Having Solved All Other Problems, UK Decrees One Must Yell At Birds

[Joe Wordsworth]

.....

Gun law: don't shoot first, shout
By Valerie Elliott
Countryfolk must try to scare off their prey before opening fire

COUNTRY sportsmen keen on pigeon pie will need to put the cat among them first. Farmers and landowners will also need to hone their windmill gyrations and scarecrow impersonations if they are planning a potshot at crop-eating birds.
The Government has ruled that it is now illegal to shoot a crow, rook or pigeon for the pot without scaring it first. The legislation says shooters must attempt to frighten off the birds before pulling the trigger.

Only when the birds fail to respond can he or she shoot it for dinner. The same rule applies to farmers who have shooting days blasting woodpigeons and rooks to protect their crops or gamebirds.

At this time of the year thousands of people pull on their camouflages for a day’s rough shooting. They are now acting unlawfully. They too must first engage in frightening techniques to disperse the birds. Only if their antics are ignored can they shoot legally. Failure to comply can result in a fine of up to £5,000 or a maximum six months in prison.

The new rules emerged this week when new “general licences” were issued covering the killing of pest species, which also include magpies, jays, collared doves, Canada geese, and greater and lesser black-backed gulls.

However, without warning, a new rule was added that states: “This licence can only be relied upon in circumstances where the authorised person can demonstrate that appropriate non-lethal methods of control such as scaring are either ineffective or impracticable.”

The “licence” referred to means a general permission for everyone; it is not a piece of paper, it is simply a law. Firearms licences must still be applied for in the usual way.

There was uproar from country organisations but the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs denied that there was any change of law and issued a clarification. This has only added to the confusion, for it underlines that scaring must always be a precursor to shooting and that records of scaring may be required.

Defra said: “It is not a requirement that detailed records of non-lethal methods are kept, although this may be helpful under some circumstances. Users must however be able to explain why they believe that such methods are either ineffective or impracticable.”

The Country Land and Business Association, the National Gamekeepers’ Organisation, the Moorland Association and the Countryside Alliance have lodged objections with the Government.

Clarissa Dickson Wright, a countrywoman and cook who enjoys cooking pigeon, said she despaired at the “fluffy bunny brigade” in the Government. She said: “Scare them off. Where to? To the next field or vegetable plot.

“What’s more, though possibly inadvertently, they have removed the countryman’s right to one for the pot.”

The “open general licences” are to allow exemptions to the EU Birds Directive which protects all bird species. This allows any authorised person to shoot a pest bird to protect livestock, crops or human health or to prevent other damage to agriculture. An authorised person is anyone with a firearms licence but can also cover cage-trapping.

Defra said: “People have to demonstrate that they have looked at alternative, non- lethal measures. If these have not worked then, yes, they can shoot species thast are causing problems.”

 

[Guest]

Fair enough!

 

[English Lady]

I personally wonder how you'd enforce it anyway?

"honest guv I did the whole jumping up and down thing and the bird didn't bugger off."

It seems a bit daft to me...kind of surplus to requirements..or is that just me? And as I say I have no idea how they're going to actually check up on it's rules being followed.

 

[Joe Wordsworth]

I'm totally going to go to England, now, and snipe birds now. No warning. Silencer, full camo, night vision.

 

[English Lady]

*pictures Joe creeping through the undergrowth duck whistle in mouth, big bloody gun in hand*

for some reason thats a funny image *L*

Watch out Birds the American is coming..the American is coming!!!!!

 

[msboy8]

Having Solved All Other Problems, UK Decrees One Must Yell At Birds

If you give me the bird, I'll yell at you too.

 

[Virtual_Burlesque]

There are centuries of bad Karma to be worked off there.

http://www.schotten.com/gentlemen/hoz_lrg/124h_lrg.jpg

 

[TheEarl]

Fucking Labour!

It's like Colly's "DamnYankee." That phrase has turned into one word. "FuckinLabour" or the extended "FuckinNewLabour."

The Earl

 

[scheherazade_79]

I think that's quite a nice little law - that way at least the birds are given the chance to fly away first. Why kill something when there are kinder ways? When I had a problem with mice, I didn't buy the nasty mouse traps that slam down on them - I bought one that traps it inside a little box, then you can take it far away from the house and release it. Much nicer

 

[Guest]

Yeah, Joe. Some birds are STupid.

 

[TheEarl]

I think that's quite a nice little law - that way at least the birds are given the chance to fly away first. Why kill something when there are kinder ways? When I had a problem with mice, I didn't buy the nasty mouse traps that slam down on them - I bought one that traps it inside a little box, then you can take it far away from the house and release it. Much nicer

Yeah, but Scheh - where are the birds gonna go? You scare them away and they'll either bugger off for 5 minutes and come back, or they'll go to another field where they'll have to be scared back onto yours again.

The birds know that they can get free food there and so they'll keep coming back. If they get taught that it's free food at the expense of some of them getting killed, then the pack memory of the flock will make them less likely to return.

The Earl

 

[scheherazade_79]

But isn't that what scarecrows are for, Earl?

 

[Joe Wordsworth]

Bah, fuck the birds. If they didn't want get sniped with a 30-06 bad enough, they'd have evolved better.

 

[English Lady]

Bah, fuck the birds. If they didn't want get sniped with a 30-06 bad enough, they'd have evolved better.

Like developing body armour maybe! *L*

 

[Joe Wordsworth]

Exactly.

 

[TheEarl]

But isn't that what scarecrows are for, Earl?

You're winding me up, you cheeky mare!

Oh dear God, bought that hook, line, sinker, rod and copy of Angling Times.

The Earl

 

[English Lady]

Oh dear God, bought that hook, line, sinker, rod and copy of Angling Times.

The Earl

*giggling* great imagery there Earl. You should use that in a story

 

[TheEarl]

*giggling* great imagery there Earl. You should use that in a story

I would, but it's not my line unfortunately. Quoting Red Dwarf.

The Earl

 

[English Lady]

I would, but it's not my line unfortunately. Quoting Red Dwarf.

The Earl

bugger. good line all the same though. Sounded very Earl-y to me.

 

[BlackShanglan]

I would, but it's not my line unfortunately. Quoting Red Dwarf.

The Earl

But has anyone ever seen The Earl and Talkie Toaster in the same place at the same time?

Shanglan

 

[SlickTony]

I think that's quite a nice little law - that way at least the birds are given the chance to fly away first. Why kill something when there are kinder ways? When I had a problem with mice, I didn't buy the nasty mouse traps that slam down on them - I bought one that traps it inside a little box, then you can take it far away from the house and release it. Much nicer

I'm so glad I don't have mice. I have cats. Are they going to pass laws against their activities as well?

 

[TheEarl]

Would anybody like any toast?

The Earl

 

[Trent_Dutch]

I'm so glad I don't have mice. I have cats. Are they going to pass laws against their activities as well?

They have them planned, but they're (Fuckinlabour) running into problems... its having trouble in the Lords.

I'm sat here trying to find someone to blame for the state of British Politics (where currently some old womans shoulder is looking to be an election winner... even though the people who are complaining about it complained about the opposition doing the same thing 12 years ago)..... But you can't really blame the voting public. Fuckinlabour are like Rizla papers... they're the only ones to buy, except in some isolated little areas where you can only find Zig-zags....

 

[SlickTony]

They have them planned, but they're (Fuckinlabour) running into problems... its having trouble in the Lords.

I'm sat here trying to find someone to blame for the state of British Politics (where currently some old womans shoulder is looking to be an election winner... even though the people who are complaining about it complained about the opposition doing the same thing 12 years ago)..... But you can't really blame the voting public. Fuckinlabour are like Rizla papers... they're the only ones to buy, except in some isolated little areas where you can only find Zig-zags....

Don't these people remember their history? A few hundred years ago, if I recall correctly, there was basically a holocaust of cats, which were perceived as the familiars of witches. Rats, mice and the fleas that inhabited them ran rampant, and this led to the Plague.

 

[oggbashan]

There was another UK story recently about a protected bird that was accidentally shot.

It was nursed back to health at the local bird sanctuary, released in time to join in the annual migration to Spain...





It was shot again in Spain, this time fatally. It was still protected in Spain but was flying with unprotected birds. Silly avian!

Any birds migrating over France and Spain know they are flying through a war zone. Bird shooting for the pot is very small here by comparison with other European countries.

Og