Branchers

[ladyjack]

Does anyone know what happened to all the crows,no branchers this year and hardly any crows around Newcastle 

[ditchman]

do you mean rooks ..rather than crows ?

[ladyjack]

Yes

[Weihrauch17]

Branchers are generally out the 2nd week in May.

[jall25]

As above far too early yet

 

[ladyjack]

28 minutes ago, jall25 said:

As above far too early yet

 

Ok thanks guys 

[oldypigeonpopper]

Be careful on this , rook shooting like this or pigeon roosting, what are the GL rules

[ladyjack]

3 minutes ago, oldypigeonpopper said:

Be careful on this , rook shooting like this or pigeon roosting, what are the GL rules

Didn't know there were rules on shooting branchers 

[oldypigeonpopper]

1 minute ago, ladyjack said:

Didn't know there were rules on shooting branchers 

Hello, I think if they are on a crop like fresh drilled peas it's ok but not as a culling shoot, 

[mossy835]

yes i dont know if you can shoot branches,some one told me you cant,

[oowee]

There are literally hundreds if not 1000's of rooks, crows and jackdaws on some of the dairy farms here. Me and upto two mates have been shooting some places two or three times a week. Never seen so many. 

I was once told a crow in a crowd is a rook a rook on its own is a crow. Here they have never heard the expression the crows are going around in groups of 4 or 5. The farms are feeding maize in the open and the corvids are all over the place. Fortunately the starling hordes have left. 

[ladyjack]

2 minutes ago, oowee said:

There are literally hundreds if not 1000's of rooks, crows and jackdaws on some of the dairy farms here. Me and upto two mates have been shooting some places two or three times a week. Never seen so many. 

I was once told a crow in a crowd is a rook a rook on its own is a crow. Here they have never heard the expression the crows are going around in groups of 4 or 5. The farms are feeding maize in the open and the corvids are all over the place. Fortunately the starling hordes have left. 

I thought you could still corvids and branchers,if the farmer wants me to shoot branchers then I'll shoot them, got to keep him happy 

[jall25]

9 minutes ago, oowee said:

There are literally hundreds if not 1000's of rooks, crows and jackdaws on some of the dairy farms here. Me and upto two mates have been shooting some places two or three times a week. Never seen so many. 

I was once told a crow in a crowd is a rook a rook on its own is a crow. Here they have never heard the expression the crows are going around in groups of 4 or 5. The farms are feeding maize in the open and the corvids are all over the place. Fortunately the starling hordes have left. 

Same here on a dairy farm - we are shooting 30/40 a time - but crows not rooks 

The flocks of crows is unbelievable and to watch them combing the fields now for Curlew and Lapwing shocking - but had circa 120/130 the last few weeks and back again on Sunday - all day hopefully for a good session !

[oowee]

Just now, jall25 said:

Same here on a dairy farm - we are shooting 30/40 a time - but crows not rooks 

The flocks of crows is unbelievable and to watch them combing the fields now for Curlew and Lapwing shocking - but had circa 120/130 the last few weeks and back again on Sunday - all day hopefully for a good session !

I had mates sitting in the farm yard and I was out with the HMR sitting in a wood. On another farm I am sitting in a lean too and shoot just those going past the door. Also dawn raids and evening flights. Lots of variety and you need to keep trying new ways to get at them. 

They are great sport. Some here wont shoot them. I need all the practice i can get before my trip. 

I do get a bit fed up of cleaning carp of everything some of these places are dripping. Dog comes back green on occasion. 😁

[jall25]

52 minutes ago, oowee said:

I had mates sitting in the farm yard and I was out with the HMR sitting in a wood. On another farm I am sitting in a lean too and shoot just those going past the door. Also dawn raids and evening flights. Lots of variety and you need to keep trying new ways to get at them. 

They are great sport. Some here wont shoot them. I need all the practice i can get before my trip. 

I do get a bit fed up of cleaning carp of everything some of these places are dripping. Dog comes back green on occasion. 😁

Im a bit funny about shooting them - i would rather shoot a crow i think than anything else 

I almost see it as all sportsmen and countrymen's obligation to give something back to nature by clearing out these predators. 

Yes - you are right though about the muck - my disco is currently having surgery so im in the wifes nearly new Jimny ! She is ok about it ....................ISH

[marsh man]

Some interesting points brought up in the above thread , I no longer shoot Rooks or branchers and when I did the GL was never mentioned and I wasn't sure it even existed , now we are in a tottally different era , as far as I am aware the G L is reviewed every 2 or 3 years ans I am sure we will hear about any changes , but what is the present ruling about shooting young Rooks ( branchers ) and hands up with how many people know what is exactly the rules to be within the law 

If anyone do take part it is up to them to know what is what with the rules   as if you were stopped by the law for getting it wrong  it wouldn't hold up in court if you said , I persumed it was alright , and be aware it vary in Wales , Scotland and England   MM

[oowee]

12 minutes ago, marsh man said:

Some interesting points brought up in the above thread , I no longer shoot Rooks or branchers and when I did the GL was never mentioned and I wasn't sure it even existed , now we are in a tottally different era , as far as I am aware the G L is reviewed every 2 or 3 years ans I am sure we will hear about any changes , but what is the present ruling about shooting young Rooks ( branchers ) and hands up with how many people know what is exactly the rules to be within the law 

If anyone do take part it is up to them to know what is what with the rules   as if you were stopped by the law for getting it wrong  it wouldn't hold up in court if you said , I persumed it was alright , and be aware it vary in Wales , Scotland and England   MM

GL 42 to stop serious damage to live stock or livestock food, crops and veg. (rook crow and jackdaw plus ) No alternative options are clear when you see the numbers. Branchers are tomorrows problem that you can reduce today. As soon as they are fledged they will be in the yard. 

[Scully]

29 minutes ago, oowee said:

GL 42 to stop serious damage to live stock or livestock food, crops and veg. (rook crow and jackdaw plus ) No alternative options are clear when you see the numbers. Branchers are tomorrows problem that you can reduce today. As soon as they are fledged they will be in the yard. 

This. I no longer shoot branchers, but when I did you could really clean up and reduce numbers drastically. Farmers wives don’t like their fresh laundry covered in poop! 

[ladyjack]

49 minutes ago, oowee said:

GL 42 to stop serious damage to live stock or livestock food, crops and veg. (rook crow and jackdaw plus ) No alternative options are clear when you see the numbers. Branchers are tomorrows problem that you can reduce today. As soon as they are fledged they will be in the yard. 

My thought exactly, thanks 

[Rat Boy]

Went out tonight and got quite a few. The rest will be gone in a week.

[Centrepin]

English rules:

Welsh and Scottish are able in similar format on the BASC website. 

[Mice!]

On 26/04/2023 at 19:33, oowee said:

GL 42 to stop serious damage to live stock or livestock food, crops and veg. (rook crow and jackdaw plus ) No alternative options are clear when you see the numbers. Branchers are tomorrows problem that you can reduce today. As soon as they are fledged they will be in the yard. 

That may well be, but if you did get caught shooting branchers you wouldn't have a leg to stand on, in the farm yard is totally different. 

On 26/04/2023 at 15:11, ladyjack said:

Didn't know there were rules on shooting branchers 

There are rules on shooting anything,  especially birds, you might want to read up on them, it's things like this that give the antis the ammunition they need.

[oowee]

11 hours ago, Mice! said:

That may well be, but if you did get caught shooting branchers you wouldn't have a leg to stand on, in the farm yard is totally different. 

There are rules on shooting anything,  especially birds, you might want to read up on them, it's things like this that give the antis the ammunition they need.

Why would that be. Shooting them is stopping serious damage. The rules are clear that you do not have to wait for the damage to occur. Hence the rule on destroying eggs and nests. 

[marsh man]

22 minutes ago, oowee said:

Why would that be. Shooting them is stopping serious damage. The rules are clear that you do not have to wait for the damage to occur. Hence the rule on destroying eggs and nests. 

I can see in the not to distant future we will see a test case brought to court , we know there are antis everywhere and sooner or later someone will be charged with breaching the rules , at one time ,which maybe is still in force was you had to try non leathal methods on a crop field before you resorted to decoying , stubbles are still a Grey area as t b h who do there best to put gas guns and anything else to keep them off after we have been waiting a while for the crop to come off so we can get some ( easy ) shooting . yes I know we still call it prevention , if we shoot them now they are not going on a crop at a later date , I am not sure how it would stand up in court , if you had to try all the non leathal methods first before you resorted to shooting young Rooks that were sitting on a branch before they could fly , 

 

[Mice!]

48 minutes ago, oowee said:

Why would that be. Shooting them is stopping serious damage. The rules are clear that you do not have to wait for the damage to occur. Hence the rule on destroying eggs and nests. 

I'd say this was a massive grey area, your shooting birds that can't fly, so aren't causing any damage,  but could do once they fledged. 

And the rule is there on eggs and nests, but other than geese I doubt it gets used on anything else,  I don't think anyone can touch gull eggs anymore?