However, the ancient sport of competitive live pigeon shooting is still found in some countries and I got a chance to participate in, and examine, the modern version of this old sport, first-hand on a recent trip to the United States. It was an interesting experience. money or sport. We shoot over 170,000 acres / 80,000 hectares of prime farmland in central southern Keep still until you shoot. Stand if you can to fire, then sit down as soon as possible. Good gunfit and diagnosed eye dominance are other essentials. The gun should not have excessive cast or a low comb. The latter is common in many mass-produced guns but is easily remedied with a strip of card and some vinyl tape if a gunsmith isn’t available. Keep both eyes open if your eye dominance allows it. The Secretary of State may modify or revoke this licence at any time. The Secretary of State will not do so, unless there are good reasons. Purpose of this licence

I still feel his presence alongside me in the hide withcolourful comments, some of which I don’t need like“bad shot Garfit - more lead” and others that are quitefrankly unprintable! Pigeon shooting, in shirt sleeves, in the summer is a chance to get out with the gun in the otherwise doldrum period between game seasons. There are always opportunities for clay shooting, either on charity shoots, simulated game days or just a visit to a shooting ground with a friend to keep your eye in. These can all be fun and good practice but do not compare with the excitement of shooting live quarry – and no live quarry, in my experience, compares with the challenge of shooting woodpigeons. This is a truly wild bird that demands many skills to make a bag. The heart of the hunter is fully exercised by reconnaissance, fieldcraft and a shooting experience to test the best. This bird can fly higher than any pheasant, as fast as any grouse, or it can be deceptively slow one moment and yet jink like a snipe the next. No bird can produce such a variety of interesting shots and challenges all in one day. There are not thousands on the field of peas but possibly 200 to 300, enough to do damage certainly and hopefully produce some sport tomorrow. If we get it right and shoot straight we could reduce this number effectively and enjoy a few shots.Humane’ means taking all reasonable precautions to ensure that any killing of birds under this licence is carried out in a single, swift action. ↩ I used this gun on occasions when staying with Archie and Prue if I had not got my own gun. It was a lively gun to use. When Archie died he bequeathed it to me which was a very special memento of the great man. I had the firing pins removed to render it unusable as I felt its days in action should end as had my dear friend". Authorised person’ has the same meaning given in section 27(1) of the 1981 Act. It includes the owner or occupier of the land on which action authorised by this licence is to be taken, or any person authorised by the owner or occupier. ↩

In skeet shooting, targets are launched from two houses in somewhat sideways paths that intersect in front of the shooter. As an agricultural pest, the woodpigeon can cause damage, or even devastation, to crops throughout the year and therefore is permitted on the General Licence to be shot throughout the year. Teresa Leo - Pigeon Shoot". ccat.sas.upenn.edu. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016 . Retrieved 6 January 2019. Decoys are set up on wire cradles to lift them above the crop and make them more visible to pigeons flying past. We arrange them in a random group, three or four yards apart and facing the wind. The whirly is positioned to our left as the wind, though mainly from behind, is quartering over our left shoulders when in the hide, which will tend to bring the oncoming pigeons in from our right.Permitted cage trap design’ is as defined in Trapping wild birds: standard licence conditions (GL33). ↩ Is it inhumane? No more than live-trapping feral pigeons and shooting them in the trap with an air pistol, which is perfectly legal in the UK. The objection from the outsider has always been the 'sport' had by participants involved in an activity where something is killed. It is a debate which will draw differing views but I reserve judgement. Practically, it boils down to this simple system, having gathered intelligence on what the bird is and where it is going:

If you are unsure how to proceed the easier option is to use the pull away method when breaking clays. This is the style normally taught to beginners. Swing through with us, a driven pheasant day costing much more does not even come close both in terms of value for Traps are purpose-made, spring-loaded, flywheel or rotational devices especially designed to launch the different types of targets in singles or pairs at distances of up to 100 metres.Managing pigeon numbers through shooting to prevent damage of crops is carried out in different ways at different times of year. List of medalists at the European Shotgun Championships (European Championships of Pigeon Shooting from 1929 to 1954)