Thread: Would it be cruel?

Would it be cruel to mention that one of my regular jobs is bird and rabbit control at the local airport?
What if I also mentioned that we have permits to shoot any bird (as long as it's not a fully protected species) at any time?

Not cruel?

Great, then you will enjoy hearing about my early morning job today.
There's been reports of big mobs of Canada geese sitting on the runway over night so off we went this morning at around 5.30, out onto the apron, off up the side of the runway and within seconds there's a hare sitting by a clump of scrub. A nice Pfft from the suppressed .22 ended that.
One down.
Drove around the airport for a while and parked up for a few minutes to take some pics of the sunrise and first light hitting the Island, just put the camera down and the honking started.
Checking out the skyline when a mob of about 20 geese curl round some trees, cut low over the top of us and land about 50m away on the grass. I made a quick sneak, hiding myself behind a sign, popped out and BANG.
Two down.

By now it's getting close to time for the AirNZ flight to leave so we drove back across to the other side of the airport. As the plane taxied up the runway we spotted another hare hiding beside some light fittings. The Dash took to the air and before he'd cleared the coast we headed out towards the runway and around to get a safe backstop. Let go another little pfft and another hare goes in the back of the ute.

The best part of this is I'll be back at last light or a bit after dark tonight for another go at them.

Oh yeah, almost got a Pheasant too but he made it back into the gorse before I could line him up.

I want your job!

I def want your job !

None of you can have it
Trust me, most of the time you don't want my job. Take Wednesday as an example, scorching hot and I had to spend most of the day in ceilings treating borer, fully suited up including gloves and a mask.
We help to make up for the birds we shoot there by doing other jobs like trapping rats and stoats along streams and around ponds or areas of scrub and trees along the expressway.

Yeah, there is the down side

Which is why I don't live in Alexandra, just visit it twice a year.

Well I didn't get out last night. The kids have played with my spotlight.
I'll have to wait and go back Tuesday morning again.

Spur wing plovers are the worst threat

They are like a fighter jet with sidewinder missiles! Good eating when they are shot in the head though :-)

My colleague and I were greatly entertained at lunchtime today...a young Harrier did the drone hover, wheeled around then dropped like a stone...he missed a sizeable rabbit which ran towards us and carried on taking shelter under the office...

Originally Posted by Friwi

They are like a fighter jet with sidewinder missiles! Good eating when they are shot in the head though :-)

An old hunter told me that they were great to eat...I know the eggs are lovely...the raucous bird's one redeeming feature to my mind...

That is messy Sean. Is that one of your dads head shots gone wrong?