legal to hunt small birds?????????
 

Hi everyone... I called the Florida Wildlife Commosion today to ask about the legality of using air rifles to hunt with in florida, just to double check... it is legal to use, so that's good. I also asked if it was legal to take unprotected non-game birds. They said it was not legal. Have you all heard of this or have I just been out of the loop? Do they really enforce this? There are millions of little sparrows and mockingbirds and grackles and things around, and I was planning on "getting rid" of them, but now i guess i may just have to live with them. I have plinked birds in my yard back home since I was a little boy, I never would have dreamed it might be illegal. What is your take on this? Is it maybe just illegal on WMAs and not private land? Please let me know... thanks!!!

RE: legal to hunt small birds?????????
 

Here in michigan there is a list of which birds we can shoot right in out hunting regs book. These birds are english sparrows, starlings, and pigeons.

I think that if you wanna shoot them just use the SSS rule! (shoot shovel and shutup)

RE: legal to hunt small birds?????????
 

I have heard of this and I agree with Carpmaster with the SSS rule. I have never heard of it being enforced here in Jacksonville and I think the FWC is just stupid. Fortunately i have a hawk and it is just great. Ive seen him grab a dove right out of the air.

Ted

RE: legal to hunt small birds?????????
 

here in ontario its legal to hunt blackbirds (grackles, starlings, crows, red-winged blackbirds), pigeons and sparrows. theres no closed season on any of those birds.

1 thing that would be great to add to the list is doves!!!!

i have eaten all of the birds listed above and they r all great. get about the same amount of meat from doves and grackles. one day i was out with my dog and my 20gauge with cheap #7 1/2's so i decided to get some sparrows. let me tell u....they r hard targets cuz they weave in and outta the brush and r so small.

if yer gonna eat em just dip the breasts (boneless) into beaten egg and then into seasoned bread crumbs. then pan or deep fry (i prefer deep) these birds r definatly one kinda meat that u can overcook very easily to make the meat tough.

if ya want recipes for any wild critters thats in ontario just lemme know ive tried everything cept for wolf,coyotes and fox. some things r....

skunk, coon, possum, squirell, rabbit, deer, moose, bear, turkey, porcupine, waterfowl, grouse, snake, snappin turtle. fish. crawfish, small birds listed above....pretty much everything thats u might think about trying. also fiddleheads (sprouting fern plants), wild mushrooms, tree fungus....lots of weird stuff.

ch312

RE: legal to hunt small birds?????????
 

english sparrows, starlings, feral pigeons. i believe these are pretty much an open season since they are considered pests. another category of birds is songbirds, they are all protected.

mockingbirds, those are considered songbirds. so are cardinals, robins, finches, etc. don't even think about shooting a songbird. and don't shoot raptors (hawks, owls, falcons, etc), and dont' shoot birds that eat mosquitoes (purple martins).

english sparrows, starlings, feral pigeons...shoot them until your heart is content. you can probably shoot blackbirds too, but i'm not sure of your state regulations.

RE: legal to hunt small birds?????????
 

thanks guys.. i like the SSS rule. thanks for the tips on eatin' those things.. i will try that!

RE: legal to hunt small birds?????????
 

in NY it is illegal to shoot any songbirds. but the unprotected species of birds include, english sparrow,starling, and wild pigeon. Is wild pigeon considered mourning dove? bc i got tons in my yard all year round and i have really considered just blasting a pellet through its head. BTW this is Squirrelhunter91 on his bros name.

RE: legal to hunt small birds?????????
 

yeah, pigeons are considered doves here in florida... and song birds are prohibited as well... but what i was told was that all bird that are not designated by a season as game birds are illegal... i am just not sure about that. oh well, i guess i will be able to get rid of some of the crows since that season starts up on May 8th!

RE: legal to hunt small birds?????????
 

I have an air rifle that i use everyday, and have a blast doing so. I have never heard of it being illegal. Grackles, redwing blackbirds, starlings, and sparrows are the only things i shoot though.