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Baiting Pigeons or not?


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I know It is not legal to bait pigeons with seed however There is loads of seed about my garden due to feeding my chickens. Grandughter always manages to spill a bit on the grass on the way to the chicken run.

The garden is regularly visited by pigeons doves magpies jays and all manner of other birds that are not on the General license. I have shot (air rifle)several pigeons in my garden as they do like to also eat my vegetables. My question is where do I stand Legally could it be considered that I am Baiting them?

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It's a funny one as its perfectly legal to put out decoys, thereby giving the impression that there's food. I don't really see much difference in actually putting food down. As you're not doing it intentionally I can't see where it's in the public interest to pursue any kind of prosecution against you for shooting pigeons that are causing damage (eating your veg).

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as silly as the law is, it is still illegal, now you'd probably get away with it in your own garden, as you'vre said, seed is already down to feed other birds, but with all pest control, you need to show you have done all other possible ways to remove birds, before culling, so some may say, simply remove seed and pigeons wont come down,

cant see you ever getting done for it, unless a neighbour does not agree with it, and keeps reporting you

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I know It is not legal to bait pigeons with seed

 

A common misconception. This was discussed at length in a previous thread. I have it in writing from Natural England.

 

Many people don't consider it to be "sporting" but that doesn't make it illegal.

Shooting pigeons in your garden though is always going to be controversial and most likley a grey area at best, illegal at worst.

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Shooting pigeons in your garden though is always going to be controversial and most likley a grey area at best, illegal at worst.

 

If you have vegetables in the garden that are being eaten by pigeons and have used scaring devices such as bags on sticks it is no more of a grey area than shooting them off a field.

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The veg patch is full of bags on sticks etc. If they were not hammering my veg I would leave them alone in the garden. I dont even begrudge them a little of the chicken corn.As far as neighbors are concerned I havent asked them and probably wont because they arent really country people. Just because we keep a few chickens and a veg garden and small polytunnel they think we are into self sufficiency.I do try to keep my backyard pigeon cull discreet I fully understand that a lot of people would see it in a very negative light and I really dont want to fall out with anyone.I dont think removing the seed would stop the pigeons visiting. I think it is just an added bonus for them their first port of call was the cabbages now it seems to be the peas we will see what they want to gorge on next.

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