Okay to shoot now ? General Licence ?

[mark williams 7,563]

If I have this wrong, I`m sure you lads will put me right.

                After reading through a minefield of GL material does it say we can shoot under a general licence GL31 and GL 33 for Wood pigeons ?

                Also GL26 for Carrion Crows ?

                Magpies and Jays are protected just yet ?

                It does seem to stress - To " prevent serious damage to crops ", so the way I percieve this is that Johnny is walking his shoot and a wood pigeon flies past, or sat in a tree, you cannot shoot as no " serious crop damage" is occurring ?

                I also read that the new general licences took effect 3rd May until December 2019 ?

                Regards to decoying I would surmise that a stubble field has had the crop taken by the farmer and the pigeons are causing no damage so cannot be shot BUT if an adjoining field is still under crop then the decoys offer a very good way of control ?

 

                How on earth are they ever going to police this mess ?

 

                                                       Thanks for any feed back lads, I just need to here what's what in English.

 

                                                                                                           atb Mark.

[chrismdd 787]

Same thoughts here. Typical scenario round here towards the end of August weather turning unsettled and the farmers have a few fields cut. Wind and rain has battered patches down in fields yet to be cut and corvids and pigeons hammering these patches all over the fields. Surely decoying in a cut field next door will draw them away from the good crop, allow safe shooting and retrieval without the shooter or pigeon damaging any standing crops whilst the farmers wait fingers-crossed for a break in the weather so that the combine contractors they've booked can get on when there is a good break in the weather. Same with taking them from adjoining trees where safe shots can be taken. Also when working on a friends farm back in the 80's in the height of the summer I remember we set up rookies in an old milk churn on one field whilst we used the shotguns on another. It was only by chance with the wind travelling in our direction that we realised a stray rookie at had exploded out of the churn and caught the crop alight. Luckily we managed to get it under control and his dad never knew thankfully.

[si brown 8,486]

there are that many holes in the new licence that you could get away with anything if your up to fighting for it!

there are ways and means its how you word your approach..  the only reason im not shooting birds at the moment is that there not wrecking any crops that I shoot over!

this lad gives a good break down of things at the moment its only a day old

 

[bigmac 97kt 13,813]

If it says you can only shoot the crows on fields

where do you stand with the new born lambs

Iv got a few sheep farms and i cant understand where i stand on shooting them

crows are not a stupid bird but very intelligent so they do not scare easily

Lambing season is upon us and the new born are at risk what am i to do

this is a fecking mess

some one wants to put f**k face in a sheep's wool coat tie him down and let the crows on him see how he likes it

the f***ing wanker

atvbjimmy

PS,,sorry for my language but its the way i feel 

 

[chrismdd 787]

  On 18/05/2019 at 08:08, si brown said:

there are that many holes in the new licence that you could get away with anything if your up to fighting for it!

there are ways and means its how you word your approach..  the only reason im not shooting birds at the moment is that there not wrecking any crops that I shoot over!

this lad gives a good break down of things at the moment its only a day old

 

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Maybe should of replaced the racing pigeons with proper images of woodies

[j j m 6,563]

its a total farce

[walshie 2,804]

  On 18/05/2019 at 07:38, mark williams said:

                It does seem to stress - To " prevent serious damage to crops ", so the way I percieve this is that Johnny is walking his shoot and a wood pigeon flies past, or sat in a tree, you cannot shoot as no " serious crop damage" is occurring ?

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Hi Mark, long time no speak.

The GL in England is a mess. I doubt anyone has a grip on what it exactly means including the people who wrote it. The part above though is no different from the old GL. Just because a pigeon may have eaten crops,  or is likely to eat crops, isn't and never has been good reason to shoot them. I don't suppose it was ever enforced before, but I'm sure they will try to make an example of at least one person now they've gone to all the trouble of making the GL even more confusing.

Even if they are actually attacking crops at the time, the non-lethal methods (nets, scarecrows, bangers etc.) have to have been tried and proved not to have worked before shooting meets the terms of the GL. It's a joke. 

Meanwhile, we had a magpie go into our old chicken coop yesterday and kill a baby blackbird. Having exhausted other methods of deterring said magpie, I am lying in wait with my 22lr to show it who's boss. But I live in Wales and the GL is the same as it always was.

 

[philpot 5,037]

Having spoken to BASC at Northern Shooting Show at the weekend, the ONLY totally safe way to shoot birds at the moment is by taking out an individual license which is taking approx one week but you will need to do one for every perm showing map references etc. At the moment Mark, unless you can SHOW EVIDENCE TO PROVE THAT ALL MEANS TO DETER THE BIRDS FROM THE CROP IS DONE, NO YOU CANNOT SHOOT THEM. It is a farce and I doubt if anybody at DEFRA, British Government generally, Natural England or even Wild Justice has any real idea of what can be done or not done. 

As I see it, there will be too many WJ followers ready to report anyone out with a gun. On some of my perms where peas are drilled, I could be seen from roads or public footpaths so I will not be shooting any birds until this mess is sorted nor will I be applying for a individual license either.

Phil

[mattwhite 1,993]

Its all a very poorly thought out farce of a licence thats been rushed because of the stupidity of the whole revoking of the original.

In my opinion, carry on and say nowt.

[Deker 3,478]

  On 18/05/2019 at 16:01, mattwhite said:

Its all a very poorly thought out farce of a licence thats been rushed because of the stupidity of the whole revoking of the original.

In my opinion, carry on and say nowt.

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Your opinion about potentially breaking the law should be kept to yourself and not broadcast on a public forum, that does the shooting community no favours!

[mattwhite 1,993]

  On 18/05/2019 at 16:21, Deker said:

Your opinion about potentially breaking the law should be kept to yourself and not broadcast on a public forum, that does the shooting community no favours!

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Yes i see your point Deker you are correct but lets have it right, its all about common sense and subtlety. And we seem to be the only ones that are being persecuted for our common sense pal.

[si brown 8,486]

  On 18/05/2019 at 17:35, mattwhite said:

Yes i see your point Deker you are correct but lets have it right, its all about common sense and subtlety. And we seem to be the only ones that are being persecuted for our common sense pal.

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There is no common sense in this cobbled together load of shite Matt....

these tosssers don’t give a shit about the impact on agriculture/livestock or the gun trade

you made a good call moving to wales

Ill be coming to visit you soon, got a load of scrap shotguns

[mattwhite 1,993]

  On 18/05/2019 at 18:00, si brown said:

There is no common sense in this cobbled together load of shite Matt....

these tosssers don’t give a shit about the impact on agriculture/livestock or the gun trade

you made a good call moving to wales

Ill be coming to visit you soon, got a load of scrap shotguns

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Youll be more than welcome anytime pal

[Jonjon79 13,358]

  On 18/05/2019 at 07:38, mark williams said:

If I have this wrong, I`m sure you lads will put me right.

                After reading through a minefield of GL material does it say we can shoot under a general licence GL31 and GL 33 for Wood pigeons ?

                Also GL26 for Carrion Crows ?

                Magpies and Jays are protected just yet ?

                It does seem to stress - To " prevent serious damage to crops ", so the way I percieve this is that Johnny is walking his shoot and a wood pigeon flies past, or sat in a tree, you cannot shoot as no " serious crop damage" is occurring ?

                I also read that the new general licences took effect 3rd May until December 2019 ?

                Regards to decoying I would surmise that a stubble field has had the crop taken by the farmer and the pigeons are causing no damage so cannot be shot BUT if an adjoining field is still under crop then the decoys offer a very good way of control ?

 

                How on earth are they ever going to police this mess ?

 

                                                       Thanks for any feed back lads, I just need to here what's what in English.

 

                                                                                                           atb Mark.

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You've answered your own question right there mate

[Deker 3,478]

  On 18/05/2019 at 09:03, walshie said:

Hi Mark, long time no speak.

The GL in England is a mess. I doubt anyone has a grip on what it exactly means including the people who wrote it. The part above though is no different from the old GL. Just because a pigeon may have eaten crops,  or is likely to eat crops, isn't and never has been good reason to shoot them. I don't suppose it was ever enforced before, but I'm sure they will try to make an example of at least one person now they've gone to all the trouble of making the GL even more confusing.

Even if they are actually attacking crops at the time, the non-lethal methods (nets, scarecrows, bangers etc.) have to have been tried and proved not to have worked before shooting meets the terms of the GL. It's a joke. 

Meanwhile, we had a magpie go into our old chicken coop yesterday and kill a baby blackbird. Having exhausted other methods of deterring said magpie, I am lying in wait with my 22lr to show it who's boss. But I live in Wales and the GL is the same as it always was.

 

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I'm pretty confident when (IF) England ever get them right, Wales and Scotland will follow pretty sharpish!