Pigeon Shooting when is it legal????

Rossenarra

As far as i know one can only shoot pigeon between Nov and Jan unless one is protecting crops and have tried every means possible to stop pigeon feeding on the particular crop ( I will stand corrected on this....as I don't shoot pigeon outside the period above for fear of prosecution)

Am I right in this statement?

It wasn't me!

June until January I thought.

Terrier

Nov to Jan

Mellor

Terrier wrote: »

Nov to Jan

Can be shot outside for crop protection

pm.

Mellor wrote: »

Can be shot outside for crop protection

i think its a tricky one, you have to be in the crop field when shooting them not the field beside it, i may be wrong on this.

stevoman

yep there's something cagey about it. shoots magpies and greys instead. theres a thread a few months back about this

Double Barrel

Lads,
A pigeon season was introduced 2 years ago and runs from the 1st June to 31st Janurary, this was introduced as part of an EU directive. This was well publicsed by the NARGC at the time.

The article was on the old NARGC website but seems to have been removed from the new website..

Pigeons can still be shot out of season for the purpose of crop protection but you must prove that all other methods of crop protection failed e.g. bangers
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055147362&highlight=Pigeon+Shooting

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055147362&highlight=Pigeon+Shooting

Mellor

The pigeon season was introduced much longer than 2 years ago. It has been around for years, since 1986 I think. It WAS jun to jan, but it changed to nov to jan in 2003 (may be wrong on the year)

Here is season from '97
http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/1997/en/si/0363.html
Jun to jan

Here is '86
http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/1986/en/si/0307.html
Jun to jan (87 was first full year, 86 ran from passing of SI till jan)


These SIs change every few years, to add, remove or alter a bird, animal or season.
Here is the current one
http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/2003/en/si/0394.html

The effect of this Order is to amend the Open Seasons list of huntable species of wild birds by providing a season for the hunting of Wood Pigeon. Thereafter the season for Wood Pigeon will begin on the 1st day of November in each year (including 2003) and end on the 31st day of January in the year immediately following.

Mellor

pm. wrote: »

i think its a tricky one, you have to be in the crop field when shooting them not the field beside it, i may be wrong on this.

I have heard that mentioned but have seen no legal proof. To either said thats says you can shoot for crop protection, or that you must be outside.

Crop protection on its own does not mean shooting over said crop.

J.R.

Since 2003 the season is 1st Nov. - 31st Jan (same as pheasant / woodcock). Pigeon can be shot outside season if causing damage to crops, / interfering with aircraft etc.

After this its not too clear as there are two seperate trains of thought:

1. NPW Rangers do not agree with one shooting in a stubble field beside a crop being attacked as there is no crop in the field you are in and therefore nothing to protect.

A chap in Westmeath had his gun & gear confiscated by a female ranger for shooting in a stubble field beside a standing crop being attacked.

2. The NARGC see it differently and are to challenge this case in the courts. There argument is that the law does not state that pigeons can be shot if causing damage except in stubble fields

The NARGC newsletter posted to all members in Nov. 2007 goes into greater details regards this matter.

At the moment, until the results of the above case reach us from the courts, it is a grey area, open to intepretation.

Mellor

J.R. wrote: »

1. NPW Rangers do not agree with one shooting in a stubble field beside a crop being attacked as there is no crop in the field you are in and therefore nothing to protect.

A chap in Westmeath had his gun & gear confiscated by a female ranger for shooting in a stubble field beside a standing crop being attacked.

2. The NARGC see it differently and are to challenge this case in the courts. There argument is that the law does not state that pigeons can be shot if causing damage except in stubble fields

This may sound biased, but I honestly feel this way.

Shooting for crop protection is fair enough. But it makes no sense that they have to shot over said crop field.

Consider an uncut field, being attacked. Pigeons can be shot to protect crop. The best and most effective way to shoot pigeon may be to decoy in the stubble field beside. This removes some pigeons from the area.
Just as with shooting foxes to prevent lambs being killed. To protect the lambs you don't have to stay in the same field as them. This should be an easy case.

NoNameRanger

Speaking as a Ranger, I don't see any problem with decoying and shooting pigeons on stubble if there is a crop nearby. But if its being done on stubble (the crop is gone) and there is clearly no other crops in the area, well then how can it be crop protection. I'm sure that the vast majority of Rangers see it this way also. In the end the case in Westmeath is for the courts to decide and any speculation as to details of weather there was a crop nearby is fruitless:)(Pun intended)

Mellor

Well thats good to hear NNR, makes perfect sense to allow shooting on stubble beside crop. As it would be the most effective method imo. I had similar concerns that there was no crop nearby in the above case.

Haz33

NoNameRanger wrote: »

Speaking as a Ranger, I don't see any problem with decoying and shooting pigeons on stubble if there is a crop nearby. But if its being done on stubble (the crop is gone) and there is clearly no other crops in the area, well then how can it be crop protection. I'm sure that the vast majority of Rangers see it this way also. In the end the case in Westmeath is for the courts to decide and any speculation as to details of weather there was a crop nearby is fruitless:)(Pun intended)

Sounds sensible glad to see rangers with a bit of common sense however I don't see the courts been as sensible. also are we definate about nov - jan being open season.

Mellor

100% definate, if you look upthe thread bit in a previous post by me I linked to the current open seasons for wildlife