Man shooting squirrels and birds at Stannington.

[Cyclone 10]

Thank you Mike. So, research from the 2 leading bird conservation organisations in the country say that magpies have no appreciable effect on smaller songbirds. But hey, all the blustering armchair experts on here surely know better? After all, they have to justify their urge to kill things smaller than them somehow.

 

This doesn't alter the legality of shooting them, they are defined as vermin and can legally be shot.

[irenewilde 10]

This doesn't alter the legality of shooting them, they are defined as vermin and can legally be shot.

 

No-one said it did. But people have been saying they "have" to be shot because they're detrimental to other birds. And as an excuse for killing them it holds no water at all.

[Cyclone 10]

I probably know a lot more than you think. I was born and brought up in the country, so stop being such a superior know it all.

 

How did you get it so completely wrong then?

 

it can't be legal to shoot birds in this country, surely

 

Is that you demonstrating that you know a lot more than I think? Because it looks like a demonstration of knowing absolutely nothing about the topic at all.

[Cyclone 10]

No-one said it did. But people have been saying they "have" to be shot because they're detrimental to other birds. And as an excuse for killing them it holds no water at all.

 

Agreed.

 

Grey squirrels though have definitely driven the red squirrels out of much of our countryside, and do need to be controlled in some manner.

[RootsBooster 24]

Lets hope it stays that way for his own sake.

 

And let's hope you don't decide to pick up a knife and go out killing people, for everyone's sake.

[RootsBooster 24]

No-one said it did. But people have been saying they "have" to be shot because they're detrimental to other birds

Who said they "have" to be shot?

And as an excuse for killing them it holds no water at all.

I agree.

[babyboom 10]

Question to the OP, if you genuinely concerned have you told the authorities about your concerns, or have you just posted on here?

[BHRemovals 10]

not 100% but maybe squirrels and magpies maybe consisederd pests

[babyboom 10]

http://www.basc.org.uk/en/shooting/airgunning/air-rifles.cfm#.UHXVXuKcAJQ.twitter

 

Principal quarry for air rifles

 

BIRDS: (covered by the general licences - for details visit http://www.basc.org.uk/en/shooting/general-licences.cfm) crows, rooks, jackdaws, magpies, jays, woodpigeon, collared doves, feral pigeons.

MAMMALS: brown rats, grey squirrels, stoats, mink and rabbits

[Phanerothyme 12]

Without increased control of the Grey Squirrel we are likely to lose the Red Squirrel from England altogether.

 

I think that's a given, but there's no point in exterminating squirrels to protect the reds unless you exterminate them completely, in the same way as the red kites were.

 

You're never going to exterminate greys completely, so if it's reds you want to preserve, you're better off researching a vaccine for the squirrel poxvirus.

 

Shooting greys in Sheff isn't doing anything to protect reds, and it's not really affecting numbers of greys either. Most reds are taken by predators in other parts of the country.

 

Classing something as "vermin" is a political decision, and not an inherent quality of any animal.

 

They grey is simply better adapted to local conditions. Likewise the magpie.

[Annoni_mouse 10]

If I did, what would that have do with this thread? Whatever my feelings about it, and the many arguments against it, animals are killed to feed people. Unless this man is eating all the squirrels and magpies he catches (and as he seems to be leaving their mutilated bodies lying around we can assume he isn't), then what relevance does your comment have?

 

Well, as you're being evasive and wont outright answer a simple question, I don't see what right you have to explore my argument any further.

 

'Course if you want to answer, YES or NO, I'd be more than happy to qualify it.

[Powerage 10]

Yet again the same old arguements for cruelty to animals they are vermin etc

 

Who gave us the right to decide if something is vermin or not every animal was put on this earth for a reason otherwise it wouldn't be here.

 

The only one as I can see who has no real use, is overpopulated and just destroys natural habitats is man unfortunately, maybe we should add ourselves to the list of vermin.