Shooting Magpies in your garden???

[DEL67]

Can someone confirm once and for all, can you legally shoot Magpies in your garden if they are killing/destroying songbird eggs, chicks, adult birds etc. if it is done safely without the pellet leaving your property. I ask because there has been some misunderstanding on a thread currently running. On reading the licensing act it can become unclear and confusing.

[ateallthepies]

Don't know where the confusion is?

Go to the BASC site and find the general licence section. Follow the link and it takes you to all the licences for ENGLAND.

There is a licence that allows certain species of bird to be killed for the protection of wild birds.

Magpies are on the list.

HTH,

Steve.

[DEL67]

Don't know where the confusion is?

Go to the BASC site and find the general licence section. Follow the link and it takes you to all the licences for ENGLAND.

There is a licence that allows certain species of bird to be killed for the protection of wild birds.

Magpies are on the list.

HTH,

Steve.

Well i thought you could but you know what regulations are like, you think you understand it but actually you are wrong. 'Solicitors speak' and all that!

[Raygun]

There should be no problem as long as your not "Baiting" them in and as long as no pellet leaves your boundaries.

ATB
Ray.

[pellyman]

thats ok i want to shoot magpies in my garden because they are always trying to attack my guinea pig,just wondered what would happen if the neighbours report me ??

[Farmerpalmer]

thats ok i want to shoot magpies in my garden because they are always trying to attack my guinea pig,just wondered what would happen if the neighbours report me ??

protection of livestock

[ateallthepies]

Indeed

Steve.

[supersonic]

You need to tread very carefully.

Unless you are able to demonstrate that magpies are killing songbirds etc. ON YOUR PROPERTY you could be at risk of prosecution.

And you need to be able to argue that other methods of scaring them off are ineffective.

I suggest you keep a record of the number of songbird nests, eggs, fledglings, visits to your bird table and feeders etc. and photograph e.g. eggs eaten etc. so you could demonstrate that the Magpies you shot were a problem on your property, and that your control measures have improved the survival rate of songbirds.

Its not enough to state that magpies are unpleasant creatures which destroy songbirds... so should be killed at every opportunity.

That is unreasonable, they are a native species and are expected to live in balance with other birds. Extermination would be no more acceptable than extermination of native raptors. Citation on an open license does not mean that they may be shot at will.

Just as it would be illegal to shoot a pigeon in your garden, unless you could argue that it was causing damage to your crops and that you had tried or could argue that other non lethal control measures had either been tried or would be ineffective. Or you could try the health risk option too

The bottom line is that shooting any birds in a domestic garden is just asking to be prosecuted. Its a different matter when engaging in genuine pest control over e.g. a smallholding or farm.

[ateallthepies]

Hi super,

please don't think i'm on your case but in the licence for protecting wild birds we have both linked i can't find where it says you must demonstrate 'other methods' of control like with the licence for preventing serious damage or disease does in paragraph no. 5.

ATB,

Steve.

[aandu]

Here is a simple checklist

* Are you old enough to shoot the weapon without supervision (Over 18) and you have license (if gun is FAC)?

* Are you authorised? (Yes, the land is yours or the owner gave you permission)

* Is the bird you are shooting on the General License? (Magpies are in WML Gen-L08 - Licence to kill or take certain birds to conserve wild birds)

* Is your reason justified & valid for the bird you are shooting
Prevent damage to crops,
Conservation of other wild birds, (Magpies do affect local wildlife count)
Preserve public health etc

Note: you cannot shoot a wild pigeon saying it affects local wild life... similarly cannot say magpies eat all your crops... simple really...

* Will the pellet stay within your land's boundaries If no, do you have permission from the neighbouring land owner for your pellets to fall in his land?

* Finally, the kill should be made humanely, the carcass must not be displayed in a manner that is offensive to passer's by who might happen to look at it... (Chances of your neighbour complaining)

As a final note make sure the magpie doesn't drop dead on thier garden tea table (esp. when they are having tea).

[thesmi]

Here is a simple checklist

* Are you old enough to shoot the weapon without supervision (Over 18) and you have license (if gun is FAC)?

* Are you authorised? (Yes, the land is yours or the owner gave you permission)

* Is the bird you are shooting on the General License? (Magpies are in WML Gen-L08 - Licence to kill or take certain birds to conserve wild birds)

* Is your reason justified & valid for the bird you are shooting
Prevent damage to crops,
Conservation of other wild birds, (Magpies do affect local wildlife count)
Preserve public health etc

Note: you cannot shoot a wild pigeon saying it affects local wild life... similarly cannot say magpies eat all your crops... simple really...

* Will the pellet stay within your land's boundaries If no, do you have permission from the neighbouring land owner for your pellets to fall in his land?

* Finally, the kill should be made humanely, the carcass must not be displayed in a manner that is offensive to passer's by who might happen to look at it... (Chances of your neighbour complaining)

As a final note make sure the magpie doesn't drop dead on thier garden tea table (esp. when they are having tea).

this is not true you must try other means possible of scaring the bird away first

[mikemorton]

this is not true you must try other means possible of scaring the bird away first

Wrong.

Not in the case of corvids or feral pigeons.

http://www.naturalengland.org.uk/Ima..._tcm6-7672.pdf

[TURIN TURAMBAR]

As a final note make sure the magpie doesn't drop dead on thier garden tea table (esp. when they are having tea).

Shades of Gerald Durrells brother Leslie shooting sparrows to feed his brothers menagerie on Corfu. There bloody corpses were raining down on his mother and a woman visiting her!

[Hinksy]

Could you try a live-catch Larsen Trap? Either buy one or build one?

I used one in my back garden several years back and over the course of a week took 12 (approx) Magpies.

The Larsen was placed out of site and the birds were also dispatched well out of site.

IMO far more effective and safer than using an air-rifle in residential areas.

HTH

Ben