/damaging crops etc but can you shoot them on a driven pheasant day? What crops would you expect a Jay to eat? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weihrauch17 Posted January 20, 2022 Report Share Posted January 20, 2022 (edited) I don't shoot them, beautiful birds who plant alot of Oak trees. To answer your Question. Yes, but only to conserve woodland birds of conservation concern. Edited January 20, 2022 by Weihrauch17 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dougy Posted January 20, 2022 Report Share Posted January 20, 2022 Never seen many round here so don't bother. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fellside Posted January 20, 2022 Report Share Posted January 20, 2022 Short answer is yes. I very much doubt the gun you’re referring to has read the GLs or even heard of them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Essex Keeper Posted January 20, 2022 Report Share Posted January 20, 2022 I believe on the GL you can only shoot them now to protect woodland birds , so on a drive would count ?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
enfieldspares Posted January 20, 2022 Report Share Posted January 20, 2022 (edited) 4 minutes ago, Fellside said: Short answer is yes. I very much doubt the gun you’re referring to has read the GLs or even heard of them. This. In the nesting season if you've "Red List" nesting birds being predated upon. If not no matter how nice is Colonel Downham's Fancy then no. And other possibly than woodpigeon (which in any case aren't "Red List") I know of no birds the nest and rear young in January! Edited January 20, 2022 by enfieldspares Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WalkedUp Posted January 20, 2022 Report Share Posted January 20, 2022 (edited) https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/wild-birds-licence-to-kill-or-take-for-conservation-purposes-gl40/gl40-general-licence-to-kill-or-take-certain-species-of-wild-birds-to-conserve-endangered-wild-birds-or-flora-and-fauna 6 minutes ago, enfieldspares said: This. In the nesting season if you've "Red List" nesting birds being predated upon. If not no matter how nice is Colonel Downham's Fancy then no. And other possibly than woodpigeon (which in any case aren't "Red List") I know of no birds the nest and rear young in January! Where does is say that in the GL? Edited January 20, 2022 by WalkedUp Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walker570 Posted January 20, 2022 Report Share Posted January 20, 2022 I shoot every one I see in my wood as I have a number of red listed birds resident and Jays will do a lot of damage to their breeding success. I have this year seen bull finches back for the first time that I can remember, so rare around here a neighbour thought they where escapees from a tropical bird reserve. I feed year round and it costs me a fortune but well worth it. Shot over 25 in 10 acres this winter. Just think what they would do to nests this spring/summer. The answer is yes if the above situation exists. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WalkedUp Posted January 20, 2022 Report Share Posted January 20, 2022 And right to do so you are Walker. We shoot Jays as we have woodcock on the land, they are a red listed woodland bird. 1 hour ago, ilovemyheckler said: but can you shoot them on a driven pheasant day? Yes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dasher Posted January 20, 2022 Report Share Posted January 20, 2022 I watched a pair of Jays earlier this year working together flushing newly fledged birds including Dartford warblers and Yellow hammer from gorse bushes, they took turns siting on the top of the bush whilst the other did the flushing. In the past I wouldn't shoot them but I would now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WalkedUp Posted January 20, 2022 Report Share Posted January 20, 2022 It’s what they do. My wife insists I shoot them, we have too many corvids and too few song birds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fellside Posted January 20, 2022 Report Share Posted January 20, 2022 The GLs are very open to interpretation and full of confusing contradictions. They are written that way to avoid legal challenge. There is no reference as to when the red listed species can be protected. I personally have no hesitation in shooting jays. It is up to each individual as to whether they wish to control them or not. ‘Illegal’ though…… doesn’t have any relevance in this context. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marsh man Posted January 20, 2022 Report Share Posted January 20, 2022 I wander how many have read the G L from start to finish ? , I didn't know you couldn't shoot Hooded Crows in England and the Collard Dove is now fully protected , we had the exactly same question on a shoot the other week when a Jay flew over and no one took a shot , when questioned the gun said he thought they were now protected so better to be safe than sorry by leaving it . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fellside Posted January 20, 2022 Report Share Posted January 20, 2022 I like a nice driven Jay….!! Good fly tying feathers too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TIGHTCHOKE Posted January 21, 2022 Report Share Posted January 21, 2022 10 hours ago, Fellside said: I like a nice driven Jay….!! Good fly tying feathers too. A left and right would be good! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rim Fire Posted January 21, 2022 Report Share Posted January 21, 2022 Cant shoot them in Wales and i see loads of them i beat on one shoot in England and the landowner wont have them shot or Pigeons Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fellside Posted January 21, 2022 Report Share Posted January 21, 2022 39 minutes ago, Rim Fire said: Cant shoot them in Wales and i see loads of them i beat on one shoot in England and the landowner wont have them shot or Pigeons Some English landowners aren’t very well informed unfortunately. One landowner recently told me that an individual licence is needed to shoot pigeons….?! There is still a lot of confusion and uncertainty swirling around re GLs after the last debacle. As already mentioned a lot of people don’t read them. 1 hour ago, TIGHTCHOKE said: A left and right would be good! 👍 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gas seal Posted January 21, 2022 Report Share Posted January 21, 2022 The question asked was “ is it ok to shoot jays on a driven pheasant day “ . I would say that depends on what he is paying to shoot. Would killing a jay cost more or less than a game bird. The shooters and the owner don’t need a licence to kill game, it was called a kill game license, but they need a license to kill a jay. The person who shot the jay should know what he is allowed to shoot, the cost to shoot it, has he and the person he is paying got a license to kill the jay. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TIGHTCHOKE Posted January 21, 2022 Report Share Posted January 21, 2022 4 minutes ago, Gas seal said: The question asked was “ is it ok to shoot jays on a driven pheasant day “ . I would say that depends on what he is paying to shoot. Would killing a jay cost more or less than a game bird. The shooters and the owner don’t need a licence to kill game, it was called a kill game license, but they need a license to kill a jay. The person who shot the jay should know what he is allowed to shoot, the cost to shoot it, has he and the person he is paying got a license to kill the jay. As I said earlier "Not until the pheasants are flying" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old farrier Posted January 21, 2022 Report Share Posted January 21, 2022 36 minutes ago, Gas seal said: The question asked was “ is it ok to shoot jays on a driven pheasant day “ . I would say that depends on what he is paying to shoot. Would killing a jay cost more or less than a game bird. The shooters and the owner don’t need a licence to kill game, it was called a kill game license, but they need a license to kill a jay. The person who shot the jay should know what he is allowed to shoot, the cost to shoot it, has he and the person he is paying got a license to kill the jay. Shot a jay and a magpie on a pheasant day was billed £37 each at the end of the day Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gas seal Posted January 21, 2022 Report Share Posted January 21, 2022 Hi tightchoke do you have to pay to shoot jays before the pheasants fly.Thanks Old Farrier it would have been cheaper to have missed them. Do any other game shooting members pay to shoot jays. I never new jays were shot during driven game shooting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ditchman Posted January 21, 2022 Report Share Posted January 21, 2022 i am not an active jay hunter.......but if one presents itself it will be toast....i like to see the odd jay in the countryside..but in some areas they can be over run with them....and therefore the balance is wrong........ i view foxes in the same way Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
London Best Posted January 21, 2022 Report Share Posted January 21, 2022 Gas seal, nobody needs a specific personal licence to shoot a jay. It is covered in the “general licence” which applies to everyone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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