Posted By Descarte Ok just as I was winding down for the day we have our afternoon meeting and they tell me "ow yeh, that guy is coming on site tonight to shoot the pigeons" Long story short: Netting not practical/suitable for area open warehourse Poison will result in dead dying birds falling to ground and being eaten by cats etc.. This guy is from a company, licensed, equiped etc. using an air rifle - low hazard dont require gun liscense unless above certain calibre Will be wearing full overalls and proper eye prtection (an air rifle pellet can be stopped with jeans even at fairly close range) No one else will be in the area whilst this is being conducted He is shooting up in to roof which is metal and has steel gurders so there is a possibility I feel of richochette (spelling? ah well) Area is a hard hat area anyway (to protect from falling pidgeons Gloves to be worn whilst picking dead pidgeons up Oh dear this is sounding more and more silly but is there anything else people can think off? It isnt going on as yet and I havnt even met the guy who is doing it, I am most likely at least going to delay this till I can investigate further and myself look in to other possible methods of control. Just checking, no it isnt friday yet and April 1st has already gone And I myself have a safety certificate in firearm use and a lot of experience Apart from the initial "erm your telling me this now!" and "he is shooting them right!?" any points you think I have missed? Does this happen regularly and I have never heard of it? Yours hessitently Des

Posted By J Knight Hi, Pigeons are classified as pests and under the right conditions (specified in schedules to the Wildlife and Countryside Act) can be shot. Apparently Collared Doves can be too, as can Starlings, Crows and a couple of others. What about psittacosis? Can you catch that from dead pigeons? And god help us if H5n1 gets here. Merv will probably tell you how to cook them, John

Posted By Merv Newman Apart from the "nesting birds" bit (check with Ken Livingston) it seems reasonable. Proper RA and SSOW. And since you know firearms you should be able to sound less than a complete idiot when talking about range safety. Develop a check list and run through it with him. Set the job up and then leave him to it. Don't want to risk being hit by a ricochet (just checked the dictionary) My firearms certificate ran out years ago. Actually, I had to give it up. Got "promoted" to H&S and had no time to go to the NSBRA club. But I've still got the medals somewhere. And roast pigeon breasts, preferably over a wood fire, maybe with some juniper berries or a bit of thyme can be fantastic. Needs a burgundy. (Nuits St George perhaps ?)

Posted By Descarte Yay, thanks for your responses, I was partly expecting to see "a you cannot be seriously considering letting this guy on site" response or two and "are you mad?". But this advice in conjunction with my own experience on the matter (an ex shooter myself) has put my mind partly at rest from the initial shock. Sent him home tonight he is coming at a later date, due to the short notice he had been set up on our permit systems and therefore we had no record of his company, details, or insurance documents RA's systems of work etc. Once all this has been seen and approved I will then let him on to do the work... ... on the condition I get a few fillets out of it Thanks for all the help Des

Posted By Martin Hartland Hi I have some documentation from a company that i have previously used for pigeon culls. If you're interested drop me an email. BTW - Let the local police in on whats happening before the guy turns up on site, if he gets spotted by a local resident wielding what appears to be a firearm, well... Regards Martin

Posted By Merv Newman Pigeons feet, as with those of ducks, chickens or larks have to be pickled in vinegar (most often with tarragon) for at least six months. Which tends to dissolve that little ring thing. After that only a rosé d'anjou is of any use. Not worth the bother actually. Merv

Posted By J Knight Hi Folks, Just to clarify the status of birds. First of all it's an offence to kill or injure any bird in the UK, whether nesting or not, unless it is in one of the schedules to the Wildlife and Countryside Act (used to be the Protection of Birds Act but was incorporated). These schedules cover sporting and game birds as well as pest species, which can be shot under certain conditions. In the case of sporting and game birds its mainly to do with seasons and permits etc; I think pests can be shot more or less any time with the landowners permission, and I suppose even pests can't be treated with excessive cruelty etc. Some birds are scheduled as having special protection, so called 'Schedule 1' species; disturbing these is very naughty. Pigeons breed 12 months out of 12, so restricting culling them to non-breeding periods would be reasonably difficult, John

Posted By Robert K Lewis I still think pigeon is best casseroled in red wine as they have to be very young, ie squabs to roast successfully. Hungry people need about two per person. I can take any surplus you have. I totally agree with merv that skinning is much better than plucking. The task of plucking is best done when the carcass is still warm but with skinning you can hang the birds for a couple of days to develop the flavour. On the actual culling I have to agree with the poster who is suggesting that a competent marksman is going to have a specific method of safe working of his/her own already available so you need only check it. Bob

Posted By Jeffrey Watt Absolutely Rob, tommy guns took standard soft lead Colt 1911 .45 pistol rounds. Your quite right about the bullet composition and charge, my Dad used to drop 8inch plates at 800yrds with his .303 I don't think a heavy anorak would have stopped that baby at 50 yrds. I never asked what the plates had done to deserve such a fate ( probably cattle rustling or some other livestock related misdemeanor) but he used to shoot them regular. Jeff

Posted By Aidan Toner UPDATE- UPDATE -or Am I missing something? Dead swan in Scotland confirmed as highly pathogenic H5 avian flu.Awaiting tests to see if it is the H5N1 strain fatal to humans with further result expected today. Ok-Granted with a bit of care and using gloves/respirator etc a 'post shoot' clear up is handy enough.I'm thinking more of all that **** which is presently spread all over the floor and walls of the building.No doubt when the lead starts flying the birds will express their emotions (motions) even further.What temperature to cook at? Lets just say I want my pigeon well done.What marinade to use? As of today Im going for something tangy-Sulphuric acid or the like!

Posted By Fred Pratley Biggest problem we had was the one that, having been dispatched with a nice clean shot late on a very warm Friday afternoon, decided to fall and wedge itself between the roof supports where it could not be dislodged. Gave a whole new meaning to pidgeon droppings!!!!

Posted By Aidan Toner Dead pereqins (H5) dont fly??

Posted By Alexander Falconer Make sure there is no offices below non-retrievable birds - introducing new hazards, maggots dropping through ceiling tiles whilst working (honestly, speaking from experience). Better still eliminate the hazard in the first place, Get a trained bird of prey handler, they call em' "Falconer's" The "experts" also use Hen Harriers & Hobby Hawks too. Irrespective of which bird is used, its more a tactic of scaring, rather than one of culling. Got to hand it to the peregrine - the most effective pigeon killer at 240mph - where did that one go! www.birdsolutions.co.uk http://www.webring.com/hub?ring=falconry offer some guidance as well Off to remind myself how to tie a Falconers knot

Posted By Alexander Falconer Don't you believe that, thats why they are called the ferarri's of bird world. You seen em' in action? Don't know if they could stop in time, plus most birds of prey are are reliably reluctant to work indoors Might just be better to block all the external access points of the warehouse and shoot em' then! Merv Do you think a Cotes du Rhone would be suitable and sufficient accompaniant for pigeon breast?

Posted By J Knight Hi Alexander, Seen one catch a Swift in Central Greece in the 1970s; I've seen many of 'em before and since, but that one was the best, John

Posted By J Knight Sure Andrew, but how do you stop the survivors from flying back up again, John

Posted By Andrew Tudor They may well fly back but the chances are(from twenty years of experience)that they are more likely to hit the sky and fly for a while if one leaves the windows or doors opened. Using a modern PCP rifle with electronic trigger and sound moderator I have taken a few out without the others knowing.

Posted By John Webster I have it on good authority that there is nothing to fear from bird flu as adequate cooking will destroy the virus. Casseroling in red wine might be safer than the wood fire barbeque for any that fall down without being hit!

Posted By J Knight Merv, Did you read my post above about the status of birds? That Schedule 1 bit? Includes Peregrines. Anyway, they are very likely to fight back if you don't get a clean kill, nasty b*****s up close, and I wouldn't imagine they would taste too good. Stick to the wine, John

Posted By Alexander Falconer I am sure swans are protected birds (property of crown, etc), and it is illegal to kill one, never mind eat one.