Rook shooting was a previously popular sport in the United Kingdom, in which young
rook
Rook (''Corvus frugilegus'') is a bird of the corvid family. Rook or rooks may also refer to:
Games
*Rook (chess), a piece in chess
*Rook (card game), a trick-taking card game
Military
* Sukhoi Su-25 or Rook, a close air support aircraft
* USS ...
s were shot from tree branches, often using purpose-built rifles known as
rook rifle
The rook rifle, originally called the rook and rabbit rifle, is an obsolete English single-shot small calibre rifle intended for shooting small game, particularly rook shooting.
Design
The rook rifle was designed to be light enough to be carried ...
s. Rook shooting could serve as a form of
pest control
Pest control is the regulation or management of a species defined as a pest; any animal, plant or fungus that impacts adversely on human activities or environment. The human response depends on the importance of the damage done and will range ...
, a
blood sport
A blood sport or bloodsport is a category of sport or entertainment that involves bloodshed. Common examples of the former include combat sports such as cockfighting and dog fighting, and some forms of hunting and fishing. Activities char ...
making living targets of animals, or a form of hunting for edible birds.
The rook tends to live in colonies known as rookeries, which over time grow and become nuisances to some inhabitants in rural areas. In rural Britain it was previously the practice to hold rook shoots where the juvenile birds, known as "branchers", were shot before they were able to fly. These events were both very social and a source of food (the rook becomes inedible once mature) as the rook and rabbit pie was considered a great delicacy.
[Colin Greenwood, ''The classic British rook & rabbit rifle'', The Crowood Press Ltd, Marlborough, 2006, .]
References
External links
{{Commons category, Rook shooting
Rook Shooting – A Great SportThe intelligence of rooksIs shooting rooks a crime?
Bird hunting
Corvus