Would it be ethical to offer to shoot the pigeon on our allotment ?

[rustylady]

Yes, even nicely trained racing pigeons need to eat. And if they land on your plot feeling peckish they will eat anything that isn't netted. I'm not happy about shooting, mainly because I've known quite a few idiots who go out and blast anything that flies and were also not very good shots. If you can guarantee a one shot kill, then I suppose it's OK but there are other ways of protecting your crops.

[pigletwillie]

We are not allowed to shoot on our site although permision would be a boon. Anything not netted gets scoffed by pigeons.

On a slightly different tack, I am out bunny murdering after work tommorow using a .22 rimfire rifle and subsonic rounds. Rest assured, by close of play on Saturday the bunnies will be in the freezer surrounded by a red wine sauce or a tomato and garlic one. Food for me and a problem removed from the golf course.

[Minty]

WOW. That one ruffled a few feathers. SORRY . Will put it to the chairman and let him decide, Thanks for all the imput. Minty X

[muckman]

I read an artical a few years ago that 24 milion flying rats are killed every year in the uk ( Thats shot, road kill poisend etc etc) thats a bloody lot of birds, and thers still plenty to go around.

Shoot and enjoy the damn things. They add a good taste to a game pie or three.

[Two_Sheds]

Yes, by all means shoot them for food or for pleasure.
Just don't pretend you're doing it as pest control, because it doesn't work.

BTW, we're still all friend

[Snadger]

Woodies are good tucka but I wouldn't eat a scemmie!

[jacob marley]

Hi i see you have trouble with the dreaded pigeon if you start wandering about on allotment site with a gun be very carefull some body will ring the old bill it always happens and with the climate as it is these days guns you will have the old bill crawling over your site and they don't bother where the crawl so be very carefull hope you sort the problem out Jacob

[bubblewrap]

Just a little ditty about getting rid of pigeons.


AN EVENING (WASTED) WITH TOM LEHRER
1. Poisoning Pigeons in the Park

I'd like to take you now on wings of song as it were, and try and help you forget, perhaps, for a while, your drab wretched lives. Here is a song all about springtime in general, and in particular about one of the many delightful pastimes that the coming of spring affords us all.

Spring is here, a-suh-puh-ring is here.
Life is skittles and life is beer.
I think the loveliest time of the year is the spring.
I do, don't you? 'Course you do.
But there's one thing that makes spring complete for me,
And makes every Sunday a treat for me.

All the world seems in tune
On a spring afternoon,
When we're poisoning pigeons in the park.
Every Sunday you'll see
My sweetheart and me,
As we poison the pigeons in the park.

When they see us coming, the birdies all try an' hide,
But they still go for peanuts when coated with cyanide.
The sun's shining bright,
Everything seems all right,
When we're poisoning pigeons in the park.

We've gained notoriety,
And caused much anxiety
In the Audubon Society
With our games.
They call it impiety
And lack of propriety,
And quite a variety
Of unpleasant names.
But it's not against any religion
To want to dispose of a pigeon.

So if Sunday you're free,
Why don't you come with me,
And we'll poison the pigeons in the park.
And maybe we'll do
In a squirrel* or two,
While we're poisoning pigeons in the park.

We'll murder them all amid laughter and merriment,
Except for the few we take home to experiment.
My pulse will be quickenin'
With each drop of strych'nine
We feed to a pigeon.
(It just takes a smidgin!)
To poison a pigeon in the park.





.

[George Gray]

Shooting Pigeons

To paraphrase John Wayne "The only good pigeon is a dead pigeon"!
it's legal to shoot wood pigeons as they are classified as a pest. The problem in our suburban area is that I suspect the neighbours would object. If its a rural allotment then I suspect it should be OK.
They need to be controlled as they are a breeding machine. They can breed all the year round if there is enough food.

[spinny]

Pigeons are quite easy to trap, so if you don't want to shoot them there are alternatives.

spinny

p.s. I just take the breasts off them - it's the only worthwhile bit of meat. Dice them up, roll in seasoned flour and fry with bacon and onion. Lovely....

[kirsty b]

Go for it Minty.

One of the old boys on a plot on the other side of the site does. He kills them cleanly, but the trouble is they fall where they can't be easily retrieved. Which is a bit of a bugger.

[yoanbob]

we have a lady over the road that feeds the damn things! but fortunalty she feeds them enough so they arnt a big problem for my veg, and as we are in the city they wouldnt be worth eating. but i wouldnt have a problem with you shooting them.

[matthew2riches]

i shoot loads. at the end of a shoot make sure you collect all the pigeons and either take them home, prepare them and freeze them or thake them to your game dealer.

they are classed as vermin and they are!!!

use a decent scoped rifle with some decent rounds and always take a headshot!

go for it and happy popping :-)

[greenfingers]

pigeons are a major pest on all allotments,i would shoot then if i could...as well

[Two_Sheds]

Apparently Wood Pigeons have increased dramatically since our farmers started growing Rapeseed ... it's a brassica (Brassica Napus), and pigeons love brassicas.
http://www.bto.org/gbw/PDFs/FocusOn/Focus_WOODP.pdf