Hi There,
I will enjoy hunting and target shooting while they are still affordable and available. But, I do feel fairly gloomy about the future of the shooting sports. Costs, population pressure, political and social changes -- all point to American shooting becoming more like the European style, a sport for the well-to-do on restricted, carefully controlled private property. I have a book of Frederic Remington paintings which were created well over a century ago, depicting hunting in the great open spaces of North America, when there was wilderness even in the Eastern part of the continent. I sometimes wish I could step into one of those paintings and never come back.
Ahhhh another misconception I see
Although there is no public land hunting except for some foreshore here in the UK it's not the preserve of the well heeled, heck my income is so low as to be non existant and my parents only own 6 acres 1 of which is the garden. We have a 5 acre field out back which is overgrown just now, it was supposed to have been disced to level it after the crop but the farmer who rented it has not done so, we want to plant trees and grass on it.
Anyway there are no deer here although I have seen them about a 1 1/2 miles away but there is not enough tree cover for them here. I have permission to hunt small parcel of land in Sussex but that is now 200 miles away since I moved up here to help my parents so I don't get down there much and without scouting regularly success is difficult plus the farm next door is now idle after being sold so the deer patterns have changed. For deer hunting I book a day or outing (morning or evening), prices vary as do success rates so finding a good guide/gamekeeper is important. My friend who I went with has had to retire due to age and ill health so I am looking for a new one to go with. We became friends over the years I hunted with him and a successful day to me is one spent in good habitat with a knowledgeable person and seeing deer, actually getting a deer is better but it is hunting and not shopping!
Now Pigeon (Dove) shooting is done here as pest control and the species is the Wood Pigeon which is much larger than your dove and is resident all ytear and in facy breeds all year although the "Squabs" (chicks) in winter don't have such a good survival rate, it all depends on the food suppply. Flocks on crops like Rape Seed can be hundreds and the damage they do can be enormous. They are normally shot over decoys from a hide and some sort of cammoflage is useful especially on the hands and face as Pigeons have excellent eyesight and pick up the pale pink of a human face easily and will then veer off. The best decoyng I understand is with a fairly stiff breeze as the bird fly more and better and well fitting shotgun is called for as there are lots of snap shots and the Wood Pigeon can fly at over 40 MPH on a calm day add some wind behind it and they really move never mind the twisting and turning in the air. Oh there is no season on Pigeons so shooting can take place all year although only in severe crop damage situations does shooting normally take place in late spring and summer due to their breeding. Bags of 300 Pigeons shot over decoys is not that uncommon.
Wildfowling has mainly become a club sport as the clubs ahve acquired the foreshore and marsh by lease or purchasing the land. This is not actually a bad thing as our marshes are dangerous for the unwary. I have never been out on the marsh and that is one thing I hope to rectify now I live near the marshes but I need to learn the indentifying flight of the different birds as some are protected and others on the quarry list. I have onyl ever shot Goose and Duck inland never on the foreshore or marsh and the Geese were Canada's and the Duck mallard. We get Mallard on our field after heavier rains as one low spot becomes a pond, the Geese were feeding on the stubble next to my little patch in Sussex and had to fly over it to reach the reservoir where they live and I got three which was plenty.
Rabbiting whether by shooting or Ferretting is another thing with no seasons in law, it only requires permission of the tennant or owner. We had quite a few rabbits on the back field but found a lot dead and dying due to an outbreak of Myximytosis (spelling?) a desease introduced to control Rabbit numbers in the 1950's and keeps coming back. Damned sciencentists
after the harvest the Rabbits ahve to gather together and if the conditions are right it breaks out and can wipe out teh rabbits locally. Sfter soem time more rabbits form other outlying areas filter in to fill the void left by this. Warm damp wheather helps the virus which is spread by fleas biting infected or carrier rabbits then biting healthy uninfected rabbits. Some rabbits recover to become carriers.
Now if you have money to burn you could try dRiven Grouse shooting on the moors of Northern England and Highlands of Scotland now that is Expensive .............. very expensive as can be hunting trophy Red Stags.
I am afraid to say that unless the human population is vastly reduced those days are long gone
there are just too many people now and a lot of those deserve the title vermin too
Sorry for it being so long but I thought you might be interested.
