chasing hares with dogs). Use the laws we already had, which were evolved for the UK, and allowed pest bird shooting. This page shows advice by country: England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland. Can You Shoot Open season varies for different bird species. The shooting of pigeons and other wild birds is legislated here in the UK by the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA). This is where it gets complicated. We want to make sure our licensing system is robust and proportionate, taking into account the needs of wildlife and people.. All rights reserved. Heres our story on that. You cant shoot within 300 metres of European protected sites (including SSSIs, SPAs and Ramsar sites) thats a ban on around 15% of Englands land mass, turning most nature reserves into a songbird snackbar for crows and magpies. It is vital to have some working knowledge of the operation that is run on the land you are shooting over. He is only breaking the law if the pellets go over the boundary into your property. Then the government almost accidentally banned all bird shooting so they had to rush out a new list of 20 birds you CAN shoot its a list we call the general Even if you strip away the moral argument for not shooting birds off your roof, the use of firearms so close to a residence is morally indefensible. Every day a little more irate about bird of prey persecution, and I have a cat - Got a problem with that? Again, use the unexpected visitor test. She said at the time: We recognise this change will cause disruption for some people, but we are working hard to ensure it is kept to a minimum. The conservative government has set up a registration system for antique guns so that even they need to be registered post-September 2021. You have to scare crows off birds nests in a manner that doesnt scare nesting birds. Related Questions. Farmers, gamekeepers and pest controllers wanting to shoot pigeons, crows, magpies and other pest species must now apply for individual licences, available on the Gov.uk website. Its a garden, its a private premises where you have permission, and you are happy with your backstop and that backstop is in your garden. Please call 0191 567 0147, Posted by FieldSports Targets on 19th Mar 2021. Until the end of 2021, Northern Ireland ignored Wild Justices lawyers and left pest control largely in the hands of pest controllers.