Reply to: Buying land (in the UK)

[quackhandle]

You could look after/maintain some land that isn't being looked after and after 12 years it's yours.

Google Adverse Possession.

qh

[zoco]

...I just want to hunt because it's my instinct as a man (even since childhood). We're hunter-gatherers.


PS: I'm not MF.

And then you tell us you didn't get your leg over until you were in your twenties :

[Old Hack]

Had my first go at clay pigeon shooting over the weekend. Good fun that.

We did this at my stag, and yes, a lot of fun it is. Best do it on the first morning though, not the second

[MarillionFan]

Wood pigeon is properly nice. Can over cook easily though, as you say. I like to flatten them out, and put some porcini mushrooms inside, then roll up to make a roulade of them. Then roll them about in some hot butter to seal, 10 mins at 180 and they're delightful with a bit of red wine jus.

Better still, simply the price of a bullet/pellet. Shotguns make too much mess, and anything bigger bore is just overkill.

Had my first go at clay pigeon shooting over the weekend. Good fun that.

[Old Hack]

Good agricultural land costs about £12k an acre, although I read in an article this weekend, that lots of people are investing in agricultural land, and they expect it to go up to about £20k an acre by 2020. Might be an idea to chuck in 100k into it.

You can buy land, with a bit of a wooded area, on hills, etc, for around £5k an acre, but for Good land, flat, irrigated, good drainage, easy access, etc, 12k is about where it's at.

[Old Hack]

Fry the breasts for about half a minute each side (less for really small ones) so they're still pink on the inside and serve with fresh lettuce with vinaigrette; perhaps chuck some beetroot in the vinaigrette when you make it so that will infuse in the sauce.

Wood pigeon breast is delicious. You need to get out to the country more AtW and discover these delights.

I've got a recipe for squirrel too if you like.

Wood pigeon is properly nice. Can over cook easily though, as you say. I like to flatten them out, and put some porcini mushrooms inside, then roll up to make a roulade of them. Then roll them about in some hot butter to seal, 10 mins at 180 and they're delightful with a bit of red wine jus.

Better still, simply the price of a bullet/pellet. Shotguns make too much mess, and anything bigger bore is just overkill.

[MarillionFan]

PS: I'm not MF.

And neithers my wife.

[Mich the Tester]

Fry the breasts for about half a minute each side (less for really small ones) so they're still pink on the inside and serve with fresh lettuce with vinaigrette; perhaps chuck some beetroot in the vinaigrette when you make it so that will infuse in the sauce.

Wood pigeon breast is delicious. You need to get out to the country more AtW and discover these delights.

I've got a recipe for squirrel too if you like.

[AtW]

Pigeons are incredibly easy to eat as well. Pop a .22 into them, and then as they're on the floor, literally use your thumbs to pull their chest apart, the skin and feathers tear, part and then you just whip out their breasts with a leatherman. No messy entrails or anything. Taste great too. Well, not too sure about those flying rats in Trafalgar Square, but out in the sticks they do.

[Mich the Tester]

Pigeons are incredibly easy to eat as well. Pop a .22 into them, and then as they're on the floor, literally use your thumbs to pull their chest apart, the skin and feathers tear, part and then you just whip out their breasts with a leatherman. No messy entrails or anything. Taste great too. Well, not too sure about those flying rats in Trafalgar Square, but out in the sticks they do.

whs

Agricultural land is probably a good long term investment too.


Oo aarr.

[Old Hack]

Why don't you buy a hard shell breif case and just go pigeon swotting in Trafalgar Square?

Just walk toward one, stamp your foot and when the feathered vermin goes to fly off ... Blam...

Should get at least two or three before they drag your sick arse off to charing cross nick.

Pigeons are incredibly easy to eat as well. Pop a .22 into them, and then as they're on the floor, literally use your thumbs to pull their chest apart, the skin and feathers tear, part and then you just whip out their breasts with a leatherman. No messy entrails or anything. Taste great too. Well, not too sure about those flying rats in Trafalgar Square, but out in the sticks they do.

[bobspud]

AtW - I respect your assertion of your values.


I could say that the reason I want to hunt is because some pigeons crapped all over me one morning as I walked from Liverpool St. station into work in the City (about 13 years ago). I had to go and buy a new pair of trousers & shirt (cost about fifty quid) because it was still cheaper than going home and losing billable hours...

...or I could say that the reason I want to hunt is because rats and pigeons spread disease and I've read that magpies peck the eyes out of baby lambs, even as they are being born...

...but to be honest...

...I just want to hunt because it's my instinct as a man (even since childhood). We're hunter-gatherers. That said, I do respect the quarry though. Certainly don't want to go around maiming animals and causing suffering. A good hunter only fires a shot if he/she is confident of a clean killl.


PS: I'm not MF.

Why don't you buy a hard shell breif case and just go pigeon swotting in Trafalgar Square?

Just walk toward one, stamp your foot and when the feathered vermin goes to fly off ... Blam...

Should get at least two or three before they drag your sick arse off to charing cross nick.

[KentPhilip]

I always wanted to get into shooting.

Why don't you just join a clay pidgeon shooting club. Just google "shooting club"?

Learn to do it properly - that way you won't accidentally kill yourself or anyone around you. Like Dick Cheney nearly did.

[AtW]

Which do you think is more distressing to a magpie?:

1) Being clawed & slashed to death over a period of a minute or two by the tallons & beak of a sparrow-hawk (or other bird of prey).

2) Being killed almost instantly by a .22 lead pellet travelling at 600 feet-per-second hitting it in the head.

I am confident that 9 out of 10 magpies would prefer to be slowly eaten by a sparrow-hawk than to be insta-killed by you.

Birds of tough character them magpies.

[scooterscot]

Interesting idea. Perhaps I could rent a country house that has suitable land attached, just for a week or two as a "shooting holiday". Not sure about Skye though, because it's just too far away and would cost me a fortune to get there & back.

You might find what you're looking for on airbnb.co.uk


Incidentally getting up to Skye from Glasgow is not much of a problem these days with this service: Loch Lomond Seaplanes - Home