[Aled]

Bit of amusement for you all: Due to an icy road this morning (i fell twice) my dog did not get his usual long walk this morning....so i took him out for a long walk at lunchtime after a thaw, walking on the road past the woodland which we shoot, my dog suddenly shot in through a gap in the hedge, and flushed a woodcock beautifully over me....of course my gun is at home in the cabinet!!

 

[chriswjx]

 

[Aled]

Heading out to the river tomorrow hoping for some ducks.

 

[MCXFisher]

Wonderful day’s shooting today on the east edge of the Moors behind Whitby. Superb birds, really challenging, great company and craic, tough weather. Plenty of woodcock but chose not to shoot them. Big smiles.

 

[Aled]

Headed down the river, with some new pals and a couple of older ones. Had a few opportunities and missed a sitter, Celt however did have his moment of glory, and did his first ever river retrieve for my mates duck. I also think a penny dropped with regards to what happens on a duck flight as he sat and waited and watched well.

 

[ibm59]

Just in case you missed it.

Petition: Limit the shooting season of Woodcock

Mark Avery , Chris Packham and Ruth Tingay (Wild Justice) want the opening of the Woodcock shooting season to be pushed back to 1 December. 160,000 Woodcock are shot for fun across the UK whilst their population is declining. The Defra Secretary of State has powers to vary the shooting season.

petition.parliament.uk

You can find this on Facebook.

 

[mows]

Just in case you missed it.

Petition: Limit the shooting season of Woodcock

Mark Avery , Chris Packham and Ruth Tingay (Wild Justice) want the opening of the Woodcock shooting season to be pushed back to 1 December. 160,000 Woodcock are shot for fun across the UK whilst their population is declining. The Defra Secretary of State has powers to vary the shooting season.

petition.parliament.uk

Ive seen more woodcock this winter than ive seen for a good while.

 

[ozzyian]

Might get into shooting, I can't think of anything more rewarding than the satisfaction of having Packham thinking I have contributed to 160,000 birds shot 'for fun' It must drive him up the wall

 

[mows]

Might get into shooting, I can't think of anything more rewarding than the satisfaction of having Packham thinking I have contributed to 160,000 birds shot 'for fun' It must drive him up the wall

I find it hard to believe theres anywhere near that number shot.
If there is, then they cant be that scarce!

 

[ozzyian]

If they are all doing what Aled is doing there must be a lot more shooters than I thought

 

[Aled]

Middle ground response from me, i would lose no sleep at all if the shooting season for Woodcock opened on the 1st of November, rather than October the 1st as it is at the moment.

 

[Loxie]

Middle ground response from me, i would lose no sleep at all if the shooting season for Woodcock opened on the 1st of November, rather than October the 1st as it is at the moment.

I think it is dangerous to use a statute to change sporting seasons. In the current political climate its only going to go one way. Far far better to regulate by voluntary measures. I dont know of any woodcock shoots that shoot in October, or November for that matter. Most pheasant shoots don't allow Woodcock to be shot anyway. The idea that 160,000 woodcock are shot in the UK is just another Packham lie. There isnt even a grain of truth in that number and he knows it but so much of his campaign of bigotry and hatred is based on lies this isnt a surprise.

Currently Woodcock are a globally very common bird but sadly the UK breeding population is in decline, but this is in no way connected to shooting. After the start of December the vast majority of Woodcock seen in the UK are migrants and so for the last few seasons all the major shooting and conservation organisations have recommended no woodcock shooting before December. This seems to have been pretty much universally accepted in principle. The reasons Packham is campaigning for a change in season are largely about his own desperate need for self aggrandising publicity and his ongoing hatred of normal people who enjoy hunting and fishing.

 

[chriswjx]

I think it is dangerous to use a statute to change sporting seasons. In the current political climate its only going to go one way. Far far better to regulate by voluntary measures. I dont know of any woodcock shoots that shoot in October, or November for that matter. Most pheasant shoots don't allow Woodcock to be shot anyway. The idea that 160,000 woodcock are shot in the UK is just another Packham lie. There isnt even a grain of truth in that number and he knows it but so much of his campaign of bigotry and hatred is based on lies this isnt a surprise.

Currently Woodcock are a globally very common bird but sadly the UK breeding population is in decline, but this is in no way connected to shooting. After the start of December the vast majority of Woodcock seen in the UK are migrants and so for the last few seasons all the major shooting and conservation organisations have recommended no woodcock shooting before December. This seems to have been pretty much universally accepted in principle. The reasons Packham is campaigning for a change in season are largely about his own desperate need for self aggrandising publicity and his ongoing hatred of normal people who enjoy hunting and fishing.

So dug around a bit (as I have yet to try game shooting, so no prior knowledge or experience). The 160,000 apparently comes from GWCT's "studies" on it. An article on ShootingUK would suggest that a more accurate number would be 70,000-100,000, and as you say, the majority (if not all) being shot in December. This ties in with what I've seen off Facebook, where most of the shooting respondents concur.

Indeed, some sentiment, as with Aled, that the petition doesn't really matter, as it's considered irrelevant. However, typing that all out has let me think that it's perfect fodder for further restriction on woodcock shooting. They'll push the season forward to December (For Aled, not November - though don't know if your's was a typo ), and report that there is still 100k+ bird being shot and therefore further stops are required...

 

[Aled]

Good points both and i see exactly where you are coming from, November was not a typo as most years (well they used to anyway) migrant Woodcock seem to arrive here in my part of Wales about the middle of November, and i personally would make my first serious rough shoot trip around (give or take depending on weather free time etc) the 20th of November, hence why i said November, losing October would have no effect on my Woodcock season, losing November perhaps would. You are both correct about Packham, he is stirring trouble and is looking for as he sees it, the beginning of the end of shooting, a death by a 1000 cuts?

 

[OURTREV]

Good points both and i see exactly where you are coming from, November was not a typo as most years (well they used to anyway) migrant Woodcock seem to arrive here in my part of Wales about the middle of November, and i personally would make my first serious rough shoot trip around (give or take depending on weather free time etc) the 20th of November, hence why i said November, losing October would have no effect on my Woodcock season, losing November perhaps would. You are both correct about Packham, he is stirring trouble and is looking for as he sees it, the beginning of the end of shooting, a death by a 1000 cuts?

Christopher Packham CBE is a case of empty vessels make most noise but alas I think you'll find a knighthood is only just down the road. He has the ear of the public as much as that grates! 🤬

 

[Aled]

As an aside Celt and i flushed 3 Woodcock today for just an hours walk, sadly was not able to get a shot off at any of them. Maybe they are just late arriving this year.

 

[Loxie]

Im going to have a go tomorrow.

 

[Loxie]

Well we had a fantastic day today. We must have seen 70 or 80 woodcock and found a fair few pheasants had moved in to our patch too. The weather was cold and crisp but sunny, just a perfect day

 

[Aled]

Looks like a brilliant day out Loxie and a nice mixed bag. That is my kind of day. Are there any rabbits around there? Numbers very low around here and i miss my access to rabbit shooting o love rabbit casserole!.
Cheers Aled

 

[Loxie]

Looks like a brilliant day out Loxie and a nice mixed bag. That is my kind of day. Are there any rabbits around there? Number very low around here and i miss my access to rabbit shooting o love rabbit casserole!.
Cheers Aled

Definitely my kind of day! Every bird hard won and greatly appreciated! Proper old fashioned shooting.

I didnt see any. Its funny i was just thinking how few rabbits there are now compared to when i was a boy. We were well equipped with spaniels and considerable care would have been required to shoot rabbits.