Jaques d'Alltrades wrote:


I believe you are correct - you have to be able to show that you've
tried to discourage them until you're at your wit's end, now you come to
mention it.

The local Head Keeper was commenting on this quite recently.


The wording of the new general licences did give this impression. Of course,
DEFRA said that it was the reader that was at fault, and that was not what
they meant. Despite being in the right, they did change the wording so us
poor old proles could understand:

" Defra has today published changes to its guidance on the control of bird
species under the so-called "general licence" following some
misinterpretation of the new system.

Some landowners and other stakeholders had interpreted new guidance
published to coincide with the recent review of the Wildlife and
Countryside Act to mean that they would have to try non lethal means of
pest control and to demonstrate the fact before resorting to shooting
species on the general licence.

This is not the case and was not the intention of the new guidance. It has
always been the case under the 1981 Act that the killing of birds on the
general licence has only been permitted where there is no other
satisfactory solution for specific purposes, for example, preventing damage
to crops or protecting public health and safety. That is because of legal
obligations under the 1979 EC Birds Directive. In an attempt to clarify
this in the new guidance, the impression was given of a change in how the
general licences may be used. In order to clear up this misunderstanding
the Department has changed, with immediate effect, the wording of paragraph
four of the WLF 18, WLF 100085, WLF 100088 general licences to -

"This Licence can only be relied on in circumstances where the authorised
person is satisfied that appropriate non-lethal methods of control such as
scaring are either ineffective or impracticable."

Nature Conservation Minister, Ben Bradshaw, said:

"I hope that by making this change it is now clear to those who use general
licences that there has been no change in how they may deal with pest
species. Landowners, gamekeepers and others will continue to be able to
shoot species listed on the general licence if they believe that to be the
most sensible course of action. "

British Association of Shooting and Conservation, the UK's largest shooting
organisation representing 122,000 people said " BASC welcomes this
clarification which makes it very plain that lawful pest control can
continue". "

from :http://www.defra.gov.uk/news/2005/050309c.htm

--
"In Christianity neither morality nor religion come into contact with
reality at any point."
-- Friedrich Nietzsche

Many thanks, guys, for all the replies and suggestions (especially the
yummy recipe!). Never anticipated such a huge response!

Just to address a couple of points:
a) I'm not a total novice to air-guns, just a little "rusty". Used to use
one to shoot rats and other vermin on my uncle's farm when a teenager, many
years ago!

b) Not looking to exterminate the entire wildlife population to protect my
plants. I'm looking to get rid of the pigeons and squirrels who are taking
up all the "goodies" I leave out for the blackbirds, sparrows, tits and
other various, very welcome and non verminous wildbirds that visit. I have a
huge wood at the bottom of my garden full of said pigeons and squirrels and
would rather them stay there than start infesting my garden and eventually
my house! If you've ever had a squirrel in your roofspace you know what I'm
talking about!

Clive in Kent

"Clive in Kent @hotmail.com" cliverholdenremove wrote in message
...
Many thanks, guys, for all the replies and suggestions (especially the
yummy recipe!). Never anticipated such a huge response!

Just to address a couple of points:
a) I'm not a total novice to air-guns, just a little "rusty". Used to use
one to shoot rats and other vermin on my uncle's farm when a teenager,
many years ago!

b) Not looking to exterminate the entire wildlife population to protect my
plants. I'm looking to get rid of the pigeons and squirrels who are taking
up all the "goodies" I leave out for the blackbirds, sparrows, tits and
other various, very welcome and non verminous wildbirds that visit. I have
a huge wood at the bottom of my garden full of said pigeons and squirrels
and would rather them stay there than start infesting my garden and
eventually my house! If you've ever had a squirrel in your roofspace you
know what I'm talking about!

Clive in Kent

Better than bats on one's belfrey......altho the quirrels are a bluddy pest
they can be quite interesting with their habits...we have loads of fun
watching them....we too have woods at the bottom of our garden....the little
red squirrels are darlings to watch....almost as fun to watch as the
chipmunks....both take peanuts from our hands or laps.....oh, by no means am
I against shooting unwanted invaders...am an old hand with a gun....used to
be a qualified marksman in the Royal Navy.....still like to practice with my
favorite being rabbits and groundhogs which are worse for the garden than a
whole bunch of crows or squirrels or what have you..........H

Harold Walker wrote:
[...]
....the little red squirrels are darlings to watch....almost as
fun to watch as the chipmunks....[...]

Ah, lucky man! I doubt if as many as half the people of GB have ever
_seen_ a red squirrel: the N American grey squirrel has taken over
(maybe since you were here last?), and they're the ones people are
getting worked up about.

There was a small population of chipmunks in Britain for a while,
escaped from somewhere; but they've died out. Groundhogs, thank
goodness, haven't got a foothold.

--
Mike.

"Mike Lyle" wrote in message
...
Harold Walker wrote:
[...]
....the little red squirrels are darlings to watch....almost as
fun to watch as the chipmunks....[...]

Ah, lucky man! I doubt if as many as half the people of GB have ever
_seen_ a red squirrel: the N American grey squirrel has taken over
(maybe since you were here last?), and they're the ones people are
getting worked up about.

There was a small population of chipmunks in Britain for a while,
escaped from somewhere; but they've died out. Groundhogs, thank
goodness, haven't got a foothold.

--
Mike.

Last time there was 2002...next time will be 2005....what is also fun to
watch is the coyote trying to catch a grey squirrel...so far we have not
seen any success story...altho when going thru the woods at the back of the
house we see coyote feces with grey hair mixed in...an obvious sign of
success....we dont have a stray cat problem as the coyotes like them too
much...H

In article ,
"Harold Walker" writes:
|
| Last time there was 2002...next time will be 2005....what is also fun to
| watch is the coyote trying to catch a grey squirrel...so far we have not
| seen any success story...altho when going thru the woods at the back of the
| house we see coyote feces with grey hair mixed in...an obvious sign of
| success....we dont have a stray cat problem as the coyotes like them too
| much...H

Well, if we hear of them being introduced into the Isle of Wight,
we shall know who to blame :-)


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

The message
from "Harold Walker" contains these words:

Last time there was 2002...next time will be 2005....what is also fun to
watch is the coyote trying to catch a grey squirrel...so far we have not
seen any success story...altho when going thru the woods at the back of the
house we see coyote feces with grey hair mixed in...an obvious sign of
success....we dont have a stray cat problem as the coyotes like them too
much...H

Our bull terrier (back in the '50s) caught and killed a grey squirrel
within a couple of feet of a Douglas fir.

--
Rusty
Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar.
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/