Covert corvid control
Though crop protection is a job I usually carry out with a 12-bore, the airgun has been the tool of choice on several occasions this autumn.
When pigeon and corvids are hammering seed drillings, a shotgun enables me not only to take birds on the wing but also to make lots of noise — so even when I miss birds I’m still driving them away. The disturbance caused by a booming 12-bore isn’t always welcome, though, especially when the crop is close to houses. In this scenario, an airgun provides a discreet solution, and I recently wrote about a memorable day shooting pigeon and crows over maize stubbles with an air rifle (Add crows for luck, 21 October).
This week I found myself
