BOYS CHASING OUR feathered friends in town and city centres. Drame. What would you have done.

[ScousyFogarty]

Some years ago, a true story

Boys of a youngish age chasing pidgeons; as they do....the birds usually fly off and leave the child disappoinred.

On this day.....a boy of 6-8 chased a bird which was busy feeding. He jumped on it....KILLED IT......there were a lot of people around some got very angry.....one talked of reporting the boys dad to the police.

What would you have done if you had been nearby....(anyone can give the daft answers, lets start with a few serious ones.)

Warm pigeon salad is delicious though. Pigeons are vermin, that's why Ken was allowed to rid trafalagar square of them.

My sister's friend's 3 year old DD enjoys killing insects eg snails. My sister babysits often and has told her why it is wrong to kill small insects for fun - but the child won't stop. Scarily the friend says she feels she can't trust her DD with her baby brother. The family is having serious problems - but the point is that normal, well-balanced children don't enjoy being cruel.
Personally i tell off any children i see trying to hurt animals, bullying other children or damaging people's property. It's a scary thing to do though :-(.

I would have done the same as you, OP. Hoped that they were shocked into doing better in future. I don't have a problem with DC chasing healthy birds capable of getting away, btw. If you've ever been dive-bombed by aggressive seagulls trying to nick your lunch, you soon lose sentimentality about it.

I had a massive paddy out of 3yoDS today when we wouldn't let him stomp on a ladybird (sigh).

Scouse: U R such a stirrer.

I would think this mumsnet thread has come out kinder than some

Cliff - it's woodpigeons that are the edible ones, not the nasty scratty feral pigeons - completely different species.

I'm sure you could eat feral pigeons if you were desperate but they look like they would taste of eczema and bins.

My dd chases pigeons, but I call her off if the animal seems in any way agitated or unable to fly away. She's never succeeded in getting close, despite them being London pigeons. Actually, come to think of it, she's lost interest now and is now more determined to walk on our walls.

If the boy was shocked, it sounds like it really didn't mean to do it. Let's hope his dad is taking matters in hand and talking it through at home.

hogsback that's exactly what i imagine feral pigeons would taste like.

Mmmm, hogsback, we have a pair of woodpigeons living at the bottom of our garden.

That's tea sorted, then!

carrots They are v. tasty indeed. But it's not the done thing to shoot them while they are breeding. Wait until Autumn when they are nice and fat and don't have any chicks to look after (like any other game birds.)

I know, I know, but I was basically trying wind up the op.sorry.

OK noted hogsback - though if they get much fatter they won't be able to walk!

Big Pile of Leaves
Big Pile of Sand
Big Puddle of Mud
Big Pile of Fresh Snow
Big Flock of Pidgeons

All need to be run into.According to The Oracle that is my DS

wow, I'm really surprised by the answers on this thread.

It sounds to me like the child expected the pigeon to fly away, and killed it by accident when it didn't. An accident! I think I'd have been pretty surprised and revolted had I seen it myself, but unless the kid looked as if killing it was the expected outcome, and was pleased (in which case I'd have had a right go at him) I wouldn't feel the need to say anything.

My dog loves chasing pigeons, seagulls and pheasants and it wouldn't occur to me to stop him?? Is that unreasonable??

It's make a good tale for the boy to tell in the pub in a few years.

DH has just reminded me; A couple of years ago, DS2 came wondering back to the house with a dead wood pigeon he had found. I'm now wondering if he actually jumped on it.

"(Boys seem to be natural hunter gathers at a very early age.) And,on balance, I think most women are nicer than most men. Think violence, fighting, trouble making. Women seem to be more peacemakers than men.

I would exclude top big business women from that remark. They seem to ape men. (What else can they do?)"

what the clean fuck is that about?

the phrase 'thick as champ' springs to mind.

Yes, BooyHoo, i work with some very nasty, manipulative twisted beeyatches...i find that men and women can be equally as unpleasant if they want to be.

maybe they are simply "apeing" the men Kallista?

Poor cows, they know not what they do

Haha, no, we work in a mainly female environment. Luckily most of my colleagues (inc the female managers) are lovely; but there is a small yet influential group of older women who make life hard. I call them 'the coven'...ok it's not feminist but they are not exactly sisterly!

the pigeon was eating and the boy coming from behind jumparted on it . Daddy was present. He froze. said nowt to the lad. people wereangry

wtf is 'jumparted'

Jumped and farted?

angry why? It was an accident.

Is it worse because the pigeon was getting its dinner down its beak at the time of death?

tOO Daft to tell fact from your fiction, eh? Our you the new stuart Lee?

maybe you should put down the bottle OP.

You are making no fucking sense.

Thingumy - seconded!!

Is the OP trying and failing to be funny?