Clay Pigeons on Crown land???

[goosejerky]

Anyone have any idea if a person is allowed to shoot Clay Pigeons on Crown land? Are Clay Pigeons bio-degradable???

[baptiste_moose]

They're made of clay. Which is a rock compound. They will break down. Shoot away IMHO

[Drillbit]

Just pick up your hulls so there's no mess.

[deanmc]

X2 on cleaning up the hulls. It sure is frustrating and embarrassing to come across places where people have left that mess.

[Cowtown guy]

Take a quick walk when you are finished and step on any of the bigger pieces out in front also. It will speed up the breakdown process.

[bang_on_sk]

If it's somewhere cattle graze too, you might want to pick up what you can. The box I just bought says that animals will eat the pieces and die.

[aulrich]

Cleaning up after yourself is never a bad idea.

Pick up big pieces (or the big orange pieces)and grind the rest with your heel.

[greylynx]

If it's somewhere cattle graze too, you might want to pick up what you can. The box I just bought says that animals will eat the pieces and die.

Excellent advice.

What box was that? What concerns me is if there might be some toxic additives in the brand you were shooting.

We have to be careflul out there.

[bang_on_sk]

Excellent advice.

What box was that? What concerns me is if there might be some toxic additives in the brand you were shooting.

We have to be careflul out there.

Champion, got them at crappy tire.

[bang_on_sk]

I always go around and check though, I'm not good enough to hit them all and in long grass or snow, you usually get a couple of do-overs.

Also, big pieces make fun plinking targets.

[ward]

They are made of petroleum pitch, not clay. They can last a long time before breaking down. You would be guilty of littering and generally messing up public lands. Find some private land or go to an established gun club.

[greylynx]

Champion, got them at crappy tire.

Thanks

[Pudelpointer]

They are made of petroleum pitch, not clay. They can last a long time before breaking down. You would be guilty of littering and generally messing up public lands. Find some private land or go to an established gun club.

I don't know what they are made of, but I thoroughly agree with the recommendation: join a range.

Clays do NOT break down quickly, they remain intact and visible for many years, even on the Wet-coast. Probably takes decades longer here in dry AB.

People THINK they break down quickly, but what is happening is the grass/vegetation grows up through the litter and covers it with detritus.


If you INSIST on shooting clays on public lands, please think about your shot fall area. At CPR Lake (a conservation property) someone used to shoot clays out over the lake.... I wrote an article in our F&G newsletter an they are now shooting off the road allowance into a field; of course they still leave their empty shells all over.

[Andrzej]

I don't know what they are made of, but I thoroughly agree with the recommendation: join a range.

Clays do NOT break down quickly, they remain intact and visible for many years, even on the Wet-coast. Probably takes decades longer here in dry AB.



Last boxes of clays I've got from Canadian Tire says BIODEGRADABLE.

http://www.whiteflyer.com/targetbio.html

Old clays would not degrade for years. Not healthy due to creosote content.

[Pincherguy]

I don't know how long they take to break down but I think too long. IMHO they make a big mess, and usually there are all the MT shell casings left laying around aw well/
PG

[shedcrazy]

Ideally you should shoot at an improved range for clays. The clay itself wasn't/isn't the issue but the binding agent of the clay. PAH contamination can be an issue and is carcinogenetic. Some of the new clays use lime as a binding agent.

[ward]

From Whiteflyers homepage.

Q. What is the main difference between how a AA Pitch Target breaks and how a White Flyer Biodegradable Target breaks?

A. Because the Pitch AA Target is made of "PETROLEUM PITCH", it "smokes" black, while the Biodegradable Target (which contains NO petroleum pitch or byproducts) "smokes" a grayish white color. Other than this, both targets break the same.

The bio's break down quicker but would still be an eyesore on public land.

[coppercarbide]

I've done this before on crown and private land, but you gotta use your head about it. It's nice to find a good desolate spot and set up a more complicated side-throw scenario that you can't do at the range.

I take a big garbage bag (or two if it's been a busy day), spend 30 minutes and pick up ALL the pieces that I can pick up.

Most of the people on here seem to just advocate picking up the really big pieces and leaving the rest. Only takes another 15 minutes to pick up the mid-size ones as well, and you're outside enjoying yourself anyway.

Picking up empty shells is just a no-brainer. If you can't figure out that you should pick up your empty shells, you have no business enjoying the outdoors, as you're wrecking it for all of our kids.

One thing that hasn't come up here, SHOT CUPS/WADS! I always make every effort to pick up shot cups (whether shooting clays OR hunting), as they are straight-up plastic and will definitely NOT biodegrade. Hard to get them if you are upland, but if you have a decoy layout or are shooting clays you can get most of them pretty quick. Most of the shells I shoot have clear or white cups, which makes it a PITA to find. I'm guessing they do this because not many people pick them up, but it makes it difficult for those who do.

[Pudelpointer]

I've done this before on crown and private land, but you gotta use your head about it. It's nice to find a good desolate spot and set up a more complicated side-throw scenario that you can't do at the range.

I take a big garbage bag (or two if it's been a busy day), spend 30 minutes and pick up ALL the pieces that I can pick up.

Most of the people on here seem to just advocate picking up the really big pieces and leaving the rest. Only takes another 15 minutes to pick up the mid-size ones as well, and you're outside enjoying yourself anyway.

Picking up empty shells is just a no-brainer. If you can't figure out that you should pick up your empty shells, you have no business enjoying the outdoors, as you're wrecking it for all of our kids.

One thing that hasn't come up here, SHOT CUPS/WADS! I always make every effort to pick up shot cups (whether shooting clays OR hunting), as they are straight-up plastic and will definitely NOT biodegrade. Hard to get them if you are upland, but if you have a decoy layout or are shooting clays you can get most of them pretty quick. Most of the shells I shoot have clear or white cups, which makes it a PITA to find. I'm guessing they do this because not many people pick them up, but it makes it difficult for those who do.


And if everyone was as conscientious as you Copper, or if the OP is going to be, then I'd say have at 'er.

[Mmtobias]

I just came from sighting in my rifle at a popular shooting spot on crown land and picked up about 40 - 50 clays that were tossed but never hit (my gain i guess). I also picked up about 100 shot shells as well. Its a shame that people don't care enough to pick up their own mess. It was a nice day for shooting though.

[anthony5]

These neon orange targets really don't fit the landscape or water course of Savanna Creek, Livingstone, Oldman or Dutch Creek rivers, but you see them strewn all over the place, which can be picked up along the banks but not in the rivers, where it is to deep or to fast:mad0100:. It kinda screws up the solitude of getting away from it all for awhile:sign0176:. But I guess it's each to his own, after all it is wilderness and nobody is around!!!!!

[bang_on_sk]

The shot cup thing really bugs the hell out of me too, here in Sk theres a muzzleloader season and come fall theres a swath of used sabots about 15yd downrange.

If you're doing a good run of clays, it's handy to take a rake with you to clean up. Much faster than picking up all of the pieces, plus you get all the shells and shot cups.

I thought it would be a good idea to just leave an old rake at the range, but some genius used the handle for target practice, so it's only about a foot long now. :angry3: