Shooting Magpies in your garden???

[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.

[fullbandit]

I'd say have a chat with your neighbours first cos if it upsets them they'll moan to every body (RSPCA ,cops ) whether your in the right or not and make you life hell!!!

[ateallthepies]

I totaly agree even if the person shooting is fully within their rights.

All it takes is one narked neighbor who knows his law and and some fired pellets on their property whether it came from your gun or not and the shooter could be in trouble.

Steve.

[kentfallen]

The law is based upon what is reasonable in the circumstances. No need to go to the extreme lengths above. Providing what you do is reasonable you will have no problem...

[bushtrekker]

There was a post on here a couple of weeks ago about someone whose son had shot a pigeon. A chat to the neighbours can have unexpected results. a couple of years ago we had a major problem with squirrels in our garden, but
I was wary about shooting them as the woman who backs onto our garden feeds birds and this is what was attracting them. I bumped into her boyfriend in Sainsbury's and he mentioned the squirrels, adding that his girl friend hated them and could I do something about them( He knew I had an air rifle after a rat problem, again caused by her bird table.) I started ambushing them from the patio door early in the morning and soon got rid of a few, but was horrified the next time I saw the neighbour to hear that he had been deliberately putting down rat poison for them...ON THE BIRD TABLE!!!

Cheers, John

[laity]

I did not know that..you learn something new every day. I figured that if a Maggie or pigeon land in your then its game on as it were?

Well i stand corrected. Another good reason to read the BBS everyday!!!

LAity

[DEL67]

I am not asking for me but am trying to clarify for anyone who may consider this. It's not a pigeon making a mess of your garden furniture, its Magpies killing songbirds/chicks etc. As already has been said it's a bit of a grey area that needs to be clarified. A 'YES' or a 'NO' would be what people are looking for but it would seem not. This is the trouble with laws and regulations people can read into them differently.

[Airwolf337]

I'd say have a chat with your neighbours first cos if it upsets them they'll moan to every body (RSPCA ,cops ) whether your in the right or not and make you life hell!!!

Thats the absolute key to the whole argument here. Legal or not, if you p*ss your neighbours off they will report you and that my friend opens up a whole new world of pain.
Ask your neighbours straight out "can I shoot the magpies?" If they have any negative reaction - forget it. Don't even poke your gun out of the window.

[supersonic]

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.

I think you are correct. It would certainly make sense

[ateallthepies]

Del,

There is no grey area. You are most definitly allowed to shoot maggies on land where you have permission if the said maggies are a threat to the wild birds present as stated by this licence....

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

You don't need to employ other scare tactics before killing them like with woodies which are dealt with by this licence....

http://www.naturalengland.org.uk/Ima..._tcm6-7669.pdf

How a case could be proved to a conviction if a complaint was made for shooting maggies for the conservation of wild birds is beyond me?

HTH,

Steve.