Quote Originally Posted by Steve Valentine View Post
“Because it’s what magpies do” wouldn’t be a suitable reason under the general licence.

Magpies visit my garden because I put food out for birds. What you’re saying is I can now shoot magpies under the GL in my garden?

If I want magpies to stop visiting I can try non lethal methods first. Remove the food for one, or scaring.

I don’t shoot anything in my garden as I don’t believe I am legally entitled to do so.

Yes this is a shooting (airgun?) forum, but let’s not forget that many of the members shoot targets or plink.
My garden backs on to farmland

600,000 magpies in the uk, how many eggs do a pair have say 6?

12,000,000+ pigeons in the uk, the major agricultural pest, every pair that is shot is preventing 2 or 4 young being hatched the following, those each have 2 the following year and so on. Even with pressure populations are still growing.

What does it matter if shot by a farmer in the field or person in the garden, provided thy are allowed to do it legally, every little helps.

This thread seems to show the difference between those that properly shoot and those that play around with air guns!