24th Nov 2020
I am controlling hooded crows and magpies on a farm to help protect sheep and lambs during lambing time. Hooded crows will pray on young lambs or even fully grown sheep who can get stuck on their backs when heavily pregnant unable to protect themselves. The crows will generally go for the soft tissue areas like the eyes tongue and anus and i have seen the damage they can do myself, this wont kill the sheep right away but will leave it weak and injured with a long suffering death unless found by the farmer.
Magpies and crows will also take any eggs or fledglings of ground nesting birds that they find.
These birds can legally be shot all year round through the Department Of Agriculture, Environment And Rural Affairs Wildlife (Northern Ireland) Order 1985 (As Amended) Licence.
This Licence hereby authorizes for the purpose of preventing the spread of disease and preventing serious damage to livestock, foodstuffs for livestock, crops, vegetables, fruit, growing timber and fisheries ANY AUTHORIZED PERSON to kill or take any of the following birds:-
Crow, Gull (Greater Black-backed), Gull (Herring), Gull (Lesser Black-backed), Jackdaw, Magpie, Pigeon (Wood), Pigeon (Feral), Rook, Sparrow (House), Starling.
This was on farmland that i have permission to shoot on with a legally held air rifle in a legal and humane manner and not to prolong or glorify the death of the birds.
Rifle FX Crown .22cal 30ft/lb+
Scope Bushnell Elite Tactical 2.5-16x42
Ammo H&N .218 21grain Slugs
Range Finder Bushnell Scout 1000
The Bush chair hide
Side Shot scope cam mount
Firefly SE8 scope cam