Author Topic: An unfortunate side effect of restrictions on walking?  (Read 5588 times)

ninthace

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Re: An unfortunate side effect of restrictions on walking?
« Reply #30 on: 18:08:39, 17/05/20 »

In my experience, pheasants don't think much at all.
If they could they would arm themselves and organise.  At least it would make it a fairer contest with the shooting fraternity.
At present. on the one side we have the unarmed bird, on the other the prat with a shotgun.  It is a battle of equal minds, that is why they have to panic the birds with beaters, to give the prat with a gun a chance of winning.
Solvitur Ambulando

WhitstableDave

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Re: An unfortunate side effect of restrictions on walking?
« Reply #31 on: 18:26:01, 17/05/20 »
If they could they would arm themselves and organise.  At least it would make it a fairer contest with the shooting fraternity.
At present. on the one side we have the unarmed bird, on the other the prat with a shotgun.  It is a battle of equal minds, that is why they have to panic the birds with beaters, to give the prat with a gun a chance of winning.

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Jac

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Re: An unfortunate side effect of restrictions on walking?
« Reply #32 on: 19:25:23, 17/05/20 »
Plenty of fallow deer in the forestry on the Haldon Hills just south of Exeter.

My Citroen was also written off when one decided to cross the A380 in the evening rush hour.  Not nice but at least killed outright.
So many paths yet to walk, so little time left

myxpyr

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Re: An unfortunate side effect of restrictions on walking?
« Reply #33 on: 19:30:56, 17/05/20 »
on the other the prat with a shotgun.
Do you mind? I shoot for the pot and I would far rather  enjoy a low fat pheasant casserole of my own making than a Tesco chicken that has been pumped full of god knows what

Bigfoot_Mike

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Re: An unfortunate side effect of restrictions on walking?
« Reply #34 on: 19:39:40, 17/05/20 »
If pheasants are bred to be shot, then one would not really be shooting for the pot. It would be far simpler to send the pheasants to the abattoir.

ninthace

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Re: An unfortunate side effect of restrictions on walking?
« Reply #35 on: 20:22:20, 17/05/20 »
Do you mind? I shoot for the pot and I would far rather  enjoy a low fat pheasant casserole of my own making than a Tesco chicken that has been pumped full of god knows what
I had a pheasant fly into the window once, I brought it inside with the idea of cooking it and a fair part of it decided it was of no further use and crawled or hopped away to find a new host - kind of put me off.
I presume if you shoot for the pot than you do not regard it as a sport, do not shoot driven birds and stop after one?
Solvitur Ambulando

SteamyTea

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Re: An unfortunate side effect of restrictions on walking?
« Reply #36 on: 21:00:18, 17/05/20 »
I have hit two Buzzards.  One flew across the A30 near Redruth, hit the windshield and shot off behind me.
The other one was on the road to Helston.  If flew into the side window, which was half open.  Left me a lap full of feathers and wing bits.
Have hit badgers, foxes, muntjacs, pheasants and pigeons. Country boy me.
Oh and a goat.


Had a large Alsatian run into the side of my car when I was parked up.  Bent the door.
Been headbutted by a few cows.


I never seem to get seagulls though, but they still manage to make a mess of the car.
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Dyffryn Ardudwy

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Re: An unfortunate side effect of restrictions on walking?
« Reply #37 on: 16:57:41, 26/05/20 »
The field sports lobby, here in the Uk, is almost as powerful as the Gun lobby in the states.
Its always been the case, since the 16C onwards, that the money and influence in this country, is held by the wealthy landowners, who still cling onto their archaic practices, such as grouse shooting, and other so called activities of so called pleasure.

Two characters that really stand out as culprits in the power wealed by the field sports lobby, are the Dukes of Sutherland and Duke of Buccleuh.

In total, they own close to half a million acres of Scotlands wildest moorland, areas frequented by the Marsh & Hen Harriers.

Any thought of the illegal poisoning of beautiful birds of prey, fills me with anger, but until outdated Victorian practices of shooting game birds for so called sport and enjoyment, comes to an end, illegal poisoning will continue

Bigfoot_Mike

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Re: An unfortunate side effect of restrictions on walking?
« Reply #38 on: 22:56:31, 26/05/20 »
A few years ago many red kites and buzzards were killed on the Black Isle - over 20 dead birds of prey in a very short period. I suspect the culprits were never caught.

barewirewalker

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Re: An unfortunate side effect of restrictions on walking?
« Reply #39 on: 10:42:13, 27/05/20 »
Although I have never hidden my disrespect for the landowner and its lobby group on this forum, I have been the victim of the RSPB's biased use of power and their flawed investigation procedures. Allowing prejudice to tip opinion is always dangerous.


An old farmer on the coastal uplands of Mid Wales gave me a perfect example of this. Widespread deaths of Red Kites had immediately got the RSPB into a frenzy of accusing farmers of poisoning and a number of prosecutions were underway. Until someone got the low down on the DEFRA postmortems on the dead birds. The true reason was malnutrition, but there may have been a bit of a local cover up, because over zealous clean up and prosecuting local farmers for not locating and burying dead livestock had denied the over spill of a well fed population in the southern Elland Valley a food source.

2 days in magistrates court and 3 days in Crown court left me on the verge of PTSD, by the time I heard of these events my sympathy went out to those caught up in the vice of do goodism and corrupt bureaucracy. As much as I dislike those kill who rare birds, I now tread warily, knee jerk reaction helps lazy investigators.
« Last Edit: 10:48:26, 27/05/20 by barewirewalker »
BWW
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ninthace

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Re: An unfortunate side effect of restrictions on walking?
« Reply #40 on: 11:42:22, 27/05/20 »
We had a problem in the Pyrenees with vultures killing livestock.  The problem was a similar issue of insufficient carrion.  Previously farmers had left dead stock where it fell but some new rule meant they had to remove the carcasses.  The vultures took the line "Patience be blowed, I'm going to kill something".  They started creeping up behind cows and horses, especially young ones, and pecking at the veins in their legs.  They kept it up until eventually the animal bled out.  The farmers then started to campaign to kill the vultures but eventually someone worked out why and order was restored.  It's called ecology - disturb the balance of nature and nature will find a way of sorting things out - you may not like the way it does it.
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barewirewalker

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Re: An unfortunate side effect of restrictions on walking?
« Reply #41 on: 09:52:54, 28/05/20 »
Interesting example that fits the corollary underlying both. Perhaps the grief of court proceedings were not inflicted so flagrantly in the Pyrenees.
BWW
Their Land is in Our Country.

Jac

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Re: An unfortunate side effect of restrictions on walking?
« Reply #42 on: 10:12:15, 28/05/20 »
Interesting.

I've often wondered about the wisdom of re-introducing species to an environment which has changed so drastically since they were commonly resident.
So many paths yet to walk, so little time left

barewirewalker

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Re: An unfortunate side effect of restrictions on walking?
« Reply #43 on: 11:06:18, 28/05/20 »
Yet the greatest trouble so often comes from the organizations and enthusiasts involved in these projects.
BWW
Their Land is in Our Country.

 

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