The last day of the pheasant shooting season falls today, which means a good few guns will be out and about, finishing up around the coverts before oiling their guns and putting them away until next October.

For some, however, there is still shooting to be had because once the pheasant season is over, pigeon shooting begins, in earnest. The woodpigeon is classed as a pest species and under the open general licence can be shot all year round. Estimates vary, but some put the population in Britain as high as three million, augmented by some migratory birds that are driven to our shores by hard weather elsewhere.

British agriculture is almost perfectly suited to the pigeon, which has a prodigious appetite and in winter targets oil seed rape in particular. Shooting the birds presents a sporting challenge but is also seen as vital for crop protection.

In February, with the leaves still off the trees, roost shoots are often organised with the aim of thinning out the pigeon population before the main agricultural planting season begins. It can be extremely challenging – not so much pigeon shooting as shooting at pigeons. Guns that are lucky enough to get an invite should take along plenty of cartridges.

The guns take up positions in woods, copses and spinneys in the early afternoon and await the arrival of the birds, generally shooting them as they fly over at treetop height or above.

Bags are generally fairly modest, but every bird makes a meal so all are well worth gathering up. Pigeon recipes abound, but the simplest way to prepare the rich, dark meat is to remove the breasts and flash fry them, like a good mini steak, or casserole with vegetables and stock very slowly to tenderise.