[Enrico]

Hey there people, I'm new to the forums here and I just wanted to get some feedback on an issue I am having.

I'm a fan of pigeons, always have been since I was little. I used to always go out and look for injured birds and try to nurse them back to health. Since in my neighborhood their were a lot of injured birds.

Anyways, basically the issue here is, theres a kid in my neighborhood. I think he's about 19 years old, whom sometimes during the days I can see him walking around with a pellet gun shooting the pigeons. I checked the local statutes (I live in Tempe, Arizona btw) and there doesn't seem to be any law regulating the shooting of birds, or shooting off a pellet gun within the city limits. (Although I could be mistaken, if anyone knows please fill me in.) The only thing I could find was grounds for a possible noise ordinance complaint. But the kid never is out at night.

Anyways, he tends to shoot a lot of them off the power lines in the alleys and rooftops of our neighbors. I was thinking, the least I could do was try to lure as many as I can into my backyard for feeding during the day so they could be safe. (Because if he shoots at them, into MY backyard, we're going to have a problem.) Anyways, I was just wondering what tasty treats the piggy's might enjoy, also I was wondering possible if it would be a good idea to maybe trap a few in the area he has been shooting them in, and introduce them to a little pigeon house that I am planning to start building here. Of course, i'd let them go everyday, but try to maybe let them think about making a new home in the sanctuary of my property.

Thanks for any suggestions in advance!

 

[Matt D.]

Wow, this is really bad. 19 and spends his days shooting inoscent animals, pretty pathetic. Pigeons love safflower and peanuts. The also love to take baths. I think it would be a great Idea for you to catch them and keep them in a loft. You may want to look around on the resource or the loft forum here for ideas, and look and get some good info. I hope you can save the pigeons and maybe save all of the pigeon poop for a while in your loft and bag it until you get enough to put a few bags of it in the front yard. kinda as payback, yeah and maybe build a nice catapult, well you get the idea.

 

[Enrico]

Yeah, tell me about it. It's not everday he's out, and the few times I've yelled at him he's flipped me off and ran away pretty quickly. Otherwise i'd give him a piece of my mind. Anyways...lol

Never heard of safflower, but i'll check it out when I get the chance. Right now i'll just scatter some old bread and any other grain products I can find in the house that we don't use anymore. Try to get a temporary solution until I can build them a nice house.

 

[Matt D.]

Great. I hope you dont lose another bird to this lunatic. I'm going to bed. Thanks again for helping this little guys.

 

[Enrico]

And thank you for the tips, I have an old bag of peanuts here at home. Do they like them in the shell? Or should i take them out, also. I'm going to pop some of these old bags of popcorn I have, throw at about too.

 

[Matt D.]

No, don't give them poped popcorn, and the peanuts need to be raw and preferable un-salted. So i am guessing what you have around the house wont work. They need to be shelled.

 

[Margarret]

Take some pictures of this guy when you see him out with his pellet gun. Especially if you can get some pictures of him aiming at something. There is probably some kind of local ordinance pertaining to cruelty to animals in your city. I'd call the local animal control people and ask them.

Margaret

 

[Enrico]

No, don't give them poped popcorn, and the peanuts need to be raw and preferable un-salted. So i am guessing what you have around the house wont work. They need to be shelled.

Ahhh, okay then. Are they allergic to it or something? The only other thing I have around here is regular wheat bread, and some old grass seed. I placed that outside so hopefully that will work. I can try rinsing the shells off in water maybe? Since they're shelled and salted, maybe I can rinse the salt off?

As for local ordinances, I'm not aware of any. I'll send an email out.

 

[Feefo]

Hi Enrico,

I will ask Cindy to have a look at this thread, she lives in Mesa. You might also want to contact Dave Roth of the Urban Wildlife Society, he is in Phoenix

www.urbanwildlifesociety.org

Cynthia

 

[Skyeking]

Ahhh, okay then.* Are they allergic to it or something? The only other thing I have around here is regular wheat bread, and some old grass seed. I placed that outside so hopefully that will work. I can try rinsing the shells off in water maybe? Since they're shelled and salted, maybe I can rinse the salt off? .

Thank you for your concerns over the pigeons. I hope you can lure them to your yard. Sounds like this person has some real issues that need to be addressed-immediately. This can only escelate if it continues, who knows what he will be aiming at next! Definitely start with calling your local animal control, and I'm sure what he is doing is illegal within city limits.

* It has nothing to do with allergies, but whole corn is a good source of nutrients for them, cracked is also not good. Do not give the birds grass seed that is used for growing lawns as it is usually treated with chemicals that are toxic to birds. Can you purchase some wild bird seed?

 

[TheSnipes]

Ahhh, okay then. Are they allergic to it or something? The only other thing I have around here is regular wheat bread, and some old grass seed. I placed that outside so hopefully that will work. I can try rinsing the shells off in water maybe? Since they're shelled and salted, maybe I can rinse the salt off?

Enrico,
Pigeons LOVE un-popped popcorn! Feed it to them that way Thanks for caring and trying to help the helpless pidgies

 

[philodice]

There is a law. It falls under cruelty or torture. The law in Arizona states that this statute applies to ANY animal. Arizona considers animal cruelty to cover even our beloved pests. Sure if you are on private property and want to ride yourself of a few pest birds you are allowed to use approved traps and poisons, but in a populated area NO form of fire arm is permitted to be fired. You tell the cops that this is going on, shooting a pellet gun in city limits is also forbidden. He could get arrested easy. Lots of kids get arrested for this kind of thing in Arizona. It's the Sherriff Joe Law. You can't even torture your own pet mouse in this state. And if the gun looks 'to real' he could get killed in the process.

It's a dirty business all around, and I'm glad the statute is so inclusive as to apply and help these pigeons. If you need help rehabing, I need help building a new pred-proof aviary. Maybe we could help eachother.

 

[philodice]

Call 911 and say a person is brandishing a weapon and firing at power lines. That will get a response right away.

 

[Whitefeather]

Welcome to Pigeon Talk, Enrico.
I'm so sorry to hear about what's going on around you. Sadly, it happens much too often.
What's even more sad is, in many areas, the 'officials' just turn their heads the other way. Especially if 'pigeons' are involved.
It is true, Sherriff Joe doesn't take kindly to any type animal abuse.

I'm in the area of Dobson & Baseline (Dobson Ranch). We also have Kim, who resides in Tempe.

If you'd like to email me, [email protected] (title the email as Bird Shootings), or send me a private message, with a more definite location of where this is taking place, that would be great. Since it's in or near your neighborhood, I wouldn't recommend posting the information publicly. It's up to you though.

When you say 'local' statutes, are you referring to city or the Arizona Revised Statutes?

I would definitely try to get a picture of this 'Jr' low life in the act.
Just don't do anything that would put you in a 'Harm's way' situation.

Please do keep us posted.
I look forward to hearing from you & helping in any way that I can.

Cindy

 

[naturegirl]

Can you possibly get pictures or a video of him and turn it into the police or humane socieity there? If you can you could bring up the concern,
"If he can hurt and kill an inocent bird then he can hurt and kill a human" If he flips you off again call the cops I know there is something out there they can do about that. I think it is obscene jesture or something along those lines. You could go after cruelty to animals, discharge of a fire arm in a residential area. The list could go on. You could even go for a public arrest if warranted.

Cindy

 

[zimmzimm3]

You said you had never heard of safflower. If there is a Tractor Supply around you they sell it in the bird seed sections. Someone else said to feed them whole corn. My birds personally love whole corn. Good luck with getting this awful person to justice!!

 

[Enrico]

Wow! I wasn't expecting so many replies so quickly, i'll try to respond to as many posts as I can...

For starters, yes I am speaking of Arizona revised statutes, as far as Animal Cruelty goes it does say that you cannot prolong the suffering of any animals, etc etc.But as far as I've seen his shots kill the poor birds instantly, and unfortunately arn't pigeons classified as pests? Wouldn't that make them an exception? I don't know...if anyone does fill me in.

As for the firearm portion, I read on the ARS that pellet guns are an exception as well.




Anyways, I'm not about to try and jump out and snap a picture of him, but I will call the police if I see him running around with the rifle again. Other then that I don't know what else to do.

As for the grass seed, It's organic stuff I'm pretty sure, But I wouldn't want to poison the little guys. As for the popcorn, I fed them the unpopped stuff, they all came by today and loved it.

I haven't seen the kid out and about recently, but his schedule does seem random, probably when he's bored or something, I don't know. I'm a busy person myself. I'll just have to give the PD's non-emergency number a ring when I get a chance, Don't want to get into trouble for falsifying and 911 calls now.

As for suggested contacts, I already emailed Maricopa County Animal control, I'm just awaiting a response.

** EDIT ** Arizona Revised Statutes further state that you can discharge a firearm for "For the control of nuisance wildlife by permit from the Arizona game and fish department or the United States fish and wildlife service."

IS their no hope

 

[Enrico]

Can you possibly get pictures or a video of him and turn it into the police or humane socieity there? If you can you could bring up the concern,
"If he can hurt and kill an inocent bird then he can hurt and kill a human" If he flips you off again call the cops I know there is something out there they can do about that. I think it is obscene jesture or something along those lines. You could go after cruelty to animals, discharge of a fire arm in a residential area. The list could go on. You could even go for a public arrest if warranted.

Cindy

By public arrest, I'm assuming your speaking of a citizens arrest. That isn't allowed unless a felony, and usually with a victim, is being commited. IE, Rape, Murder, Robbery. Etc.

Also, I don't think that line "if he can hurt a bird, he can kill a person" would fly too well with the police, if that was the case wouldn't exterminators be mass murderers? Just saying...not necessarily that I think that way, just probably what their response would be.

They'd probably just turn their heads to some kid with a BB gun shooting pigeons. ugggh

 

[Whitefeather]

If he flips you off again call the cops I know there is something out there they can do about that. I think it is obscene jesture or something along those lines. You could go after cruelty to animals, discharge of a fire arm in a residential area. The list could go on. You could even go for a public arrest if warranted.

Cindy

You're right Cindy, it is an obscene jesture. But I don't believe it would be categorized as putting someone in harm's way. I honestly don't think the police are going to respond to an 'obsecen jesture' call.

* Wow! I wasn't expecting so many replies so quickly, i'll try to respond to as many posts as I can...

For starters, yes I am speaking of Arizona revised statutes, as far as Animal Cruelty goes it does say that you cannot prolong the suffering of any animals, etc etc.
But as far as I've seen his shots kill the poor birds instantly, and unfortunately arn't pigeons classified as pests? Wouldn't that make them an exception? I don't know...if anyone does fill me in.

** As for the firearm portion, I read on the ARS that pellet guns are an exception as well.




*** Anyways, I'm not about to try and jump out and snap a picture of him, but I will call the police if I see him running around with the rifle again. Other then that I don't know what else to do.

As for suggested contacts, I already emailed Maricopa County Animal control, I'm just awaiting a response.

** EDIT **
**** Arizona Revised Statutes further state that you can discharge a firearm for "For the control of nuisance wildlife by permit from the Arizona game and fish department or the United States fish and wildlife service."

IS their no hope

* We take animal cruelty complaints very seriously & will do what we can to make things right for the abused.

** Your link to the ARS Statute didn't appear.

*** Wouldn't want you to do that. If you are able to get a picture WITHOUT putting yourself in harm's way, that would be great.
Yes, calling the police is the best move.
If you haven't already done so, I would call the police & file a complaint. That way, it will be on record.

**** Having a permit is one thing (which I seriously doubt that he holds). Shooting at will, in a neighborhood, is quite another.

Please keep us updated.

Cindy

 

[flitsnowzoom]

..... . . . . but I will call the police if I see him running around with the rifle again. Other then that I don't know what else to do.



As for suggested contacts, I already emailed Maricopa County Animal control, I'm just awaiting a response.

** EDIT ** Arizona Revised Statutes further state that you can discharge a firearm for "For the control of nuisance wildlife by permit from the Arizona game and fish department or the United States fish and wildlife service."

The key information is "by permit". I can almost guarantee that this person does not have a permit and most likely if you live in a city, will not be able to get a permit. Depending on the velocity of the shot coming from the bb or air rifle, he may be over the legal limit to discharge said device w/in the city limits. Most places require that you have a safe backstop to contain the rounds that are shot and up in the air is not a safe backstop.
If you city has home rule, like many cities in Colorado, the city ordinances can actually be more strict than state ordinances particularly when projectile shooting devices (air guns, bow & arrow, firearms) are the object of control.