Is it illegal to shoot Magpies?
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Only joking.
I have a Shotgun and a .22 rifle now. I can blow there heads clean off.
Last edited by stilover; Jun 26, 2009 at 07:40 PM.
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Cats eat more birds than magpies do, rats eat more birds eggs than magpies do, are you out killing both these as well?
Magpies are a carrion bird, they have a sharp beak and claws for a reason, they squark because its their warning/distress call, if a cat is causing them distress then its the cat that is the problem, not the magpies.
Now killing them is still illegal, you may blame the decline in the house sparrow to magpies/crows etc, but its cats and other vermin (foxes also) and the decline in smaller birds natural habitat (thats us humans btw that cause that) but as rooks/crows/magpies are basically scavengers, they fair much better.
These are a really beautiful bird, intelligent (they can actually be trained to talk) and most of all, natural for them to keep natures balance by killing other smaller animals.
Tony
Magpies are a carrion bird, they have a sharp beak and claws for a reason, they squark because its their warning/distress call, if a cat is causing them distress then its the cat that is the problem, not the magpies.
Now killing them is still illegal, you may blame the decline in the house sparrow to magpies/crows etc, but its cats and other vermin (foxes also) and the decline in smaller birds natural habitat (thats us humans btw that cause that) but as rooks/crows/magpies are basically scavengers, they fair much better.
These are a really beautiful bird, intelligent (they can actually be trained to talk
) and most of all, natural for them to keep natures balance by killing other smaller animals.Tony
Funnily enough i kill hundreds of rats every week as i'm a pest controller
Cats well unfortunatley they are protected 
I think they are a fantastic bird and extremely intelligent, i will only kill them in the right circumstances.
You are trying to preach to a shooting man here mate, they CAN BE KILLED UNDER THE OPEN GERERAL LICENCE ISSUED BY DEFRA IF THEY ARE CAUSING DAMAGE TO LIVESTOCK OR DAMAGING PROPERTY ETC.
Google is your friend
magpies and crows (and rooks, wood pigeons and sundry others) are covered by the general licence under the Countryside and Rights of way act 2000 and can, with good reason, be shot by the landowner or his agents at any time - their young can also be killed and nests destroyed.
birds on the game register ( pheasant, grouse, patridge etc) can be shot during their open seasons but not at other times.
while birds not on either list can only be shot by special licence from natural england (common examples being herons, cormorants, some types of gull etc)
So you show me where it's illegal to shoot/trap magpies then cleverclogs
Yoza it's in one piece because it dropped it, if they drop food and theres more around they just carry on with the next bit of food/chick. So i would suggest you may be hard of thinking.
Last edited by scotty01; Jun 26, 2009 at 07:42 PM.
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Cats eat more birds than magpies do, rats eat more birds eggs than magpies do, are you out killing both these as well?
Magpies are a carrion bird, they have a sharp beak and claws for a reason, they squark because its their warning/distress call, if a cat is causing them distress then its the cat that is the problem, not the magpies.
Now killing them is still illegal, you may blame the decline in the house sparrow to magpies/crows etc, but its cats and other vermin (foxes also) and the decline in smaller birds natural habitat (thats us humans btw that cause that) but as rooks/crows/magpies are basically scavengers, they fair much better.
These are a really beautiful bird, intelligent (they can actually be trained to talk) and most of all, natural for them to keep natures balance by killing other smaller animals.
Tony
Magpies are a carrion bird, they have a sharp beak and claws for a reason, they squark because its their warning/distress call, if a cat is causing them distress then its the cat that is the problem, not the magpies.
Now killing them is still illegal, you may blame the decline in the house sparrow to magpies/crows etc, but its cats and other vermin (foxes also) and the decline in smaller birds natural habitat (thats us humans btw that cause that) but as rooks/crows/magpies are basically scavengers, they fair much better.
These are a really beautiful bird, intelligent (they can actually be trained to talk
) and most of all, natural for them to keep natures balance by killing other smaller animals.Tony
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Funnily enough i kill hundreds of rats every week as i'm a pest controller
Cats well unfortunatley they are protected I think they are a fantastic bird and extremely intelligent, i will only kill them in the right circumstances.
You are trying to preach to a shooting man here mate, they CAN BE KILLED UNDER THE OPEN GERERAL LICENCE ISSUED BY DEFRA IF THEY ARE CAUSING DAMAGE TO LIVESTOCK OR DAMAGING PROPERTY ETC.
Google is your friend
magpies and crows (and rooks, wood pigeons and sundry others) are covered by the general licence under the Countryside and Rights of way act 2000 and can, with good reason, be shot by the landowner or his agents at any time - their young can also be killed and nests destroyed.
birds on the game register ( pheasant, grouse, patridge etc) can be shot during their open seasons but not at other times.
while birds not on either list can only be shot by special licence from natural england (common examples being herons, cormorants, some types of gull etc)
So you show me where it's illegal to shoot/trap magpies then cleverclogs
Yoza it's in one piece because it dropped it, if they drop food and theres more around they just carry on with the next bit of food/chick. So i would suggest you may be hard of thinking.
none of this small bore air rifle stuff or poxy shot gun (though I have put a few rounds up in the air ) either!Im probably safter with weapons than 99.9% of the people out there
but getting a gun/hunting licence is a bit of a mare 
especially if you used weapons on a daily basis for over 11 years, they think your going to go and shoot somebody Could have a nice secure gun cabinet up in the loft
and think the local farmers wouldnt mind me doing some rabbit shooting on their properties (there are 2 farms virtually next to where I live but we dont have many magpies or bird issues where we are, use to have rat issues but the council deemed it a large enough problem to come and sort it out (probably because they were coming into peoples houses...)Read the RSPB item before
still magpies should be treated with respect, still illegal to shoot them with an air rifle and no licence (including catapults!) but I thought you pest guys could cull feral cats?Tony
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I have a gun for most situations in my cabinet (air pistol right through to full bore rifles that would scare the **** out of most people) Getting a firearms licence is hard, but a shotgun licence is very easy to get. There must be a need and have access to suitable land to own a rifle but not a shotgun. It's not illegal to shoot a magpie with an air rifle that much i can promise you. To kill one with an air rifle in this situation IE: just because it's being noisy is illegal, but if it was damaging livestock then yes it could be killed with an air rifle provided that it is powerfull enough to do it properly. Between 10 and 12 FT lb of pressure is required for a clean kill The licence is not piece of paper you can get from DEFRA.
There are a lot of myths about what can killed and what can't, most of it is like chinese whispers.....a load of nonsense
GENERAL QUARRY SPECIES
Feral cats can be killed if they can be proven to be feral, not a pet as pets are classsed as someones property. Killing a pet cat is criminal damage and police can prosecute for it.
Feel free to wade through this for all the info you need.
Wildlife & Countryside Act
This sort of stuff is my bread and butter daily work so i do know what i'm on about unlike 99% of people on here.
The licence is not piece of paper you can get from DEFRA.There are a lot of myths about what can killed and what can't, most of it is like chinese whispers.....a load of nonsense
GENERAL QUARRY SPECIES
Feral cats can be killed if they can be proven to be feral, not a pet as pets are classsed as someones property. Killing a pet cat is criminal damage and police can prosecute for it.
Feel free to wade through this for all the info you need.
Wildlife & Countryside Act
This sort of stuff is my bread and butter daily work so i do know what i'm on about unlike 99% of people on here.
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