Start shooting duck...
 
Notifications
Clear all

Start shooting ducks, geese and rabbits if legal.

18 Posts
17 Users
2 Likes
23.8 K Views
KKW
(@kkw)
California
Joined: 7 years ago
Posts: 304
Topic starter  

Turn that lead into gold!

Wanted something different for dinner this holiday.

Ducks are impossible to find locally in the grocer.  DArtagnan online will sell you a duck for $50.  A rabbit will cost you $40 from the same folks.

Local grocer had geese.  I figured at $17.49 for a frozen goose it was a bargain.  Got to the check out and re-read the price tag:  $71.49.  Yes, the better part of a Benjie for a domestic goose that was frozen and more fat than meat.  Took that back to the freezer.  Will do Cornish game hen instead.

 


   
ReplyQuote
El-pelletas
(@el-pelletas)
Washington
Joined: 7 years ago
Posts: 148
 

Man, I had about 500$ worth of rabbits in the front yard ?,that until a old fat cat showed up, bastard, now there is one lonely rabbit left.. I haven't had rabbit in a looong time. 


   
ReplyQuote
Avatar
(@banjobart)
Joined: 7 years ago
Posts: 4
 

Aim for the base of the neck to drop geese. They will paddle air for a minute then expire. All that's needed is a 177 at 800 FPS.


   
ReplyQuote
Avatar
(@beeman22)
Michigan
Joined: 7 years ago
Posts: 115
 

Ducks and geese are migratory birds and subject to the Migratory Bird Act, which puts it on the Secretary of the Interior "to determine…conventions to allow hunting…and to adopt suitable regulations permitting and governing the same " That's another way of saying the statute authorizes the government to establish regulations on hunting. 

According to current federal regulations, "No persons shall take migratory game birds...With a trap, snare, net, rifle, pistol, swivel gun, shotgun larger than 10 gauge, punt gun, battery gun, machinegun, fish hook, poison, drug, explosive, or stupefying substance..." And, of course, you can't use lead.

So it would seem that the question is this: Does an air rifle fit the legal definition of a rifle with respect to current federal regulations? I don't know the answer, but Federal law in 8 U.S. Code § 921 - Definitions states: 

The term “rifle” means a weapon designed or redesigned, made or remade, and intended to be fired from the shoulder and designed or redesigned and made or remade to use the energy of an explosive to fire only a single projectile through a rifled bore for each single pull of the trigger.

Taken together, that would seem to allow the use of an air rifle to take waterfowl but you'd have to use non-lead pellets. But I am not a lawyer - anyone with more legal knowledge care to share any thoughts? Anyone know a friendly conservation officer who could opine on this topic? I, for one, would really like to know.


   
ReplyQuote
Avatar
(@banjobart)
Joined: 7 years ago
Posts: 4
 

We need a tall net on the Canadian border to keep the geese out. Maybe after the wall is built. I can only hope.


   
ReplyQuote
Avatar
(@rkia)
Iowa
Joined: 7 years ago
Posts: 14
 

Some people would say the net is for keeping  the 'Canadian geese' in Canada. ? 


   
ReplyQuote
Frank_in_Fairfield
(@frank_in_fairfield)
California
Joined: 7 years ago
Posts: 407
 
Posted by: Beeman22

Ducks and geese are migratory birds and subject to the Migratory Bird Act, which puts it on the Secretary of the Interior "to determine…conventions to allow hunting…and to adopt suitable regulations permitting and governing the same " That's another way of saying the statute authorizes the government to establish regulations on hunting. 

According to current federal regulations, "No persons shall take migratory game birds...With a trap, snare, net, rifle, pistol, swivel gun, shotgun larger than 10 gauge, punt gun, battery gun, machinegun, fish hook, poison, drug, explosive, or stupefying substance..." And, of course, you can't use lead.

So it would seem that the question is this: Does an air rifle fit the legal definition of a rifle with respect to current federal regulations? I don't know the answer, but Federal law in 8 U.S. Code § 921 - Definitions states: 

The term “rifle” means a weapon designed or redesigned, made or remade, and intended to be fired from the shoulder and designed or redesigned and made or remade to use the energy of an explosive to fire only a single projectile through a rifled bore for each single pull of the trigger.

Taken together, that would seem to allow the use of an air rifle to take waterfowl but you'd have to use non-lead pellets. But I am not a lawyer - anyone with more legal knowledge care to share any thoughts? Anyone know a friendly conservation officer who could opine on this topic? I, for one, would really like to know.

And, you cannot shoot ducks, geese with lead!


   
Jim_Bentley reacted
ReplyQuote

HOOT
(@hoot)
Arkansas
Joined: 7 years ago
Posts: 94
 

The use of lead in shooting people is also frowned upon!!!


   
ReplyQuote
Avatar
(@beemanr7)
Iowa
Joined: 7 years ago
Posts: 15
 

I've recently been informed that a pellet gun is considered a "firearm" according to the law. I'm not a lawyer; only a galley crewman aboard Slaveship U.S.A.


   
ReplyQuote
pluric
(@pluric)
Utah
Joined: 7 years ago
Posts: 1054
 
Posted by: BeemanR7

I've recently been informed that a pellet gun is considered a "firearm" according to the law. I'm not a lawyer; only a galley crewman aboard Slaveship U.S.A.

My understanding is if it doesn't use "an explosive device" to propel the projectile it's not considered a fire arm by the Feds. Individual States may regulate it differently.

https://giffords.org/lawcenter/gun-laws/policy-areas/child-consumer-safety/non-powder-toy-guns/


   
ReplyQuote
Avatar
(@obijohn)
Washington
Joined: 4 years ago
Posts: 16
 

I know this is old, but the federal regulations don't mention "firearm," they mention "rifle" and "pistol." So, the question is, are air rifles considered "rifles" under federal law? From what I can see, a "rifle" is defined as a weapon with one or more rifled barrels that use explosive energy (not merely compressed gas) to propel a projectile... and there is no exemption or differentiation as to whether it is a "modern firearm" or an "antique firearm." There is no formal definition of "pistol" but there is a formal definition for "handgun." So, theoretically, using an air gun (rifled or not) is legal for hunting waterfowl given other provisions of federal law are followed, e.g., no lead projectiles. Using an "antique firearm" (a firearm manufactured before 1898) that is a rifle would not be legal. I am not a lawyer, and this is not legal advice... I would want to get a letter from the Fish and Wildlife Service plus my state's wildlife agency clarifying this before I would attempt to hunt migratory waterfowl with an air rifle. I do know that crows can be taken legally with an air rifle and/or rimfire and centerfire rifles in many states (that give explicit permission in their hunting regulations), and they are covered by the same act.

 

As you all know, the Migratory Bird Act was passed to prevent the wanton slaughter of waterfowl by market hunters... prior to this wild game was common in butcher shops and restaurants throughout the US. Large-bore shotguns (punt guns), with bores as high as 2-gauge, would be used by market hunters to wipe out an entire flock of ducks that landed in decoys. Similarly, a couple of market hunters with rifles chambered in .22 Short could clean up on ducks, yes, and wounding a lot that weren't recovered. Sport hunters supported these laws to prevent waterfowl from going the way of the passenger pigeon.


   
ReplyQuote
awilde
(@awilde)
Tennessee
Joined: 7 years ago
Posts: 414
 

Many states classify airguns as firearms when they reach certain speeds and/or muzzle energy levels, sad as that is...


   
ReplyQuote
Avatar
(@teleamp)
Texas
Joined: 4 years ago
Posts: 373
 

If I were hungry, neck shots... If I had a question of legality I would contact the game warden.


   
ReplyQuote
Avatar
(@bill-cathcart)
South Carolina
Joined: 4 years ago
Posts: 14
 

If I am not mistaken. It is illegal to shoot any migratory water fowl with any type of air gun any where in the US


   
ReplyQuote

JohnL
(@johnl)
California
Joined: 7 years ago
Posts: 93
 

There are the air powered Seneca shotguns-with non-lead shot. Would they conform to the laws? Their range would be limited to say the least..


   
ReplyQuote
Avatar
(@hector_j_medina_g)
Maryland
Moderator
Joined: 7 years ago
Posts: 1308
 

To ME, the REAL issue here are those geese that are not "migratory" anymore.

Are they protected under a law which clearly does not apply to them?

Questions, questions, questions . . .

 

 

 

 

 

HM


   
ReplyQuote
Gratewhitehuntr
(@gratewhitehuntr)
Florida
Joined: 7 years ago
Posts: 1882
 
Posted by: @hector-j-medina-g

To ME, the REAL issue here are those geese that are not "migratory" anymore.

Or these https://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/nonnatives/birds/waterfowl/muscovy-duck/

Boy howdy you shoulda seen the ruckus at the park when I showed up with bread and a cast net!!!


   
ReplyQuote
Avatar
(@joe_smith)
North Dakota
Joined: 6 years ago
Posts: 9
 

Live in farm country. Many ponds and sloughs with geese & ducks on them. Geese are the big problem. One pair can cost $800-1500 crop loss. We can shoot due to crop depredation.

 I nail them with air rifles. One neighbor uses a .243. Supposed to let them lie, crop protecion - not hunting for food. If shot in the field we go out and toss them on the edge of the pond so they don't get tangled in farm machinery later.

Within a 2 mile radius of our old farmhouse we have 22 ponds & sloughs.

We also shoot muskrats in the waters alongside the roads. All gravel/dirt roads here and the muskrats in the ponds alongside the roads burrow in and roads collapse. So, County has us on a list authorized for "pest control".

Not to mention the blackbirds. Masses of them attack the corn & sunflowers hard. Neighbors buy shotgun shells by the pallet(not just by the case) and have their kids ride along on ATV's and shoot at them. Hardly makes a dent in the numbers but it does scare them off for a bit. Shot below shows a few on sunflowers. This is a small group of them. Great balletic patterns when they fly. Really loud when thousands are in the trees by the fields or houses. But - they are expensive when they can wipe out more than 70% of a crop.

Blackbird Murmuration

While we are at it Grain Elevators are great for shooting pigeons. Best day was 72 of them within 3 hours. The grain guys love it and the local cats clean up the carcases overnight. Pigeons eat grain but worse is the crap - they coat everything and really make a mess.

 


   
ReplyQuote

Airgun Warriors