Air Rifle hunting

[Steyr]

I have noticed of late, streamers on youtube seem to be hitting pheasants with air rifles more frequently than in the 0ast.

I do not have an issue with a sub 12s ability to drop pheasant... and it sure saves an expensive dental experience.

Would you consider the most stupidest bird on the planet as quarry.

Not looking to start a bun fight so really, a simple yes or no will suffice

[Hsing-ee]

Pheasant as a dish is one of the more disappointing gustarory experiences I've had, and I have eaten quite a number of them. My housemate when I was at university used to hunt them over a large farm and we had two a week for a few months. We tried them all different ways and hung for different periods from zero to OMG. Like a lot of rich people's food they're pretty nasty (foie gras is another one) ... they are OK in a curry but chicken or pigeon are far tastier.

They are handsome beasts, and as you say, dumb as rocks. It's a game bird so best left to the fellows with the fat wallets & 12 bores who like an easy target to exercise their dominance issues.

So I would say 'no' - they're not a pest species, they taste horrible and they probably don't present much of a challenge to someone with a PCP on a bipod.

[Strimmer]

Quarry for airgun. Not really.
Would I tell others to do it. No.
Would I want to stop others from doing it. No though hsing-ee last paragraph pretty much sums up my feelings.

I will say that my best mate recently got asked by his permission to clear all the pheasants off his land as he's had enough/dispute with the shoot next door with trespassing. So PCP, bipod, sat in the hedge, he was having 5-10 a day. My feelings are that it is wrong, and I wouldn't do it, but it's also legal.

I could never get my head round the fact that people pay in excess of £30 a bird for the privilege of shooting one. Pigeon is far tastier.

[ZAKDINGEL]

Quarry for airgun. Not really.
Would I tell others to do it. No.
Would I want to stop others from doing it. No though hsing-ee last paragraph pretty much sums up my feelings.

I will say that my best mate recently got asked by his permission to clear all the pheasants off his land as he's had enough/dispute with the shoot next door with trespassing. So PCP, bipod, sat in the hedge, he was having 5-10 a day. My feelings are that it is wrong, and I wouldn't do it, but it's also legal.

I could never get my head round the fact that people pay in excess of £30 a bird for the privilege of shooting one. Pigeon is far tastier.

Agreed here they are dont make a hard target with a rifle but are very challenging when flying you might think "oh that will be easy with shotgun" some are but loads are just to quick -it is an acquired taste and needs to be cooked right to make nice i think its like a blank page its up to you want you put in on it

[angrybear]

They are handsome beasts, and as you say, dumb as rocks. It's a game bird so best left to the fellows with the fat wallets & 12 bores who like an easy target to exercise their dominance issues.

So I would say 'no' - they're not a pest species, they taste horrible and they probably don't present much of a challenge to someone with a PCP on a bipod.

This,
never shot one with an air rifle & don't class them as airgun quarry.
Having tasted them I'm simply not shooting them again.

[Phil Russell]

We were given an unplucked/undressed brace many years ago. Quite a disappointment ... hassle every step of the way and we concluded there was no desire for us to repeat the exercise, even if we were given dressed birds to simply cook.
Maybe they reached a sort of cult status because of an association with landed gentry? Maybe being able to comment about 'bagging a brace today, old chap' created a veil of superiority? Whatever ... not interested and would certainly not shoot one as I don't see the point of doing so.
Cheers, Phil

[Steyr]

I dont consider them a pest species al eit one landowner did as above.

I dont like pheasant either. I findcthem dry and stringy tbh.

But then, I am sure there is more than 1 way to cook them a game pie is def one to consider.

My family do eat them but I dont as a rule.

However, I would eat many game birds... even qual and red legs l, hares woodies and squirrels too.

Question wasnt would you shoot them as pests but as eating. I have never really considered them and the other question where do you stand with the current General Licences (or dogs dinner as I feel they have become).

[thisisdonald]

You can actually skin a pheasant rather than pluck it. If it's been hanging, you need to let it warm up indoors first. Another tip is to ring the knee joint with a sharp knife and pull the joint apart then grab the big leg tendon with a pair of pliers and , holding the thigh, yank it straight out. This makes eating the legs much more palatable. Cook them in a slow cooker for juicy tender meat , however you wish, stew, curry etc.. they are pretty nice and easy to dress when done this way.

As for Strimmers best mate, he is risking his neck for his permission shooting the syndicate birds... if they find out they wont be very tolerant!

I used to get them off my dad when he had a syndicate place and I really enjoyed them, but like others say, its got to be cooked right to be enjoyable.

I wouldnt bother unless times were tough.. then, they would be easy pickings. I suppose some airgunners take them as they can be eaten, and maybe because it 'feels like poaching' knowing they belonged to someone and arent a 'wild' bird.

Alive, I absolutely love them... I've got a theory that the males are so bloody cock sure of themselves that they actually think cars and Vans will bounce off them as they strut right in front of them!! 🤣

[bighit]

Not sure if they can be called pests . They are classed as livestock .

From the new General license.

Livestock’ is as defined in section 27(1) of the 1981 [Wildlife and Countryside] Act. For the purpose of this licence, this expression also includes game birds kept in an enclosure or which are free roaming but remain significantly dependent on the provision of food, water or shelter by a keeper for their survival. This does not include supplementary feeding.”

[flyingfish]

I have always thought of pheasant shooting in the same way as slaughtering chickens
My mum gets a garden full of them begging food every autumn

[woodpigeon]

Pheasant as a dish is one of the more disappointing gustarory experiences I've had, and I have eaten quite a number of them. My housemate when I was at university used to hunt them over a large farm and we had two a week for a few months. We tried them all different ways and hung for different periods from zero to OMG. Like a lot of rich people's food they're pretty nasty (foie gras is another one) ... they are OK in a curry but chicken or pigeon are far tastier.

They are handsome beasts, and as you say, dumb as rocks. It's a game bird so best left to the fellows with the fat wallets & 12 bores who like an easy target to exercise their dominance issues.

So I would say 'no' - they're not a pest species, they taste horrible and they probably don't present much of a challenge to someone with a PCP on a bipod.

excellent post,and my thoughts exactly

[MrGreengrass]

I have been asked to thin the remaining cock birds now and then , but dont bother with them, i dont eat them anyway..after a while, they disappear off the land on their own.

[Neil54]

Spanish chicken Cook in sauce or hunters chicken are okay.

I help out on the local shoot. The girls don't eat it anymore, they don't really like it. As said before Pigeon is nicer.

I don't consider pheasants as airgun quarry although it is a better way to thin out the males at the end of the season.
Pheasants don't do very well in the wild.

[Bellycrawler]

I've had the odd one with air rifles & shotguns, most of the Pheasants I've seen have been walking around in front of me & had to shooo them out of the way.

[angrybear]

Not sure if they can be called pests . They are classed as livestock .

From the new General license.

Livestock’ is as defined in section 27(1) of the 1981 [Wildlife and Countryside] Act. For the purpose of this licence, this expression also includes game birds kept in an enclosure or which are free roaming but remain significantly dependent on the provision of food, water or shelter by a keeper for their survival. This does not include supplementary feeding.”

The pheasants on my land and probably many others, are wild, not reared so the above does not apply,
but I'm sure if you farm next door to a shoot that releases thousands they would do enough crop damage to qualify as a pest.

On the subject of eating them, I remember a hen flying in to a window & breaking it's neck, Knowing I didn't like them I took the breast & cut it up for the cat, which also refused to eat it