Shooting Magpies in your garden???

[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

[mattler]

I dont want to sound flippant here or at all irrisponsible....BUT!!
From my own point of view if a Magpie lands in my tree (30-40m range) then its history! Just because I dont like them and I know that they attack other nice birds nests. Simple really!
The chances of someone reporting me or even noticing, well less than slim. The chances of the farmer behind my property finding spent pellets, even slimmer. I really think that if you know you are safe, there iare no people or property in your line of sight or surrounding vicinity and you know that if your neighbours saw you they wouldn`t cause any drama then surely is there any point in worrying about the fact that you couldn`t prove that the magpies were offending??
I am generally the sort of person who abides by the law but some details are just ridiculous!
M