What Can I shoot???

[Deker 3,478]

Some of you may find this useful, it is from the BASC website and lists the Animals and Birds that can be taken with an Air Rifle under the Open General Licence in ENGLAND. The Licence for Scotland, Wales and N Ireland tends to be very similar but I do not have copies so I cannot quote 100%.

 

Please take particular note of the REASONS and the bold areas!

 

 

Live quarry shooting

 

Many people shoot live quarry, either on their own land or where they have permission. The species which you can shoot are limited by the law and by the effective power of an air rifle.

 

All birds are protected, and although there are seasons when you can legally shoot game, and some wildfowl, these are generally not suitable quarry for air rifles. However, as long as you are complying with firearms law, you can shoot certain pest species. These are covered by open general licences which, in simple terms, mean you can shoot the birds provided you have the landowner’s permission and provided you are doing it for one of the reasons allowed by the licence.

 

These reasons are:

 

to protect crops

to protect game and wildlife

to protect public health or safety

 

Those species covered by the licences, for which air rifles are suitable, include: crows, rooks, jackdaws, magpies, jays, woodpigeon, collared doves, and feral pigeons.

 

Sparrows and starlings are no longer on the general licences for England. Therefore you cannot shot them in England, although they can still be shot in Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland. For full details on general licences please click here.

 

You can shoot mammal pests at any time provided you have the landowner’s permission. Air rifles are suitable for: brown rats, grey squirrels, stoats, mink and rabbits.

Edited December 28, 2007 by Deker

[Rudedog 0]

Fair enough as far as i'm concerned, I dont shoot game birds anyway

[Guest SJM]

I cant beleive I just wasted 2 mins of my life reading this tripe, should have known better with it being deker who started it, it would be some load of red tape, rules and regulations bollocks

[Deker 3,478]

For links to copies of the General licences covering each country go to the BASC

website at www.basc.org.uk and click on the ‘Shooting’ tab and then click on

‘Pest and Predator Control’ in the drop down menu.

[IanB 0]

Good post deker, helps people who are confused as to what quarry is legal when out hunting with airguns... we get enough bad press as it is

 

SJM your just a free spirit, naughty girl

[mad al 146]

Good job I use a pea shooter or catty on the pheasants then

[AIRGUNNER 1]

Theres a few things i fell you've missed out Deker heres a the link with full information and pictures of your quarry,

 

http://www.basc.org.uk/media/quarry_id_new.pdf

[john b 38]

That's another good link AG but I think it refers to all shooting quarry, including those suitable for shotguns rather than just air rifles.

 

The original BASC article which Deker quotes does mention these other birds; '...........seasons when you can legally shoot game, and some wildfowl, these are generally not suitable quarry for air rifles'.

[C3PO 118]

I cant beleive I just wasted 2 mins of my life reading this tripe, should have known better with it being deker who started it, it would be some load of red tape, rules and regulations bollocks

 

Now there's a responsible shooter

 

I think not enough attention nor care is given to the conditions which allow us to take feathered quarry and they are actually pretty strict, as you'll soon discover when new conditions are published in Scotland in April.

 

Anyone in England should have a careful read of this: http://www.naturalengland.org.uk/conservat...L%20Gen-L05.pdf which sets out the reasons you can take feathered birds. Of course this is not true for rabbits, rats, squirrels, mink...

Edited February 24, 2008 by C3PO

[cometa300s 20]

tanks for that mate

[SquirrelSniper18 0]

Good post Deker.

Nothing I didn't know before but it is always a relief to know I haven't inadvertly done anything I shouldn't have.

[jdr62 0]

SQUIRRELS -

 

Further to the advice on what we can shoot, can anyone tell me the rules on shooting grey squirrels in my own (London) back garden.

 

With an air rifle of course!

Edited October 1, 2008 by jdr62

[Malt 379]

That's another good link AG but I think it refers to all shooting quarry, including those suitable for shotguns rather than just air rifles.

 

The original BASC article which Deker quotes does mention these other birds; '...........seasons when you can legally shoot game, and some wildfowl, these are generally not suitable quarry for air rifles'.

If you ask me, the generally not suitable quarry for air rifles part is a bit of a grey area. It doesn't say that that you must not shoot at them with an air rifle, for instance, if you shot a mallard with an air rifle at the correct range and killed it instantly, what law could you be charged with breaking? (provided it was in season)

 

This is just an observation however, for all intents & purposes, I'd stick to the 'suitable' quarry list with an airgun.

[C3PO 118]

SQUIRRELS -

 

Further to the advice on what we can shoot, can anyone tell me the rules on shooting grey squirrels in my own (London) back garden.

 

With an air rifle of course!

 

You're fine to shoot them if they're causing you problems and if you're more than 50 feet from the centre of a highway which otherwise might cause distress to people if you were within that distance. Ensure that pellets don't leave your boundary and you should be fine.

[bates88 0]

Some of you may find this useful, it is from the BASC website and lists the Animals and Birds that can be taken with an Air Rifle under the Open General Licence in ENGLAND. The Licence for Scotland, Wales and N Ireland tends to be very similar but I do not have copies so I cannot quote 100%.

 

Please take particular note of the REASONS and the bold areas!

 

 

Live quarry shooting

 

Many people shoot live quarry, either on their own land or where they have permission. The species which you can shoot are limited by the law and by the effective power of an air rifle.

 

All birds are protected, and although there are seasons when you can legally shoot game, and some wildfowl, these are generally not suitable quarry for air rifles. However, as long as you are complying with firearms law, you can shoot certain pest species. These are covered by open general licences which, in simple terms, mean you can shoot the birds provided you have the landowner’s permission and provided you are doing it for one of the reasons allowed by the licence.

 

These reasons are:

 

to protect crops

to protect game and wildlife

to protect public health or safety

 

Those species covered by the licences, for which air rifles are suitable, include: crows, rooks, jackdaws, magpies, jays, woodpigeon, collared doves, and feral pigeons.

 

Sparrows and starlings are no longer on the general licences for England. Therefore you cannot shot them in England, although they can still be shot in Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland. For full details on general licences please click here.

 

You can shoot mammal pests at any time provided you have the landowner’s permission. Air rifles are suitable for: brown rats, grey squirrels, stoats, mink and rabbits.

 

Hi i think this is fair enough these species are only vermin anyway and very good sport