Bear Grylls. Born survivor. I'll eat anything me...


It's a point of view. And it depends on the type of person you are and what you like to do in your spare time. The 'post-apocalyptic' scenario is difficult to take seriously (until it happens) but if you like to travel extensively to far flung outposts it can be handy to know how to take care of yourself and it can be a handy skill to have.

But if your idea of a good time is sitting down in front of the TV with a knitting pattern I doubt that you'll be persuaded... (Just don't come running to Northender for some pheasant for the family when the Apocalypse DOES happen....)



Different strokes for different folks....
Where do you stand on coarse fishing biker1? It's kind of a MAJOR participatory sport in this country. Hooking, landing, photographing and returning a dirty great Carp specimen in your eyes I imagine is illogical but for a sport fisherman it's a pleasurable way to spend many hours of your life. From the carp's perspective with a hook in his bottom lip he might I suspect be 'anti-fishing'


It's better than darts...

Meanwhile the anti-shooting group think it's some sort of 'fox-in-a-chicken-house' frenzy of killing every time a shoot takes place....

But your question needs clarification and caveats. Define 'things'.
Different answers to different 'things'.

Rats, foxes, badgers, pigeons, crows? (Vermin or problem-causers so yes)
Deer, pheasant, game (Left to rot? No... Into the pot? Yes....)
Dogs walking with their owners? No.... Dogs attacking herd of prize cows? Yes (My father shot and killed one and wounded another and got into a bit of bother with some townies years ago until sense was restored by the local police up in Scotland...)

The truth is that some people shoot and enjoy the skill of bringing off a good clean kill whilst the people who don't fall into that camp find it simply incomprehensible and now amount of explanation will change that. To me it's like Eastenders or football, both of them a complete mystery.

Did you.

Key here is "for fun", not the thing itself. Why would you need to kill anything for fun?

Perhaps the definition of townie should also be reconsidered, I know many townies that go on shoots, and many country folk, like me, who just can't see the fun in it. I would imagine that pro-shooting-things-for-fun brigade are in a considerable minority.

NWN to be supporting it is perhaps is just a sign of where their funding comes from rather than the community they should represent.

Hate it!



In context, one of the weirdest comments I've heard on this forum!

But they don't do they as confirmed by Andrew Davis's column?

What's wrong with bird scarers? I used to hear them quite a lot, but I can't say I have recently. Is that because it's more fun to shoot them, than just frighten them away?

Bird scarers everywhere, irritating those living nearby and preventing pigeons, and other birds, from feeding. Every field must have one - to scare away the birds scared away from the field next door. So pigeons etc starve to death. Great idea - though I suspect a starving bird would have to ignore them and hence would soon learn that they aren't a threat.

PS I don't want them scared into my garden, we get too many of the pests already. Nor do I want a bird scarer in the garden - most other species are welcome.

I guess that some times you just gotta thin the little buggers out a bit.

Well a few more were thinned out today. 2 guns = 63 pigeons. Just another few million to go.

Over decoys?

Yes.

I like real pigeons. They are one of the most intelligent birds I understand. The problem with shooting is that it is indiscriminate, so 'good' stock will be killed off as well as the weak.

I don't thnk that argument holds, considering how many there are.

What do you mean? The argument about shooting holds regardless of the prey.

so 'good' stock will be killed off as well as the weak.

Given they are vermin, the farmer isn't being particularly efficient in not keeping numbers under control in the first place? After all, most towns would be over run with rats unless active steps are taken to keep numbers down.

I am genuinely interested to hear how this activity gives you pleasure.
Can you elaborate please and I am not interested in the argument that they need controlling, I accept that, just the pleasure gained from killing animals.
Thanks.

Guidelines

Currently the shooting of woodpigeon is controlled by general licences issued by Natural England for England, Welsh Assembly Government for Wales, Scottish Government for Scotland and in Northern Ireland by the NI Environment Agency (NIEA). No individual application is required for any licence; however in Scotland you are legally obliged to have read and understood the licence relevant to your shooting.

The general licences authorise shooting for specific purposes such as: preventing serious damage to crops, vegetables, fruit and foodstuffs for livestock, and for the purpose of preserving public health or public safety. It is important that any shooting complies fully with the terms and conditions of each general licence.

In Britain the shooting of collared dove (Streptopelia decaocto) and the feral pigeon (descended from Columba livia) is also permitted all year round. The stock dove (Columba oenas), rock dove (Columba livia) and turtle dove (Streptopelia turtur) are all protected species and may not be shot at any time. In Northern Ireland all doves are protected at all times and woodpigeon and feral pigeon are listed on the general licences but these cannot be shot at night or on Sundays. On the Isle of Man the woodpigeon can be shot under the terms and conditions of their general licence for the prevention of damage and disease only, the feral pigeon for public health and public safety and the turtle dove is fully protected.
The stock dove is often mistakenly called the ‘blue rock’ and great care must be taken as these birds often fly with woodpigeons and feral pigeons and come readily to decoys.

The feral pigeon is descended from the rock dove (which is usually only found on western coasts), and is often seen close to urban areas and feeding in flocks close to farm buildings.

Note: wild-living, former racing and homing pigeons often fly with feral pigeons but these birds are strictly protected as they are still regarded as the property of their original owner. While they normally have leg rings to show their ownership, identification in the field can be difficult so, if in doubt, do not shoot.

I'm sure Northender will have no difficulty in telling us how he is able to tell these birds apart.