Jump to content

Is it OK to shoot Jays?


Recommended Posts

45 minutes ago, Gas seal said:

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. 


it was a long time ago on a prestigious shoot 

To be fair the magpie was the best bird of the day 

Thought it was a bit off on the day however thinking about it many years later the day is usually based on a head count 

although I go to one that does a foot count 4 feet to a brace you’re allowed to shoot anything legal and it’s counted in the bag 

it soon puts you off shooting squirrels 

some estates request the shooting of jays or other vermin but not all they do usually count the shots into the shot count on the day

so if there’s a few taking shots a pigeon it can shorten the day 

One estate told us in the pre shoot brief that if anyone saw a fox they would have a free day and if they shot it the team would get the day for free 

ill ad to this

the drive had started and a couple of partridge were shot 

I was on the end of the line and saw the magpie flying towards my mate high but shootable 

I called the bird to make sure he’d seen it to be fair I hopped he would shoot and miss as it’s more fun that way 

as he put his gun up it turned and came down the line getting higher it came straight over me so I had to take the shot 

luck was with me and down it came or the boot would have been on the other foot 

for those interested I was using a SO5 and rc sipes on that day 

Edited by Old farrier
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 99
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Top Posters In This Topic

Posted Images

55 minutes ago, Gas seal said:

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. 

No, I just listen carefully at the pre shoot brief and if the Keeper wants flying vermin shot, I will happily shoot them, but NOT before the game birds are in the air. Where I shoot they are noted but not added to the days count.

If I had to pay they would be left for the Beaters and the clear up days.

At Catton Hall recently one of my fellow guns wanted the pigeons I had shot as he enjoyed them, but couldn't be bothered to get out and decoy them!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

15 minutes ago, Walker570 said:

I do not shoot any vermin or woodpigeons on a driven day. I guarantee as I am reloading a bunch of partridges or the best cock pheasant of the day will fly by.

But I reload a lot quicker than you do!  :cool1:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

10 hours 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 

https://cdn.cyfoethnaturiol.cymru/media/694501/general-licence-004-english-2022.pdf

You will be pleased to learn that you have been given duff information. If you refer to the GL above you will discover that it is legal to shoot Jays in Wales to conserve wild birds. 

 

Edited by WalkedUp
Link to comment
Share on other sites

7 hours ago, TIGHTCHOKE said:

No, I just listen carefully at the pre shoot brief and if the Keeper wants flying vermin shot,

Correct, same for ground game. Clarify at the start of the day. If in doubt do not shoot. 

I have been bought a few pints by keepers for killing foxes on driven days when we (experienced guns, known to the keeper) have been told to take ground game if safe to do so. 

It brought a tear to my eye that a guest last week mentioned he saw two squirrels sat in the canopy during our shoot. I had instructed him not to take ground game, but free to take any gamebird he would eat or any flying vermin, he followed my instruction to the letter. I had not clarified that I considered squirrels safely in trees with the full sky behind them were to be shot. My mistake. The gun did the right thing. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The man who shot the jay by law has to have authority and a license. He doesn’t have to apply for the license. The license isn’t for everyone it’s for the person to kill the specific bird they have authority to kill. The man who shot the jay told the man who picked it up and killed it that it’s against the law. To me he had no license. It’s called a general license, but it’s only for the individual who uses it ,and to decide the license he needs to use and how to use it. The way l see it is a protected bird was shot and that’s not good for anyone. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

20 minutes ago, Gas seal said:

The man who shot the jay by law has to have authority and a license. He doesn’t have to apply for the license. The license isn’t for everyone it’s for the person to kill the specific bird they have authority to kill. The man who shot the jay told the man who picked it up and killed it that it’s against the law. To me he had no license. It’s called a general license, but it’s only for the individual who uses it ,and to decide the license he needs to use and how to use it. The way l see it is a protected bird was shot and that’s not good for anyone. 

Eh? 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I believe he was saying that the gun was in effect joking as:

The gun under the GL had lawful authority to kill or take the jay. 

The OP, if unaware of or in breach of the conditions of the GL, did not therefore have legal authority to take or kill the jay. 

Edited by WalkedUp
Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, Gas seal said:

The man who shot the jay by law has to have authority and a license. He doesn’t have to apply for the license. The license isn’t for everyone it’s for the person to kill the specific bird they have authority to kill. The man who shot the jay told the man who picked it up and killed it that it’s against the law. To me he had no license. It’s called a general license, but it’s only for the individual who uses it ,and to decide the license he needs to use and how to use it. The way l see it is a protected bird was shot and that’s not good for anyone. 

Sorry Gas seal - that doesn’t compute. You can shoot jays all day long if you want to. 
 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 hours ago, NatureBoy said:

Some folk need to read GL's again

Again? Once would be a good start! Is it not apparent that as a nation we rely on mythology and Mums’ Net gossip to inform ourselves of the law. 

I had to reprimand two young architects yesterday, they had separately referenced Disability Discrimination Act in written statements. This was repealed in 2010, I.e. before they entered professional practice. I was able to publicly shame them to an appropriate level. Later in the morning I had a new client inform me they do not need planning permission for a development, that they are on site with, because of Class G of the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order 2015. Sadly I had to advise them that had been updated in August 2021 and now requires Prior Approval (I.e. a form of planning permission). 

Why refer to current legislation when you can make a guess from hearsay and long distant memories? 🤣

Edited by WalkedUp
Link to comment
Share on other sites

There is no reference on the general license, it’s for everyone. The license sets out who can use it, where it can be used, and when it can be used. The license always refers to (you) as the license holder or user. The rest is just conditions . If the man who shot the jay was paying to shoot on the land he should know what to shoot. If the man who picks up the dead or wounded birds was employed he should have been told what birds will be shot. And treated with a bit more respect. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, bruno22rf said:

Nope, never shoot them even though they land on my feeder's often and steal the Peanuts. There are plenty in the Woods where I shoot as there are Songbirds and, going by the increase in numbers of the latter, it's Squirrels that do far more damage to the bird population.

So you haven’t noticed them emptying nests then - look harder. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 hours ago, Fellside said:

So you haven’t noticed them emptying nests then - look harder. 

Thanks for the advice, the Woodland where I see them regularly doesn't let us shoot from March till October so I don't get in there during the nesting season. What I have noticed, without having to look particularly hard, is the huge increase in numbers and species of birds over the last 4 years of shooting Squirrels. Nuthatches and Tree Creepers are almost common this year, in comparison to 4 years ago when none had been spotted. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, bruno22rf said:

Thanks for the advice, the Woodland where I see them regularly doesn't let us shoot from March till October so I don't get in there during the nesting season. What I have noticed, without having to look particularly hard, is the huge increase in numbers and species of birds over the last 4 years of shooting Squirrels. Nuthatches and Tree Creepers are almost common this year, in comparison to 4 years ago when none had been spotted. 

Great that you’ve got more song birds and winning against the greys! 

If you hammer the corvids you’ll be doing even better. Strange that you can’t control vermin during the nesting season…? Pity. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 21/01/2022 at 10:23, Gas seal said:

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. 

While recognising that it's perfectly legal to do so, I can't help but think that it's a mistake and particularly so as the numbers involved are very small and make little or no difference in the overall scheme of things. The objective of the GLs is to permit the destruction where deemed necessary of a protected species and which we term as vermin control. A Gun with his/her kit setting out for a roost shoot or decoying pigeon/corvids is inescapably providing that service and is within both the legal conditions and spirit of the licences. Taking a pot shot at a protected species whether while one is walking up game or on a driven shoot remains within the former condition, but I'm not so sure if that applies to the latter. WJ and their like are going to want an 'in' and when you consider that this activity is somewhat pointless, I fear that this might just provide it when they decide to go again against us.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

18 minutes ago, WalkedUp said:

Every little counts. Every gun that kills even a single jay is still helping the song bird cause. 

Yep. But the jays are just one example and this applies to all species on the GLs and although, yep, at what potential cost for a relatively minor achievement?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, wymberley said:

While recognising that it's perfectly legal to do so, I can't help but think that it's a mistake and particularly so as the numbers involved are very small and make little or no difference in the overall scheme of things. The objective of the GLs is to permit the destruction where deemed necessary of a protected species and which we term as vermin control. A Gun with his/her kit setting out for a roost shoot or decoying pigeon/corvids is inescapably providing that service and is within both the legal conditions and spirit of the licences. Taking a pot shot at a protected species whether while one is walking up game or on a driven shoot remains within the former condition, but I'm not so sure if that applies to the latter. WJ and their like are going to want an 'in' and when you consider that this activity is somewhat pointless, I fear that this might just provide it when they decide to go again against us.

If every pigeon shooter just shot a couple of crows each session, or one jay on a driven day, a magpie here and there etc. it absolutely makes a difference. Each time it’s one or two less and therefore positive. It could (and does) make a curlew, lapwing or fly catcher’s nest successful, where it might otherwise not have been. If you consider the cumulative effect across the UK, it is of course important. 

As for Wild Injustice, they will attack us what ever we do, they don’t need an excuse and we shouldn’t offer them one either. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest
This topic is now closed to further replies.
 Share

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.

×
×
  • Create New...