Warm Case (Graphic, not for squeamish).
- Thread starter Bushwhacker
- Start date
Used to work at a deer park, and during the calving season any calves that didn't make it would inevitably be found minus eyes. All corvids were shot on sight but they're tough to shoot!
Yep. Go for a walk without a gun and you see loads. Go with a gun and you see nothing.
I'm a big fan of corvids, I find their intelligence and behaviour fascinating. They can even count in a rudimentary way - one, more than one. Here's on old trick - three men walk into a wood, two carrying broomsticks and one carrying a gun. The man with the gun hides and the two with sticks leave the wood.
I've seen that a few times. Invariably at lambing time you'd find one or two ewes who had problems and lost their eyes to the crows while trying to deliver a breech lamb. Kind of devastating to see a newborn lamb suckling at the teat of a ewe standing there in the middle of the paddock with no eyes.
About the fact you don't see any crows when you're armed - they are one of the most clever birds out there. I've walked outside with a broom and crows will sound an alarm call and all take off, thinking they're looking at a shottie barrel. Smart mofos.
About the fact you don't see any crows when you're armed - they are one of the most clever birds out there. I've walked outside with a broom and crows will sound an alarm call and all take off, thinking they're looking at a shottie barrel. Smart mofos.
Good time for shooting branchers about now Bushwacker. Always an easy way of reducing corvid populations as the hatchlings move out along the branches but can't yet fly. Almost the reason the .410 was invented! Wipe out all the young (including any second clutch) for a couple of years and it'll make a huge dent in the losses. Much easier than decoying the adults.
You wouldn't believe the amount of empty eggs on our patch of shooting. I shoot them whenever I can, but it isn't easy. As Red said, fun creeping through the trees with a .410.
Great piece of kit. A pub I used to drink in (now closed) had a collection on the wall. Most were cut down even further and were alledgedly seized by a local keeper. I assume they were deactivated.... Had paper shells displayed next to them!
Taking them sub 24" barrels makes them section 1 nowadays. I have section 1 shotguns but, to be honest, the longer barrel gets a bit more out of the .410 cartridge. It still sits nicely in an inside pocket and shortening the barrel doesn't shorten the overall gun much (when folded). Its mostly used for a pocket vermin gun which it does nicely
These were displayed as curios, along with rusty bill hooks and other country type items. Would love to find out where it all went when they shut up shop.
Think there was an old .410 walking cane too. Would imagine this would be a section 5 so must have been a deact.
Think there was an old .410 walking cane too. Would imagine this would be a section 5 so must have been a deact.
Not necessarily 
Walking Stick Gun by British Red, on Flickr
Walking Stick Gun Breech by British Red, on Flickr
Walking Stick Gun by British Red, on Flickr
Walking Stick Gun Breech by British Red, on Flickr
Not necessarily
Walking Stick Gun by British Red, on Flickr
Walking Stick Gun Breech by British Red, on Flickr
Ooh, I like that. An old major in the village I grew up in had one of these. He used to walk his drive every day popping off squirrels when he wasn't firing rock salt at us kids.
Its a nice wee toy - The trigger is a pop up under a sliding collet
Walking Stick Gun Trigger by British Red, on Flickr
The political correctness mob don't like them these days - but still legal as part of a collection on a section 2. That one belongs to my buddy. I will have it one day though!
Walking Stick Gun Trigger by British Red, on Flickr
The political correctness mob don't like them these days - but still legal as part of a collection on a section 2. That one belongs to my buddy. I will have it one day though!
Thanks for the pic. I live in Tasmania Australia and have seen crows do this also. If a ewe gets stuck on her side of a night Tasmanian Devils will come in and eat the poor buggers alive. Worst I seen while working as a farm hand was a ewe stuck on her side and devils had eaten one side of her face and bite marks on her udder and back end. Still alive when we found her early the next morning.
