wood pidgeon

[Tom Thumb]

can these be shot with an air rifle? and if so what spec would you need.

and don't worry I know there are rules about where you can use airguns and needing landowners permission etc.

[9ball]

Yes they can be shot with an air rifle, and there is no closed season for woodies. I would say you would need a .22 air rifle with a power of 12lb/sq.ft to ensure a clean kill (this is the maximum allowed before it is classed as a firearm with the appropriate licenses needed from the police). I use a SMK XS36 with a scope attatched.

PS. If you intend to shoot wild game please please please practice with targets first, make sure you can regularly hit a target, say the size of a 2p piece from 25 yards before you attempt to shoot anything live.

[MKG]

Thanks for that plea, 9ball - saves me having to do it.

[Tom Thumb]

Yes they can be shot with an air rifle, and there is no closed season for woodies. I would say you would need a .22 air rifle with a power of 12lb/sq.ft to ensure a clean kill (this is the maximum allowed before it is classed as a firearm with the appropriate licenses needed from the police). I use a SMK XS36 with a scope attatched.

PS. If you intend to shoot wild game please please please practice with targets first, make sure you can regularly hit a target, say the size of a 2p piece from 25 yards before you attempt to shoot anything live.

ok advice accepted....:-)

I'm just doing some research for all my future plans, I'm not sure how soon I'll be able to afford one of these but when I can I'll practise till I'm a good shot. I appreciate you've got to make a clean kill.

[1810ss]

They are good to eat too, so don't waste them......

[Tom Thumb]

They are good to eat too, so don't waste them......

but of course not :-)

I wouldn't kill anything if it wasn't for food, and wood pidgeons are very tasty.

does anyone know what other game worth eating that you are allowed to shoot and is sensible to do so?

[Tom Thumb]

Yes they can be shot with an air rifle, and there is no closed season for woodies. I would say you would need a .22 air rifle with a power of 12lb/sq.ft to ensure a clean kill (this is the maximum allowed before it is classed as a firearm with the appropriate licenses needed from the police). I use a SMK XS36 with a scope attatched.

PS. If you intend to shoot wild game please please please practice with targets first, make sure you can regularly hit a target, say the size of a 2p piece from 25 yards before you attempt to shoot anything live.

I just looked at the SMK XS36 online
and and actually it's not as expensive as I thought it would be. how is it powered? Is it sprung and loaded by cocking?

[1810ss]

Squirrels (non-native grey ones before anyone freaks out)- I can recommend them spatch-cocked and bbq'ed with a marmalade and orange juice marinade. They do look kind of like rats when you've prepared them, but don't let that put you off, they taste like rabbit.
Any veggies, please don't take offence, this isn't meant to be funny or offend, grey squirrels aren't native and are a ecological disaster, eating them is doing our native birds a favour.

Greg

[Rod in Japan]

There are some good crow recipes online. I had a look when I was wondering if I could pop a few of the thieving vermin around here. Unfortunately, the weaponry called for might be very hard to get here. (There's a graveyard next to my house. People come and put food gifts 'for the dead' on the graves, and as soon as they get in their cars and drive away, the crows -- their reincarnated relatives -- swoop down and squabble over the free tucker. I'm sure people would be quite distressed to see me on my balcony aiming a gun into the cemetery...)

I had wood pigeon in a fancy country pub when I was in the UK last. It was done rare and it was fairly disgusting. But I'm sure it would be very nice cooked properly, grilled or in a stew.

[old tree man]

HFW made an up a tree pie with wood pigeon and crow breast plus a chicken of the woods fungus looked tasty

russ

[9ball]

I just looked at the SMK XS36 online
and and actually it's not as expensive as I thought it would be. how is it powered? Is it sprung and loaded by cocking?

It's spring loaded, you cock it by pulling the underlever (it looks like the second barrel underneath). I managed to get mine second hand so it was a reasonable price. It's a very good air rifle for the money, although a bit heavy. Nobody's mentioned rabbits yet (all 300 million of em), which was the main reason I got mine as they are a real problem here.

This is a good website, and has a list of pest species suitable for hunting with an air rifle.