Pink footed goose

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Pink footed goose

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wipka84

Joined: 07 Feb 2009
Posts: 221
Location: Essex, UK

Posted: Fri Nov 11, 11 5:43 pm Post subject: Pink footed goose

I am being offered a pink footed goose that's been shot.

Not being a shooting fellow I have two questions that I'd appreciate someone helping me with:

a) is this bird fair game, or does it come under any protection. I dont want to encourage illegal shooting. Reason for asking is i noticed that it is amber listed on RSPB website
b) if it's considered a sporting bird, are they any good and if so, can they be treated like any other goose. if no good shall i just politely decline citing lack of freezer space.

Thanks for your help in advance.

Dan

lettucewoman

Joined: 26 Sep 2006
Posts: 7834
Location: Tiptoe in the Forest!!

Posted: Fri Nov 11, 11 5:50 pm Post subject:
They are protected.

Treacodactyl
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 25795
Location: Jumping on the bandwagon of opportunism

Posted: Fri Nov 11, 11 5:54 pm Post subject:
I'm not an expert but it seems quite common to shoot pink-foot geese, according the BASC they can be shot during the open season (now) so it's fair game. https://www.basc.org.uk//en/departments/game-and-gamekeeping/game-shooting/shooting-seasons.cfm No idea about cooking although a quick google should show up some recipes.

lettucewoman

Joined: 26 Sep 2006
Posts: 7834
Location: Tiptoe in the Forest!!

Posted: Fri Nov 11, 11 6:15 pm Post subject:

lettucewoman wrote:

They are protected.

OK maybe not...as migratory birds I thought they came under the same rules as barnacle geese and whooper swans

...found this though...
Schedule 3 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and our
licence permitting sales of dead birds together mean that you can
sell most birds of most species except Gadwall, Goldeneye,
Canada Goose, Greylag Goose, Pink-footed Goose, White-fronted
Goose, Moorhen, Barnacle Goose and Greenland White-fronted
Goose. However it is very important to remember that this licence
does not allow sales for human consumption, and it only allows sales of small numbers of birds, such as might be used in
taxidermy.

and this....Pink-footed Geese are protected by a number of
national and international laws, conventions and
directives. The species is currently placed on the
�Amber� list of �The Population Status of Birds in the
UK�.
For future conservation and management of this
population to remain effective, greater long-term
commitment is needed towards monitoring
programmes and research. In particular, there is a
need to review methodological aspects of the
autumn census, to undertake more frequent and
systematic counts away from this period, to enhance
and extend current ringing activity, to refine
methods of estimating annual reproductive success,
and to monitor better and understand the impact of
hunting on the dynamics of this population.

wipka84

Joined: 07 Feb 2009
Posts: 221
Location: Essex, UK

Posted: Fri Nov 11, 11 6:31 pm Post subject:

hmmmn... bit confused.

I am being offered it for free, no payment or other exchange being involved.

So I guess it can be shot and eaten, although not shot and sold that'd be ok?

Essentially I like birds and animals and where it's fair game, I am happy to take one and eat it. However, on the same basis, I dont want to eat something or encourage shooting something that was illegally acquired.

Not sure whether morally I am any clearer.

Treacodactyl
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 25795
Location: Jumping on the bandwagon of opportunism

Posted: Fri Nov 11, 11 6:42 pm Post subject:

The various laws around shooting are often muddled and rather ancient, for example I can shoot pigeons if they're pests but I can't shoot one for the pot, I can shoot a pest pigeon and sell it, I can shoot a pest crow but I can't sell it.

Anyway, it sounds like being given it as a gift is fine legally and now it's dead it would be a shame not to eat it. After looking into it if you're worried about their sustainability then I'd have a word with whoever is offering it and suggest they don't shot them.

Having said that, from memory, the can form large flocks and cause a large amount of damage.

Colin & Jan

Joined: 03 Mar 2006
Posts: 203
Location: Dover, Kent

Posted: Fri Nov 11, 11 7:24 pm Post subject:

Evening all

Pinkfeet geese are legitimate quarry in the UK and can be shot between 1st Sept and 31st Jan (20th Feb below the high water mark). It is however, illegal to sell wild geese; there is a move afoot to change the law, although this may only be in relation to Canada geese. As a shooting man I hope they don't change the law as greed will take over and we will see wholesale slaughter.

The eating qualities of Pinkfeet like all wildfowl are dependant on age and what they are currently feeding on. I pluck down the breast bone, then with a sharp knife slice through the skin and peel back leaving the breast meat exposed. With the sharp knife cut down either side of the bone and fillet the two breasts off. If you wish the legs can be removed for stock or soup.

madcat

Joined: 24 May 2008
Posts: 1265
Location: worcester

Posted: Sat Nov 12, 11 1:00 pm Post subject:
shooting canada geese would be a good thing,they are an utter pest.They deposit prodigous amounts of crap everywhere and have made some quite usefull mooring places unpleasant.They do not belong here and must be pushing out some native species

Kenworth

Joined: 04 Apr 2011
Posts: 855
Location: Michigan

Posted: Sat Nov 12, 11 8:28 pm Post subject:

madcat wrote:

shooting canada geese would be a good thing,they are an utter pest.They deposit prodigous amounts of crap everywhere and have made some quite usefull mooring places unpleasant.They do not belong here and must be pushing out some native species

They have created the same nusiance here. We have 2 seasons here to kill them with permits.

Don't forget to save the down for craft projects!

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