What's massacred my koi?

[captivebolt]

PLEASE goodnhot don't even think about an airgun in this context. A shotgun with heavy shot or a .22lr is minimal. No matter how much damage the raider is causing you have an absolute moral duty to use a method of dispatch which causes as little suffering as possible, and an airgun is far too weak to give a clean death.
I speak as a shooter.

Captivebolt

[Jason Green]

Morning Tania, and vwelcome to WAB!

Originally Posted by goodnhot

Thanks for reply I totally sympathise!! if the airgun was at hand we would have been less 1 pond raider too, whatever it may have been.

For the sake of clarity, are you saying you'd have used an airgun on whatever species had been after your fish?

Originally Posted by bigdave60dog

Could be cats or otter but the balance of probability says that it would be a mink. They are everywhere after being set free from fur farms by well meaning people of very low intellect

...or people that could have been educated in what those Mustellids are capable of. Please don't just write people off as 'Of low intellect', because they may just not have been aware... possible, maybe. Anyway, I think we should all hold off suggestions of Mink, unless we have a good photograph with agreement all round that the species in question is a Mink. It may just as easily be an Otter in the right location. Just out of interest - why had no-one asked for a general location (it may help with identifying it), or even suggested netting be placed over the top of the pond?

Good luck with it all, Tania - keep us posted

Take care,

Jason

[Jason Green]

Originally Posted by Jason Green

Just out of interest - why had no-one asked for a general location (it may help with identifying it)

Sorry, scrap that - been a busy morning and missed the mention of Suffolk in the first post. Still, I would exclude Heron, Otter, etc.

[goodnhot]

Originally Posted by captivebolt

PLEASE goodnhot don't even think about an airgun in this context. A shotgun with heavy shot or a .22lr is minimal. No matter how much damage the raider is causing you have an absolute moral duty to use a method of dispatch which causes as little suffering as possible, and an airgun is far too weak to give a clean death.
I speak as a shooter.

Captivebolt

Hi there CB,
Oh my gosh, please ignore my stupid flippant & ill advised remark on despatching pond raider! I have not & do not shoot, my husband is a licensed shotgun holder & the grandson of a very old family of gamekeepers, rest assured nothing untoward or morally questionable will happen.
Pond covered & under guard, if the culprit reappears i'll post an update.
In the light of recent events in Cumbria you raise a sensible & responsible point.
Thanks & all the best
Tania

[goodnhot]

Originally Posted by Jason Green

Morning Tania, and vwelcome to WAB!



For the sake of clarity, are you saying you'd have used an airgun on whatever species had been after your fish?



...or people that could have been educated in what those Mustellids are capable of. Please don't just write people off as 'Of low intellect', because they may just not have been aware... possible, maybe. Anyway, I think we should all hold off suggestions of Mink, unless we have a good photograph with agreement all round that the species in question is a Mink. It may just as easily be an Otter in the right location. Just out of interest - why had no-one asked for a general location (it may help with identifying it), or even suggested netting be placed over the top of the pond?

Good luck with it all, Tania - keep us posted

Take care,

Jason

Hi Jason,

Thanks for your reply, I 100% assure you that my ill advised remark was just that & I have no intentions of using anytype of gun on the culprit, should it reappear. Funny enough, in the cold light of day I would far rather know that it may have been an otter than the cat alternative. Should it turn out to be a cat he'll definately have to take his chances with a very fast & cat averse dog tho'. (Pls dont beat me down on that, c'mon!).
We have the pond covered again & a hard lesson learnt, will post an update if the suspect reappears.
Thankyou for all the advice, all the best
Tania