Magpies

[Stiffy]

Different from the advice I have been given by Natural England who insisted that I tried all alternative methods before I applied for a licence to shoot crow/s that were destroying schedule 1 species. In the end the advise I was given by them proved correct and I managed to solve the problem without destroying the corvids.
Sound advice me thinks!
Cheers
S

 

[darrenperrett]

I only shoot something when it becomes a pest.

My shotgun only comes out for vermin control and the odd clay pigeon. I like magpies and foxes etc but they are a PITA once they`ve found an easy source of food.

Live trapping is ok as long as you don`t let them go a few miles away to become someone elses problem.

Darren.

 

[Marvin]

I hope everyone advocating shooting and the use of trapping wild birds is aware that their actions may be illegal ?

You need to have a 'general licence' to shoot or trap:
Crow (Carrion) Rook, Magpie, Jackdaw , Jay , Dove (Collared) Pigeon (Feral) Wood Pigeon, Gull (Great Black-Backed) Gull (Herring) Gull (Lesser Black-Backed ).

Cheers
S

Stiffy,

This is not correct. If you wish to find out more then look at www.basc.org.uk or the site of one of the other shooting organisations.

 

[milkermel]

Ok folks hubby is a professional pestie and this is how you stand with Magpies, They are on the open general liscense, meening that anyone can deal with them if they have a poblem with them, However you must be able to prove good reason to contol them such as stealing of eggs or destoying you hive from which you harvest honey. Then yes you have a right to deal with them and then it must obviously be done within the law - cage trapping, shooting etc. drowning once caught is not allowed.

 

[Dishmop]

However you must be able to prove good reason to contol them

anything about making a horrible screaching squarking row and waking people up in the morning?

 

[Hivemaker.]

anything about making a horrible screaching squarking row and waking people up in the morning?

Yes that sounds like a good reason.........disturbing the peace.

 

[trapperman]

Ok folks hubby is a professional pestie and this is how you stand with Magpies, They are on the open general liscense, meening that anyone can deal with them if they have a poblem with them, However you must be able to prove good reason to contol them such as stealing of eggs or destoying you hive from which you harvest honey. Then yes you have a right to deal with them and then it must obviously be done within the law - cage trapping, shooting etc. drowning once caught is not allowed.

you are right, if you read all the stuff on the sites they always say "good reason" but aslong as any control is done in a way that is lawful then who is going to ask why you did the control, the police dont give two hoots unless a law is broken, and i dont think someone would ever be taken to court for controling vermin in a lawful way but not having a good reason for doing it, because its "vermin".

I know of a few people who have larsens in their back gardens just because they hate magpies, this to me is not "good reason" but will they ever get done for it of cause they wont because they are not braking any law in the way they are dealing with them.

 

[iball]

Are domestic cats on a general license? Damn things squatting all over the garden.

 

[trapperman]

Are domestic cats on a general license? Damn things squatting all over the garden.

dont get me started on cats, all the rules for dog **** but cats are free to crap all over my garden front and back so my kids are now banned from using the garden bloody woman two doors down has 6 of the feckers, i think cat owners should be made to have litter trays by law.

 

[Hivemaker.]

Shoot cats on sight.....one of the biggest pests there is.

 

[Ouarda]

I thought I'd just let everyone know I inspected my hive today and apart from being a bit spikey the girls seem to have survived the air raid without any damage.


I didn't even get stung although some of them took to sitting on my veil for the whole time I had the hive open.

 

[Stiffy]

Ok folks hubby is a professional pestie and this is how you stand with Magpies, They are on the open general liscense, meening that anyone can deal with them if they have a poblem with them, However you must be able to prove good reason to contol them such as stealing of eggs or destoying you hive from which you harvest honey. Then yes you have a right to deal with them and then it must obviously be done within the law - cage trapping, shooting etc. drowning once caught is not allowed.

Thanks, glad to see someone has the law correctly defined.
You may shoot pigeons and other species for the protection of crops or wild birds and for reasons of public health and air safety. I am afraid this does not include for fun or because you dont happen to like what a magpie is doing!
The fact that the police do not enforce the law does not make it right
Cheers
S

 

[Geoff]

So does that mean that someone who just shoots jackdaws off the roof for the fun of it is breaking the law? I ask because some idle drug addled prat decided to shoot jackdaws that flew up off the roof and one fell injured at my mother in law's feet (she is in her 80s), while she was walking down the garden to see me. She was naturally upset and I was livid with the callous attitude. The jackdaws are not a problem there and i was angry at the casual shooting of something for no reason other than he was a thick moron. I went round and threatened to stick the air rifle up his behind if there was a repetition. When I rang to ask the police as to what the legal situation was about shooting over other people's property they said there was not anything really that could be done but they would have a word because of the sensitivity of the situation with old people and young children around.
With the local fuzz you can never be sure whether they are telling the truth or whether they just cant be bothered to get off their backsides - its not as if we have much in the way of major crime to keep them busy.

 

[trapperman]

Thanks, glad to see someone has the law correctly defined.
You may shoot pigeons and other species for the protection of crops or wild birds and for reasons of public health and air safety. I am afraid this does not include for fun or because you dont happen to like what a magpie is doing!
The fact that the police do not enforce the law does not make it right
Cheers
S

i agree with you, as i said i dont think trapping magpies because you dont like them is "good reason" and i know the law as i am a professional pest controller, but what i am saying is that as long as the way any control is done is lawful then nobody is going to try to prosicute you for doing it even if you dont have a specific "good reason" because they are classed as vermin "fact".

anybody who goes out shooting as a sport is doing it for fun, the fact that the farmer wants them controlled for reasons of crop damage etc is of little significance the person doing the shooting is doing it for fun/sport are we to arrest everyone who pursues country sports i think not, i do see where you are coming from but it is totaly unenforcible and a very grey area hence the fact that you dont need to apply for a licence because theres nobody to enforce it.

 

[trapperman]

So does that mean that someone who just shoots jackdaws off the roof for the fun of it is breaking the law? I ask because some idle drug addled prat decided to shoot jackdaws that flew up off the roof and one fell injured at my mother in law's feet (she is in her 80s), while she was walking down the garden to see me. She was naturally upset and I was livid with the callous attitude. The jackdaws are not a problem there and i was angry at the casual shooting of something for no reason other than he was a thick moron. I went round and threatened to stick the air rifle up his behind if there was a repetition. When I rang to ask the police as to what the legal situation was about shooting over other people's property they said there was not anything really that could be done but they would have a word because of the sensitivity of the situation with old people and young children around.
With the local fuzz you can never be sure whether they are telling the truth or whether they just cant be bothered to get off their backsides - its not as if we have much in the way of major crime to keep them busy.

you will never get him done for not having good reason as i`ve said, but if the pellet he fired has crossed the boundary of his property then thats a different matter and is breaking the law.

 

[Hivemaker.]

Or within 50ft of a public highway i believe.

 

[Stiffy]

I wouldn’t bother going to the police as they do not have the experience of dealing with or possibly interest in wildlife as this type of offence in not generally a recordable crime .
I have ‘issues’ with the RSPB for other stands they make but I would contact them in this case as they have a good record of stopping and if necessary prosecuting
Cheers
S

 

[Geoff]

Well the pellet did fly over my mother in laws property, the jackdaw was in flight over her garden when it was shot and the police were told that. They told me that they had had a case where someone was shooting a shotgun over someone's house, such that falling pellets were hitting the roof and they were not able to do anything.
There should be a law that prevents complete morons getting hold of guns, air rifles or even water pistols. This guy is a complete waste of space and blights the neighbourhood. He is anti social and you get young kids going in and out...buying drugs. Why the police don't kick his door down I don't know.

 

[Dishmop]

Why the police don't kick his door down I don't know.

They're waiting for the TV crew and a nice morning so it looks good on film.




Never understand why they dont just go round and knock on the door....

 

[citrus]

first time in 4 years but seen magpies down near the hive and so hope they are just picking off dead bees and not causing a problem.

might try and get a camera down there to monitor whats going on