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Snipe

Asus1

Any snipe shot this year.Was out walking my father's couple of fields and raised about 20.Whats the current thinking on shooting snipe are their numbers at an acceptable level to take a few or are the best left to their own devices.Also have never eaten one are they tasty or inedible.

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Cass

I don't bother with them. They are only in noticeable numbers on two fo my permissions so i leave them be.

Asus1

Cass wrote: »

I don't bother with them. They are only in noticeable numbers on two fo my permissions so i leave them be.

Is that because numbers are low and best practice is to leave them be or because they are not worth shooting as there is nothing worth eating on them.They are amazing to watch flying away from you.

Cass

Numbers.

I see them so infrequently (only on two of my permissions) that the ones i do see i leave be. My thoughts are if i'm only seeing low single digits and only on the two permissions the numbers are not as high as i'd like to consider having a shot at them.

Couple that with the fact that if i remember back about 9 to 1 years they were plentiful enough which tells me numbers are dropping. Now i didn't shoot many then as my Uncle was the only person i knew that would take them (actually the only one to bother cleaning them out for such a small pay out), but i haven't shot one in about 4 or 5 years.

J.R.

Cass wrote: »

Numbers.

my Uncle was the only person i knew that would take them (actually the only one to bother cleaning them out for such a small pay out).

The gentry don't bother to clean therm out - leaving intestines intact.

https://www.shootinguk.co.uk/recipes/preparing-snipe-8930

cookimonster

I got great sport shooting or more correctly trying to shoot them before.
But like others I'm seeing a decline in numbers seen were I shoot and given the return food wise I tend to leave them off.

I still lift the gun to them and go through the motions though....nothing like the feeling when you fold such a fast and twitchy small bird with an instinctive shot.

Asus1

J.R. wrote: »

The gentry don't bother to clean therm out - leaving intestines intact.

https://www.shootinguk.co.uk/recipes/preparing-snipe-8930

Yeah......no thanks sounds awful but suppose maybe it would be alright.

Asus1

Well headed out with the gun to take a snipe.As ive no dog i knew it would be difficult.Anyway rose double figures had 6 shots and missed all bar 1 who i winged.Luckily i saw where it went down and found it when i went over.Anyway back in the kitchen and breasted the bird and my god there's not alot to eat.Fried in the pan and ate it.It was very like a striplion steak in flavour.Anyway wont shoot anymore as the feed off them is really small.......also im a really bad shot.

hedzball

Nice honest post fair play to you!!

'Hdz

Asus1

hedzball wrote: »

Nice honest post fair play to you!!

'Hdz

They are fantastic to look at flying away from you as they veer left-right-left and then straight before heading skywards,kinda like an old world war 2 fighter plane in air combat.Also as I'd no dog i could only get their location as they broke cover and let off that squeak they make so i could only wear 1 plug in my right ear as i would of never heard them,(I only have muffs and and normal work plugs not noise cancelling plugs),and its probably a quick way to loose some hearing in your ear.

cookimonster

On the subject of hearing protection and rough shooting how many of ye wear hearing protection?

In my case I don't, that's not bragging or being 'mannly'!
My hearing, excuse the pun, is 'shot' from various things such as teenage adiction to loud music, work related, medical issues and most importantly hereditary hearing loss (my wife wife would throw in matrimonial selective deafness aswell). Medically my hearing hasn't deteriorated over the last 5/6 years but my conversational hearing has declined.

Anyhow back to hearing protection while shooting!...

While at range practice for centre fire I will wear protection, usually active, pigeon decoying: only if I'm with someone else and that may involve only a single plug on the same side of the other shooter. Deer stalking, never! .... as with rough shooting or the odd bit of duck decoying. I don't wear any due to a mix of the activity involved and situational awareness. I can hear a bird flush or drop in as well as I can hear a twig snap but I can't make out either the hushed voice of my hunting partner or voices blending into back ground noises. The constant presence of plugs are at best distracting and at worst annoying and if and when you do get comfortable with them you have take them out to have a conversation.

I have serveral types of hearing protection from cheep arsed foam plugs to individual moulded rubber ones (very good), passive (very light weight) and active muffs (very sensitive) but nothing fits my needs or practical application for rough shooting /stalking.

The use of active hearing protection is very good and if the plugs are as sensitive as the 'muffs' (?) then anyone starting out I would recommend them. As with the reactive muffs the cost will soon tumble with the introduction of Chinese clones etc.

I'm not condoning the non use of hearing protection, but lets shame the devil and hear your practical application of hearing protection while actively hunting.

Eddie B

Probably one of the tastiest game birds you can get here.

useurowname

Eddie B wrote: »

Probably one of the tastiest game birds you can get here.

Tasty, testing .. but sadly in decline. I see fewer every season I haven’t shot one in a number of years.

Woodcock shot

I know the past few years numbers are sadly declining like most species but surprisingly we met 30 + snipe yesterday on low ground which was very encouraging,

Birdnuts

Woodcock shot wrote: »

I know the past few years numbers are sadly declining like most species but surprisingly we met 30 + snipe yesterday on low ground which was very encouraging,

THe early start to winter in Scandi/NE Europe and the widespread heavy rain/flooding in many parts of this country in recent days(and plenty more to come!!) should see an influx of these birds into many areas over the coming weeks

Stonehall9

Don't know what part of the country you are in but in in west limerick and we always have an abundance of them, met 50 + on the opening morning. On eating them , they are absolutely Fantastic meat , not much in them but as meat goes it's as good as you can shoot.

Gorgeousgeorge

always shoot one and cook him in the belly of the pheasant! good numbers of the around here

BryanL

If Snipe numbers are low, look to do more fox control.

useurowname

BryanL wrote: »

If Snipe numbers are low, look to do more fox control.

Would have very little difference, if any. Loss of habitat. That and pesticides are the major reasons for the declining snipe .
Not as bad though as the dearth of winter duck species which is actually very sad and scary how fast they disappeared. Teal numbers down , Widgeon well down, Tufties way down and Pochard effectively non existent any more in Ireland .

Straffan1979

useurowname wrote: »

Would have very little difference, if any. Loss of habitat. That and pesticides are the major reasons for the declining snipe .
Not as bad though as the dearth of winter duck species which is actually very sad and scary how fast they disappeared. Teal numbers down , Widgeon well down, Tufties way down and Pochard effectively non existent any more in Ireland .

Increasingly benign winters in Europe may see these ducks not having to migrate here in the numbers they used to

https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-22484907

Birdnuts

Straffan1979 wrote: »

Increasingly benign winters in Europe may see these ducks not having to migrate here in the numbers they used to

https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-22484907

I'd say thats a significant factor alright for a number of species in terms of "wintering" numbers. Bewick Swans would be a good example - use to come to this country in the thousands, but in recent years only a few dozen have been counted on the entire Island!!

useurowname

That’s very interesting thanks for that

feartuath

I met plenty of snipe today on high ground this area is a complete bog.
No birds in the low land.

Eddie B

feartuath wrote: »

I met plenty of snipe today on high ground this area is a complete bog.
No birds in the low land.

Lots if rain of late, means plenty fresh feeding grounds for snipe.

Birdnuts

Moving sheep today and put up a Jack Snipe - only the second ever I've had on the place

J.R.

I was amazed with all the heavy rain showers we had last week, with fields flooding, that there were not more snipee about.

Years ago - fields full of rushes would reveal a few snipe every few steps you took...now you'd be lucky to rise one or two in the whole field.

BuckDan

Asus1 wrote: »

Any snipe shot this year.Was out walking my father's couple of fields and raised about 20.Whats the current thinking on shooting snipe are their numbers at an acceptable level to take a few or are the best left to their own devices.Also have never eaten one are they tasty or inedible.

Not only do we have some residents snipe but ireland also gets alot of the migratery snipe , their best shot if you decide to shoot them from mid november once the cold moon has passed , best thing about the snipe is he can be plucked and boiled hole with out gutting as they ****e when they flush , i take one day for snipe every season , its great exciting shooting and even though 1 wouldnt suffice on feeding a man but 5 or more will , a snipe soup brouth is lovely to refuel on the next days outing weather it be stalking or pheasents ect