I Love Crows

[KingPoker]

Because they have an awful reputation round young lambs and dying sheep of pecking their eyes out.

I suppose it is a huge exaggeration to say i kill them all the time but if we're out shooting and there are no rabbits around, we look for crows.

And personally i would much rather see some bird of prey like a red kite.

Dont see the fascination in crows, rooks and ravens yes because they are much more intelligent and bigger.

Do you not feel bad or remorseful when you shoot a bird? Or a rabbit?

I only kill pests which are what crows and rabbits are, and the odd fox. I dont like shooting foxes because i admire their cunning and they are close to dogs which of course i love. Crows i see as cruel animals.
And rabbits well i dont like killing them either but if you could see the damage they do when they get to such numbers as they do around here then they must be culled. I never shoot rabbits when they have got very young offspring. I never feel remorseful only if i think the animal has suffered which isnt very often as empahasis is on clean kills.

I consider myself an animal lover so dont particularly enjoy killing any animal but i enjoy the thrill of the hunt, the markmanship side of shooting and the general male bravado of going shooting with your mates!

Come the Revolution, I'll organise it so that birds, foxes & rabbits are all issued with guns.

Dont joke when we are out hunting we have this running joke about going over a hump and there are about 20 rabbits with baseball bats ready to kick our arse!!!

[AndrewT]

Come the Revolution, I'll organise it so that birds, foxes & rabbits are all issued with guns.

Better be quick - the cats are already tooled up.

   

[KingPoker]

And the rabbits are putting some serious time in down the gym!

[barhell]

I met that Tikay of the telly you know.

[boldie]

And the rabbits are putting some serious time in down the gym!

yeah the same gym Kev uses

[barhell]

I did too.

Click to see full-size image.

[KingPoker]

And the rabbits are putting some serious time in down the gym!

yeah the same gym Kev uses

Must be this one then

[Sark79]

Nice post Boss

I love the whole crow family, they are easily my favorite bird.  Every year, I always get a sick crow in my garden who has to get some extra care and attention ,  I always try to make sure they get a bit extra bread or food scraps.   Hopefully this year there will be no individual crow who needs help,  I am always happier when they are all fit and healthy .   

One thing that seems to be a common trait in Rooks susceptible to illness is increased size.  Over the last three or four years, every 'sick' rook who has required extra help has been larger than the rest and also seemed to have poorer eyesight.  They also appeared to have skin complaints unseen in the other birds.  Their intelligence was the same as the other group of birds, but they are weaker and can't hunt for themselves as well.  I have always thought this may be similar to giantism condition in humans, some people who are unusually tall tend to suffer from related illnesses. My saddest moment from a few summers ago was finding the sick Rook almost dead at the end of my Garden one morning when I went out to feed him.  I always regret that I didn't stay with him, instead I went in the House and wasn't really sure what to do, he died soon after when I was in the house.  Weeks before I had contacted a bird sanctuary to ask their advice, however they told me they get hundreds of similar calls each week and there was nothing they could do .  I named him Joe.

On the road between Kilmarnock and Glasgow, I always look at the posts at the side of the road and count the Birds of Prey. Over the last few years especially , there is a definite increase in the numbers I see. Almost every day I see a Bird of Prey now.  I also see Grey Heron on the River Irvine almost every day, beautiful birds.

The RSPB have a great book out now that you can loose yourself in for hours.

[tikay]

Nice post Boss

I love the whole crow family, they are easily my favorite bird.  Every year, I always get a sick crow in my garden who has to get some extra care and attention ,  I always try to make sure they get a bit extra bread or food scraps.   Hopefully this year there will be no individual crow who needs help,  I am always happier when they are all fit and healthy .   

One thing that seems to be a common trait in Rooks susceptible to illness is increased size.  Over the last three or four years, every 'sick' rook who has required extra help has been larger than the rest and also seemed to have poorer eyesight.  They also appeared to have skin complaints unseen in the other birds.  Their intelligence was the same as the other group of birds, but they are weaker and can't hunt for themselves as well.  I have always thought this may be similar to giantism condition in humans, some people who are unusually tall tend to suffer from related illnesses. My saddest moment from a few summers ago was finding the sick Rook almost dead at the end of my Garden one morning when I went out to feed him.  I always regret that I didn't stay with him, instead I went in the House and wasn't really sure what to do, he died soon after when I was in the house.  Weeks before I had contacted a bird sanctuary to ask their advice, however they told me they get hundreds of similar calls each week and there was nothing they could do .  I named him Joe.

On the road between Kilmarnock and Glasgow, I always look at the posts at the side of the road and count the Birds of Prey. Over the last few years especially , there is a definite increase in the numbers I see. Almost every day I see a Bird of Prey now.  I also see Grey Heron on the River Irvine almost every day, beautiful birds.

The RSPB have a great book out now that you can loose yourself in for hours.

I think the increase in Crows & Rooks arises from the increased amount of roadkill these days, to which, sadly, I recently contributed.

It's lovely that you care so much for wildlife & nature, it truly is. I am certainly not sniping at anyone here, but the mere thought of shooting any of natures wonderful creations just makes me feel ashamed of what we as humans have sunk to in the name of "fun". Never mind man unto man, man unto animal is worse.

[Tractor]

Shooting vermin on farm land isnt done just for fun.
Nice story Red & Sark.

[tikay]

Shooting vermin on farm land isnt done just for fun.
Nice story Red & Sark.

I consider myself an animal lover so dont particularly enjoy killing any animal but i enjoy the thrill of the hunt, the markmanship side of shooting and the general male bravado of going shooting with your mates!

That sounds to me like it's done for what I assume is "fun", though I doubt the prey see it as such.

[Tractor]

Shooting vermin on farm land isnt done just for fun.

[tikay]

Shooting vermin on farm land isnt done just for fun.

Sorry, missed the "just"......

[FlyingPig]

I dont like magpies, the only reason is a slefish one. There never used to ba any around here when I was a kid, now there are more magpies than any other bird, and they are awfully loud in the morning and sit on the gutter squawk and sqeek and wake my baby up, and I can hear them in the front of the house...

Dam birds.

Cant remember seeing a raven, and whislt on the subject of birds, do we have cuckoos in this country?

[Tractor]

Shooting vermin on farm land isnt done just for fun.

Sorry, misread the "just"......