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Laws on Shooting Live Quarry


Yorka
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I have been shooting woodpigeons with my airgun on my privately owned property for some time now. But when a neighbour saw me shooting in my land he threatened to call the police and the RSPCA if I didn't stop. I am looking for some legal evidence to prove that I have the right to shoot pigeon on my land. Since there are no crops on my land I need a legitimate reason within the law to shoot them (apart from them being bloody nuiscences). I was sure it was legal for an authorised person to shoot woodpigeons but my neibour demands legal evidence.

 

Could anybody help me out or give me a direct link. (I've been looking at the Countryside Act of 1981 but cant find anything of use yet.)

 

Thanks.

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Try DEFRA

 

I am no expert, but my understanding is that if you are suitably authorised and have good reason to be doing so, then you can shoot them. My take on it is that "just because" in your own garden is not a good enough reason - if for instance you had a prize patch of veggies they were attacking, I think that would be more than sufficient :good:

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Yea, Id say firstly look at the Defra licences because theyre pretty handy for that but you do need a reason to be doing it really (vegetable patch etc). Best bet is also if you can get a silencer and try and keep it low key, best to avoid upsetting the neighbours lol. When I shoot in my garden I keep it discreet and I don't make it obvious what I'm doing, that way what they don't know can't hurt them :good: .

 

-Andrew

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Thats the trouble with neighbours but I think unless you have a huge garden it's just not worth the hassle just to shoot a few woodies now and then.

 

You do not want a visit from the police and all the hassle that will involve especially if an ARV turns out.

 

The RSPCA are whole world of hassle as well.

 

Even though it may be perfectly legal I don't think it's worth the trouble.

 

Ben

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So "to protect livestock crops......." does it state that the land you are shooting on needs to be protected ?

The reason for asking is it means that shooting Woodpigeon on driven days and on roost shoots would be illegal.

My thoughts,and I repeat MY thoughts are.....you are,by removing a Woodpigeon,which has a large ranging area to feed in,removing a pest which has been found to be difficult/impossible to deter by any other means.

 

 

BTW - I presume you are in one of the responsible associations??

 

If not why not??

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.......or coming into a wood to roost.......or on a flightline......or over a line of guns waiting for pheasant/partridge/grouse/duck..........

 

 

and no old bill.as you would be going about legit business.

but if you want to encourage people to be shooting them in there garden just because they are bored, with the threat of the police and rspca thus bringing shooting into the bad light again then so be it.

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Two subjects guaranteed to light up an airgun Forum;

 

How do I increase the power of my airgun ?

 

What can I shoot with my airgun and where ?

 

One subject guaranteed to send everyone to sleep.;

 

.22 -v- .177

 

The first two normally get deleted at some stage, the third one goes on for 15 pages and dies from exhaustion, or derailment.

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Shoot your neighbour, that way the Police and the RSPB are likely to overlook your pigeon bashing activities.

 

But seriously, I wouldn't bother. There were a couple of magpies in the trees in the woods that back on to my garden today and I got the old S410 out with the intention of popping them off quietly - however the thought of having my SGC pulled (for whatever reason) stopped me from proceeding despite a pathological hatred for magpies.

 

If your neighbour's already shown you a yellow card then he will be looking to deliver the red.

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.......or coming into a wood to roost.......or on a flightline......or over a line of guns waiting for pheasant/partridge/grouse/duck..........

 

 

and no old bill.as you would be going about legit business.

but if you want to encourage people to be shooting them in there garden just because they are bored, with the threat of the police and rspca thus bringing shooting into the bad light again then so be it.

 

I think he was just being matter of fact, rather than encouraging it. I think the point here is that the definition of "good reason" in this case is, like all matters of law, very open to interpretation.

 

If I was this chap in his garden I would stop to be honest, as has been said the grief that could ensue is not worth it for a few pigeon. Just my 2p's worth.

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While it may be within the law to pot a pigeon in your garden in some circumstances, isn't there an issue with regard to your pellet leaving your property? Which is exactly what would happen if you miss. Just me being devils advocate......

 

Personally if my neighbour were kicking off I'd switch to potting targets in a pellet trap by the fence nearest their patio rather than have problems with plod. The constant "Plink! Plink! Plink!" should be revenge enough.

 

If you really want to continue potting the pigeons, how about giving your local FLO a call and asking what your local force's interpretation/view on the DEFRA licence is?

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While it may be within the law to pot a pigeon in your garden in some circumstances, isn't there an issue with regard to your pellet leaving your property? Which is exactly what would happen if you miss. Just me being devils advocate......

 

Personally if my neighbour were kicking off I'd switch to potting targets in a pellet trap by the fence nearest their patio rather than have problems with plod. The constant "Plink! Plink! Plink!" should be revenge enough.

 

If you really want to continue potting the pigeons, how about giving your local FLO a call and asking what your local force's interpretation/view on the DEFRA licence is?

 

I assume we are talking about shooting a landed pigeon, on the ground with a safe backstop or a good angle on him here? You can't be shooting them out of trees unless you have a very big garden and can be sure the shot is safe, and as No Dosh says, the pellet is not leaving your property.

 

Antagonising your neighbour by plinking towards or close to his property is asking for trouble, it doesn't take much to work out how easy it would be to buy a tin of pellets, mash them a bit, sprinkle them about and then call the plod! Think about it :unsure:

 

When I was a lad the neighbour over the back wasn't happy about me plinking in the garden (supervised) and called the plod. To begin with they didn't seem that interested but did come round one day after he said the pellets were ending up in his garden. It was a crock of ****, there were none (backstop was a good sized softwood board against a garden shed). They came, checked out the "range" and were happy and off they went.

 

He was annoyed they didn't do anything so started complaining about the noise. Its a world of hassle thats not worth it in the end. I know a lot of folks think they should be able to do what they like on their own land, but falling out with next door usually ends up getting nasty one way or the other ;)

 

Just my view.

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I have a licence from Defra to shoot crows,dove,certain gulls,jacdaw,jay,magpie,pigeon,rook and wood pigeon. On my own property, in my own garden I would be an authorised person and therefore legal.

however the licence does also say in smallprint at the bottom of the page...

This licence can only be relied on in circumstances where the authorised person is satisfied that appropriate non-lethal methods of control such as scaring or proofing are either ineffective or impracticable.

in other words you tell pc plod that they keep comming back after scaring them away, and they make a mess on your windows and vehicle and damage your roof. (you can be an easily satisfied person ;) ).

another thing, the highways act states that an air rifle must not be fired within 50 feet of the centre of a highway, if in so doing causes users of that highway to be detoured, injured or feel threatened. So you are legal if no one is there!

tell your neighbour politely to mind his own business :unsure:

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