Woodpigeon: pest or a quarry species?

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I think we should only allow pigeon shooting between the hours of 14:00 - 16:00 on the last Thursday of each month between October and January, in odd numbered years.
 
Buckaroo8 said:
I think we should only allow pigeon shooting between the hours of 14:00 - 16:00 on the last Thursday of each month between October and January, in odd numbered years.
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With no6 lead shot and wearing a basque having had the approved training, naturally.
 
The idea of having both the Woodpigeon on a ‘sport’ quarry list (for want of a better description) with a closed season, whilst also at the same time on the General license, with no close season, has great merit. There are some very grey areas currently, ie shooting Woodpigeon on game drives or roost shooting away from arable fields, which have yet to be tested in court. Adding it to a sporting quarry list would remove most of these grey areas.

After all the Canada Goose is on both types of quarry list.
 
Be getting charged £15 a bird to shoot them next and being asked if you wish to take a brace home.
Will of course be stopping half way through proceedings for a spot of lunch and a few drams.
Any one produced ANY scientific evidence on this bollix idea ????
 
StephenToast said:
Not in this case. total bollocks.
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Maybe, but by not having an open season you are relying on the terms of the general license NOT being enforced.
For example, shooting pigeons over stubble is not acceptable, birds on stubble are not causing damage , neither is roost shooting or flighting or taking pigeons flushed during a driven shoot. The use of decoys to lure birds into a kill zone may not be legal.
The only justification for shooting pigeons under your general license is to prevent damage and the onus is on you or the landowner to demonstrate that shooting is the only way that the damage can be prevented.
If you have an open season, a sensible one, say from September through to the end of March, you can bang away during the season and rely on the general licence for the remainder of the year.
I suspect that this is why BASC has raised the issue.
 
dunwater said:
Maybe, but by not having an open season you are relying on the terms of the general license NOT being enforced.
For example, shooting pigeons over stubble is not acceptable, birds on stubble are not causing damage , neither is roost shooting or flighting or taking pigeons flushed during a driven shoot. The use of decoys to lure birds into a kill zone may not be legal.
The only justification for shooting pigeons under your general license is to prevent damage and the onus is on you or the landowner to demonstrate that shooting is the only way that the damage can be prevented.
If you have an open season, a sensible one, say from September through to the end of March, you can bang away during the season and rely on the general licence for the remainder of the year.
I suspect that this is why BASC has raised the issue.
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I've got no problem wirh BASC's proposal. My problem was withe the stupid suggestion that our season shiuld align with Danemark.
 
BenBhoy said:
If something ain't broke.....

Sure BASC has plenty of issues to focus on (lead anyone?) already without needing to make up new ones.
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its already broke, thanks to Mr Packham - please explain, under the current general licence how I can roost shoot when I have no crops to protect and have tried any non lethal methods yet?
 
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What most forget is that pigeons migrate.

What breeds here in the spring and summer migrates southwards, and the majority of the overwintering flocks will come from Scandinavia.

I find the whole view of treating wild birds and animals as just pests to exterminated pretty distasteful and unhelpful. It’s the same attitude that has resulted in many, many species going extinct.

Many species do gather in large flocks, herds etc. Go to the Bass Rock in the Forth Estuary. It is swarming with Gannets. The SD mentality seems that because its swarming with Gannets there are millions of them so they all must be shot.

However Bass Rock represents a large proportion of the European population.
 
Heym SR20 said:
What most forget is that pigeons migrate.

What breeds here in the spring and summer migrates southwards, and the majority of the overwintering flocks will come from Scandinavia.

I find the whole view of treating wild birds and animals as just pests to exterminated pretty distasteful and unhelpful. It’s the same attitude that has resulted in many, many species going extinct.

Many species do gather in large flocks, herds etc. Go to the Bass Rock in the Forth Estuary. It is swarming with Gannets. The SD mentality seems that because its swarming with Gannets there are millions of them so they all must be shot.

However Bass Rock represents a large proportion of the European population.
Click to expand...

So why do we treat wild deer like pests? to be shot just because they are increasing in numbers? likely due to the damage they do which is the same as wood pigeons.
 
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