Shooting feral pigeons w/ pelet gun in Denver, Colorado?

Question

Hi. I have a severe problem w/ feral pigeons around my house so what do you think the status of removing the pigeons around my house with a pellet rifle. I live near the center of Denver Colorado.

Answer 1

Probably not a good idea, since you are bound to miss, occasionally, and the stray pellet may hit an innocent bystander (like a cat... or a child).  

Call a pest control expert and see what they recommend.  I know that folks in this part of Texas use the dummy owls (someone before me mentioned) to scare off grackle populations. They seem to work.

Personally, I love grackles...

Answer 2

The pigeons are wild, not feral. Regardless shooting them with a pellet gun could get you in trouble. Try contacting a pest control company to deal with them.

Answer 3

A decoy owl will be much more effective, and legal.

Answer 4

its ok as long as you eat the evidence afterwords.

Answer 5

probably illegal, I'd try the decoy owl, if that didn't work I'd feed them. (bread mixed with rat poison. I haven't tried it but I heard antacid kills them spectacularly)

Answer 6

There's no such thing as "feral" pigeons.

"Feral" refers to domesticated cats and dogs which have reverted to the wild, after generations of having been abandoned by humans and having no homes.

Since pigeons are not a domesticated species, the term "feral" doesn't apply to them.

As to your thinking about slaughtering them - that would be wrong.

And illegal, probably. You can call the State Wildlife Commission to find out for sure.

I think I read somewhere once about "owl dummies" scaring off pigeons. You might could find some in a garden center - and hang them around your house on the outside where the pigeons congregate.

Or adopt a cat?

Answer 7

I go ahead and shoot them. If anybody asks I'll say they attacked me.

Answer 8

Illegal. But plenty of people do illegal things everyday. It is your decision to make. Denver is a nice city. No need to be leaving dead, rotting pigeons everywhere.

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