Packham gets General License revoked!!!!

[RobF]

Bto puts GSW population at 25-30,000 breeding pairs, RSPB puts magpies at 600,000! Bto also lists magpies as probably being the 2nd most common nest predator after the good old domestic cat.

Yet BTO lists GSW and Cats on nest box surveys not magpies. Wonder why.

[peddy]

Has anyone wondered if this is some back door way of killing our hobby, most airgunners start their hobby by doing pest control, which looks like has ended, wont be long before rabbits etc are also included. Also Wont be much point in owning rimmies or semi shotguns and side by side, job done for our toss bag government.. my farmers wont think much of the new legistration. Country sports are seen as a minority desire, therefore there for the taking.

[Mr.Fixit-Norm]

I think all those who have the right permission should take a sickie off work, get out tomorrow and shoot as many woodies as possible before Thursdays licence revocation

Take that Packham

[zephyr]

I wonder how many air weapon license applications in Scotland are solely based on pest control as a reason to have an air gun?

[bighit]

I wonder how many air weapon license applications in Scotland are solely based on pest control as a reason to have an air gun?

Mine is only for pest control. The only reason I have any of my Certificates

[Mason]

So do you think we need a license to shoot rabbits and squirrels? What about deploying fly spray or a mouse trap?

In my opinion the general license worked well and continues to do so. There might be a few idiots who shoot pigeons for shits and giggles but those numbers will be very low and the change is unlikely to stop them, as with most laws and idiots. The few people I know who do shoot pigeons harvest the meat in the same way I do with rabbits and the occasional squirrel.

I had an issue recently with a crow taking all my chicken eggs. I had it on trail camera going into the hen house. Once shot the egg taking stopped. What a waste of time and effort to apply for a special license just for one crow. Let alone the eggs I would have lost during the time taken to get the license if it was approved.

In my garden I feed not only my chickens but several wild pheasants over winter and even the rabbits seem to like the pellets. I get pigeons too on the feeder and the wild bird feeders I have put out. I don't shoot any of these as they aren't causing me any problems. I do shoot rabbits on my permissions where they are causing farmers a problem.

We are responsible shooters on the BBS. I find it insulting that you think we shoot anything just for fun.

The revocations that will be employed on 25th April only effect birds, not rabbits, squirrels, flies or mice. so it does not effect you, unless another crow appears. I realise that it will be a pain for those who have a continuing need to control pest bird species that this will be an unwelcome extra task and that individuals may be required to report a count of their culling operation and its effectiveness. The apparent short notice isn't helping either.
At no point have I suggested that members of this forum are anything but responsible, nor is there any intention to insult any of them. Perhaps you can explain why we should all apply for such a license when clearly there is no need for all of us to do so.
In reply to Spanner's flippant comment of "Is your Sir Name Packham, what PC BS."; no Packham is not my surname and if you find my opinion's are PC BS that is fine by me. Fundamentally, I am in agreement with the changes, though a longer period of notice would have been preferable, as would greater publicity for it. I think the roll out procedure deserves criticism too as nothing is finalised yet, which leads to speculation and unrest. I only heard of it today, and I would hazard a guess that that would apply to many forum members and as such is a valuable heads up for us all.

[eyebull]

The revocations that will be employed on 25th April only effect birds, not rabbits, squirrels, flies or mice. so it does not effect you, unless another crow appears

Thin end of the wedge.

[Trumpetier]

Will plenty of people head out this weekend shooting pigeons, crows etc ? I think so.

[Rocket launcher]

Will plenty of people head out this weekend shooting pigeons, crows etc ? I think so.

I won't be at a £5000 fine and 6 months jail and the loss of my fire arms certificate and shotgun licence.... Some actions have massive repercussions....when it comes to the law ..the law always wins.....

The way things are going i Might as well sell my guns now and take up knitting before the rush to sell starts

[Mole trapper]

Petition signed.

[Powderfinger]

Pressure groups and high-profile celebs have far too much influence in England. This leads to badly thought out laws. See: pest-control, firearms, power-boating, motorcycling, dogs, video-nasties, the internet and no doubt many other areas of life impacted by rushed law-making.

[Spanner.]

Probably something to do with lead poisoning of waterbirds which has been a problem recently observed over the last 150 years. The C in their name is not about conserving shooting.

Rubbish no evidence of this was presented to the enquiry hence why it wasn't / isn't banned. Yes dead Wildfowl everywhere you look!!

[phil384]

Apologies if already posted.....

http://chng.it/BnsZkvMW7H

[Spanner.]

The revocations that will be employed on 25th April only effect birds, not rabbits, squirrels, flies or mice. so it does not effect you, unless another crow appears. I realise that it will be a pain for those who have a continuing need to control pest bird species that this will be an unwelcome extra task and that individuals may be required to report a count of their culling operation and its effectiveness. The apparent short notice isn't helping either.
At no point have I suggested that members of this forum are anything but responsible, nor is there any intention to insult any of them. Perhaps you can explain why we should all apply for such a license when clearly there is no need for all of us to do so.
In reply to Spanner's flippant comment of "Is your Sir Name Packham, what PC BS."; no Packham is not my surname and if you find my opinion's are PC BS that is fine by me. Fundamentally, I am in agreement with the changes, though a longer period of notice would have been preferable, as would greater publicity for it. I think the roll out procedure deserves criticism too as nothing is finalised yet, which leads to speculation and unrest. I only heard of it today, and I would hazard a guess that that would apply to many forum members and as such is a valuable heads up for us all.

I find anyone who frequents a shooting website yet supports this ridiculous front door attack on the shooting community very strange, unless of course you don't shoot to protect crops and livestock or indeed shoot at all. Were you in London last week?

[nuggs]

If the general license is revoked because of what is deemed cruel/unneeded to what we know as pest species then what is going to happen to what we know as game birds specifically reared for sport shooting ?