Are mallards edible?

[nickg]

yes they are very edible..no licence is needed to hunt duck (which are on the game list)...teal,mallard,wigeon etc) but there is a season in which you can take then. look on the www.basc.co.uk web site for all info.

how are you intending to hunt them ?

That should be http://www.basc.org.uk/ folks

Cheers
Nick

 

[crimsonred]

pheasants are also on a closed season, but from what i've been told, if the landowner has given you permission, you can shoot them all year round. is that true?

 

[Rychard]

all duck and geese have a closed season to allow them to breed they can be shoot sep 1 to jan 31 inland and sep feb 20 below the high tide line

 

[Ryecroft]

Any gamekeepers nearby, they will help you, take you on a shoot.

Mine did, he's a good-un though.

 

[ged]

pheasants are also on a closed season, but from what i've been told, if the landowner has given you permission, you can shoot them all year round. is that true?

I don't quite see what the point of a closed season would be if people could make money letting you shoot on their land out of season by just giving you permission.

There's an exception in section 3 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act which might explain what you've heard if it had been misunderstood. But it's about "Areas of special protection" and restrictions over and above the normal closed season. See for example http://www.jncc.gov.uk/page-3614 There are also exceptions for deer, basically for farmers and other landowners to prevent the deer doing too much damage to crops etc., but it isn't just a matter of ownership. Of course things might be different if your grandmother happens to be the Queen.

Anyway, I think this discussion might be better taken to one of the shooters' sites. Although you won't find much meat on a willow tit, pretty well any bird is edible so the bushcraft aspects have been fairly well covered.

 

[Dark_Lighter]

Its also illegal for you to shoot lead shot/pellet in the direction of a body of water. So make sure you're sporting and try to take the duck in flight.