Shooting crows- what’s legal nowadays?

Heym SR20 said:
Then go through each licence and think through how it relates to you and the land that you are shooting over. I know that we have lapwings, grey partridges, skylarks and many other ground nesting birds on the land. I have sat and watched crows raiding their nests. There are sheep on the ground. The crows follow them closely and have seen attacking sheep as they are in the process of lambing. I have observed the crows at this time of year congregating around the ponds where frogs and newts are spawning and they are feeding on the frogs and tadpoles. Being very clear and succinct in observations, reasoning and justification.

There are just too many bloody crows won’t be sufficient.

Make sure you can tell the difference between a carrion crow and a raven.

At the end of the day its your FAC that is at risk, so make sure in your own mind you can fully justify your actions.
Click to expand...
This. 100%
 
I thought rooks and Jackdaws are now protected, since the last alteration of the general licence a few years ago, after the temporary ban on larsen traps. I dont shoot rooks, but carrions yes, shot 5 last saturday flying to roost. Rooks are a different type completely to carrion crows, cant see any point in getting them, especially branchers, I think you would be breaking the law doing that, youre not going to get much with an air rifle, a shotgun is the way. Soon be time to start trapping with Larsens, far better than any air gun.
 
crow killer said:
I thought rooks and Jackdaws are now protected, since the last alteration of the general licence a few years ago, after the temporary ban on larsen traps. I dont shoot rooks, but carrions yes, shot 5 last saturday flying to roost. Rooks are a different type completely to carrion crows, cant see any point in getting them, especially branchers, I think you would be breaking the law doing that, youre not going to get much with an air rifle, a shotgun is the way. Soon be time to start trapping with Larsens, far better than any air gun.
Click to expand...
I think you will find a severe lack of ground nesting birds where rooks work the ground!
 
crow killer said:
I thought rooks and Jackdaws are now protected, since the last alteration of the general licence a few years ago, after the temporary ban on larsen traps. I dont shoot rooks, but carrions yes, shot 5 last saturday flying to roost. Rooks are a different type completely to carrion crows, cant see any point in getting them, especially branchers, I think you would be breaking the law doing that, youre not going to get much with an air rifle, a shotgun is the way. Soon be time to start trapping with Larsens, far better than any air gun.
Click to expand...

No - see table above
 
When I was a kid, and nobody minded if you just roamed the Scottish Borders with an air rifle, I used to shoot hundreds of branchers (lots of rooks but mainly Jackdaws, apologies to the pedants about my terminology) in the woods next to my village every year with my air rifle. There were curlew everywhere and black grouse lekking all over the place.

Nowadays, the whole village is covered in bird **** under any electricity wire. There isn’t a curlew for miles and the sky is dark with probably five thousand rooks, jackdaws and corbys. All living in that same wood. Corvid control is an absolute must in our countryside, if we want anything other than corvids.

I’ve had a look at the Scottish general licences and I’m happy I can work within them.
 
Shabz said:
When I was a kid, and nobody minded if you just roamed the Scottish Borders with an air rifle, I used to shoot hundreds of branchers (lots of rooks but mainly Jackdaws, apologies to the pedants about my terminology) in the woods next to my village every year with my air rifle. There were curlew everywhere and black grouse lekking all over the place.

Nowadays, the whole village is covered in bird **** under any electricity wire. There isn’t a curlew for miles and the sky is dark with probably five thousand rooks, jackdaws and corbys. All living in that same wood. Corvid control is an absolute must in our countryside, if we want anything other than corvids.

I’ve had a look at the Scottish general licences and I’m happy I can work within them.
Click to expand...
Ive looked at the general licence on this site, hardly can justify shooting branchers, ie young rooks or Jackdaws to protect crops or feedstuff.
I agree carrions need to be severely reduced, but theres always been a lot of rooks and jackdaws and we always had plenty of waders, rooks are a different beast completely to carrion crows, they will eat eggs, if placed out for them, but certainly dont go looking for them like a carrion will do.
You get them in a big crow cage and net them out, and handle them, theyre really placid, dont peck, unlike a carrion which would nip and peck you like a lobster, I let them go, and only kill crows. If its a rook its off the hook, if its a crow its got to go, which was a saying of old cull stag Hubert, who was a regular visitor of this site.
 
crow killer said:
Ive looked at the general licence on this site, hardly can justify shooting branchers, ie young rooks or Jackdaws to protect crops or feedstuff.
I agree carrions need to be severely reduced, but theres always been a lot of rooks and jackdaws and we always had plenty of waders, rooks are a different beast completely to carrion crows, they will eat eggs, if placed out for them, but certainly dont go looking for them like a carrion will do.
You get them in a big crow cage and net them out, and handle them, theyre really placid, dont peck, unlike a carrion which would nip and peck you like a lobster, I let them go, and only kill crows. If its a rook its off the hook, if its a crow its got to go, which was a saying of old cull stag Hubert, who was a regular visitor of this site.
Click to expand...
Nope, not here, rooks will gobble a nest if they find it. Just because they don't peck you is not a valid reason.
 
Smellydog said:
Nope, not here, rooks will gobble a nest if they find it. Just because they don't peck you is not a valid reason.
Click to expand...
Yes youre right, but I still think we coudnt go to a roost and kill them , what justification would there be according to the new rules, hardly on crops in a roost. They are a nice bird really, ,be interesting to put some artificial nests out and see what comes if a camera was set up. Also be interesting to see if I catch any rooks in a couple of clam traps im planning on buying. I know they can take eggs, my grandfather said they once wiped out a rookery with strychnine eggs, but that was an artifical situation, hen eggs placed out and with no defence of an angry lapwing to protect them. Be about 70 years ago. I have shot plenty at roosts with crows but try not to, and always regret it when its a rook and not a crow, bit difficult to sometimes tell when its dusk.
 
crow killer said:
Ive looked at the general licence on this site, hardly can justify shooting branchers, ie young rooks or Jackdaws to protect crops or feedstuff.
I agree carrions need to be severely reduced, but theres always been a lot of rooks and jackdaws and we always had plenty of waders, rooks are a different beast completely to carrion crows, they will eat eggs, if placed out for them, but certainly dont go looking for them like a carrion will do.
You get them in a big crow cage and net them out, and handle them, theyre really placid, dont peck, unlike a carrion which would nip and peck you like a lobster, I let them go, and only kill crows. If its a rook its off the hook, if its a crow its got to go, which was a saying of old cull stag Hubert, who was a regular visitor of this site.
Click to expand...

Young jackdaws rapidly - weeks - not months grow into big jackdaws - shoot them when you can

I do however tend to agree on rooks - having watched them for many a long hour i note no damage and numbers round us anyway are in severe decline - so they get a free pass
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Devon & Cornwall / Dorset Renewals
Replies
3
Views
1K
Sandyb
S
Chris Packham - libellous towards the shooting community!
2
Replies
28
Views
4K
jall55
J
Poaching.
Replies
4
Views
4K
Fez
Fez
Question Of Extent Of Liability Of Legal Cover And Which Of The Shooting Insurances Offers Best Level Of Legal Protection For Certs
Replies
2
Views
524
andyk
andyk
Wild justice latest attack on shooting.
3 4 5
Replies
83
Views
8K
countrryboy
C
1967spud Reloading Supplies Ltd - UK Suppliers for Reloading Equipment supplies, We also stock Bullet Heads and Bullet Cases Guns Cabinets, Night vision and much much more...
Back
Top