Top tips for pigeons

Andy Crow shares some details about his shooting background and gives essential advice for controlling pigeons on your patch

- Andy Crow

In this first article with Andy 'Crowman' Crow, we thought it would be nice to give you - our readers - the pleasure of getting to know him a little better. Many of you will have watched Andy's exploits on YouTube over the years and read about him in the shooting press, so he's far from the new kid on the block; nevertheless, he is new to this magazine, and from here on in he will be supplementing Geoff Garrod's offering with a monthly dose of stories, tips and advice on pigeon and corvid control. So, without further ado, meet Andy Crow...

Shooting background

"For those who don't know me, I am an arable farmer on the Kent/Surrey border, and I have been all my life. I began shooting when I was about six years old, using an old air rifle to shoot rabbits and rats, and by the time I was seven I was learning the ropes with a .410 shotgun. By the age of eight or nine I was really getting the hang of it. My granddad and uncle would shoot pigeons from a hide and they'd position me under a nearby tree for the day so I could shoot any pigeons that landed in the branches. I have moved on since then, and I can shoot the odd one in flight now... if I'm having a good day!"

Why you shoot pigeons

"As is the case for most farmers, I shoot the pigeons for crop protection. Pigeons are the main pest now - it used to be rabbits, but there's not so many around these days and it's pigeons that do the bulk of the damage. They can absolutely destroy a crop if you don't stay on top of them.

"I shoot them all through the year, at any time they're doing damage. It's been a bit lean over the past few months, but they have recently started to build in numbers and, in terms of shooting opportunities, it's looking like it'll be a good summer."