First Blood

[sanmarcopizza 3]

Having moved further into the countryside I have gladly entered into more outdoor pursuits and have been shooting for about 2 months now. I have practiced religiously in the garden and have put about a thousand pellets into paper targets. It has always been my intention to try and get a permission, primarily to get some rabbits, which I like to eat. However after joining this and other forums and watching endless YouTube videos, the concept of shooting other vermin has entered my mind. We have been plagued by Jackdaws and they seem to have intimidated the song bird population locally and dominating the feeders. I was target shooting yesterday when one of the noisy beggars disturbed me. It's been probably 36 years since I pointed a loaded air rifle at a living creature and that ended in tears, mine, when I actually shot a sparrow through the neck and was horrified by my actions.

 

With this thought in mind, it took me a good 15 seconds with the Jackdaws head in my sight before I decided that I would have to make my first kill to pursue what has now become my favourite past time. My heart raced, even more so after the pellet was released and I heard the "puck" and watched the bird fall. I felt a mixed bag of emotion when I went to collect my quarry. Remorse, exhilaration, pride, fear. It's weird, but I felt the time was right after so much practice to put my plans in motion. Time to prepare my letters and visit some farmers I think.

 

 

Edited June 18, 2014 by sanmarcopizza

[WhiteRabbit 112]

You shot great pal, well done!

 

You will have mixed emotions because you're not used to hunting yet, you're still seeing these animals for innocent, living beings. Even if you are spending thousands of pellets on paper targets with pictures on or plinking targets with holes to shoot through, they're completely different things in practicality.

 

It'll soon become second nature and the more you read on here, YouTube and magazines about what these pest animals do and cost us humans in damage: be that crops, livestock, land or property. You'll see the justification and what little monsters they are.

 

If you don't, then there's no harm and we don't pressurise anyone into this sport or anything about it- you'll find things out for yourself and if you still like shooting but not killing, there's plenty of other things to get on with

 

I say keep up the good sport and enjoy it. It's a good skill to have once you know how to use a rifle.

 

White

[paulus 26]

question............why did you shoot the jackdaw, was it for crop protection, had all other methods and deterrents been tried

[Millet 4,497]

I personally don't see the point in shooting stuff for the fun of it especially in the breeding season..i know it's on the pest list but what harm do they really do.. let them rear there young first and if you feel the need to shoot anything that move's do it later on in the year..

[fireman 10,898]

It's a nest robbing jackdaw which like he says if you read it properly was causing trouble with the local song birds.Bloody good shooting in my book and carry on with the rest corvidville

[Millet 4,497]

If it was causing a problem then it must go.. ..but most of the folk and kid's out there just shoot anything that moves for the fun of it..

[paulus 26]

It's a nest robbing jackdaw which like he says if you read it properly was causing trouble with the local song birds.Bloody good shooting in my book and carry on with the rest corvidville

funny i though it said " I was target shooting yesterday when one of the noisy beggars disturbed me "

[Rimfireboy! 1,463]

Cheeky little chaps, them jackdaws. They don't cause me any problems personally, but they certainly can be a pest. The only corvid on general licence that I don't tend to shoot. Plenty around my house in fact, but as they haven't invaded my chimneys yet, they prefer my horse chestnut tree, I leave them to their business.

[j j m 6,539]

good shot

[ryanod90 17]

Nice to see you putting the work in practice first and I was the same when I started but once you get a permission it changes.