DEFRA - General Licences - 2008

[The Shootist]

DEFRA have now published the updated 2008 General Licences online:

General Licences

Regards
Tony

[MacOne]

Thanks Tony

[jol]

How do you obtain a licsence r permit to shoot these birds. Thanks

[SammoB]

Hi Jol

It's a general licence, so there's no need to apply for one or even have a copy of one on you when you're out shooting.

You do need to comply with it though, so it's definately worth reading, and checking it each year in case something has changed from the previous year.

Bri

[jol]

ok thanks m8.

[Teak]

Cheers m8 always worth having in your back pocket when out shooting.

[Sporter]

Well done TS. We should all read and take in the provisions for which these birds can be shot. You may one day need to know this if you are ever challenged out on your shoot or if your back garden is big enough and your having some trouble.

[rossandjet]

Originally Posted by The Shootist

DEFRA have now published the updated 2005 General Licences online:

General Licences

Regards
Tony

I notice that Canada geese are now on the general licence, are we allowed to shoot these with lead shot, airguns and other firearms.? Non-toxic goose shells are bloody expensive for shooting vermin.

[One Shot]

Originally Posted by jol

How do you obtain a licsence r permit to shoot these birds. Thanks

It's very simple mate, you just download it, save it and print it off as i did a couple of months back - i keep them in my shooting folder that's with when i go shooting. That's all there is to it. Oh, and it will help you to have permission to shoot on land - this makes you an "authorized person" in regards to the licences.

In fact, when i showed them (i downloaded and printed off all four licences) to the landownwer prior to securing my shoot, both him and his wife were very impressed. They thought was brilliant that i had bothered to have copies - they have been aproached by a few people for pest control but it would seem that i was the most responsible in thier eyes.

The other thing that went well with them is that i went to the land registry web site and paid the £2 fee to get a copy of the title plan of thier land - again, this showed them that i was very interested and serious in my outlook.

Every little helps.

[zafox]

I was doing a bit of research on these liscenses and found this slightly worrying paragraph on the Durham Police website.

Shooters should acquaint themselves with The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (WCA) and particular note should be made of the restriction imposed by Section 5, which makes it an offence to use an automatic or semi-automatic weapon which has a magazine capacity of more than two rounds, to kill any wild bird. The definition also encompasses Section 1 (Firearms Act 1968 as amended) pump-action and semi-automatic shotguns, and any rifles whether bolt-action, pump-action or semi-automatic, with such magazines, including air weapons.