PIGEON FAVOUR TO FARMERS

I was surprised and disappointed to see J. Scott urging people to desist from shooting woodpigeon during the summer months (Letters, 6 September).

Woodpigeon and other pest species are shot under general licence. The general licence was not issued to allow “sport” shooting, but to prevent severe and sustained damage to crops by birds such as woodpigeon. This causes huge financial losses to farmers throughout the UK and most of this occurs during the cereal sowing/growing season — the spring and summer months.

To urge people to desist from shooting these birds during this period shows a lack of understanding of seriousness of the damage caused by them, and a shocking insensitivity to farmers who suffer the losses. I was born on a farm and I know from first-hand experience just how heartbreaking the damage caused by pigeons can be.

10 • SHOOTING TIMES & COUNTRY MAGAZINE

Mr Hudson’s German wirehaired pointers on duty on the grouse moor