I need some advice /an/.
I'm living in student accommodation for university, and outside the back entrance there's a very old railway line brick wall with multiple holes in that numerous residential pigeons in the area roost within. They also roost within the rafters underneath the accommodation since it's kind of a below-level entrance.
When I first moved in I noticed daily that their were numerous old and new pigeon corpses rotting on the road outside. At first I didn't think much of it until one day on my way to university I saw a man with a rifle lurking around outside trying to conceal himself behind a car once he realised I'd sighted him. I immediately went up to the reception to complain as I thought it was some twat who was coming down here to practice his marksmanship on the local wildlife - turns out my accommodation has hired this cunt to shoot the pigeons in the surrounding area.
Pretty incensed as today returning back to my accommodation I stumbled across 3 gas capsules for the rifle that the guy keeps leaving all over the road a long with the birds he's just slaughtered which I gathered and slammed on the desk of the reception.
I know some of you probably think I'm being ridiculous, but the pigeons have been here much longer than the accommodation has and instead of engaging a short-term solution and simply installing pigeon spikes on the property they've taken to using the longer-term, more expensive solution of just shooting them every week.
I fucking love pigeons, I used to keep two rescue pigeons as pets when I was a kid and they're lovely birds.
Is there anything I can do to stop this? I know that. It's getting to the point where I'm going to start moving up from dumping the gas capsules at the reception and actually dumping the pigeon corpses instead. I can't see how they'd object since they seem to believe that the birds belong to them in life. They should take some fucking responsibility for their bodies in death.
Feel I need to add, I'm a vegetarian but I'm not actually against the concept of hunting animals provided it's conducted in an appropriate and humane manner, but this is just fucking slaughter for slaughters sake and it repulses me.
I know that pigeons are technically protected under The Wildlife and Countryside Act in the UK as domesticated wildlife 'of a kind' but apparently that only extends to control so far as all other methods have been exhausted, which I'm pretty sure that they haven't tried - i.e. egg shaking, bird spikes to encourage them to roost elsewhere.
Also, also need to add, something that has absolutely sickened me.
Aside from the shooting, somebody, I assume the guy, has been sticking bricks and rocks and old bottles into the holes of this railway wall and entombing any pigeons hiding within.
I didn't discover it until one day walking past I decided to dislodge a brick thinking it's make a nice hole for a bird, and a desiccated pigeon corpse fell out of the hole in front of me.
>>2076454
>Feel I need to add, I'm a vegetarian
Top kek.
I thought vegetarians and vegans throwing that out when there's no need was a meme.
>>2076462
Yeah, they're legit nice birds.
They get a bad rap because people say they're disease carriers and shit, but humans are more prone to disease than most species and pigeons actually clean up the streets.
And did you know that they mate for life? Keeping them as pets is one hell of a calming experience. They're very loving little animals.
>>2076463
I actually only specifically said that because I presumed somebody would come in and say something a long the lines of "hurghhh if u care bout' pigeons y u eat meat".
Assuming you're north america, they are an invasive species. They aren't wild animals here, they're feral. They can spread diseases to humans(not as common as people think though) and do major damage to structures due to their droppings. Also they make far more of a mess than they do clean it.
Shooting them would be better than say, poisoning them and while yeah they should at least try bird spikes - they don't always work. I see a shit ton of pigeons using them to build nests on and using them as protection. Don't get me wrong either, I have rescued pigeons and hand reared ones. I love pigeons and they're one of my favorite animals.
Leaving the corpses around is a problem though. Take pictures and call animal control or whoever. Don't complain someone is shooting pigeons and you want it stopped - they will laugh at you. Make a stink about how they are leaving corpses around.
>>2076466
I didn't know that anon!
My friend's dad had a pigeon he raised from a chick, he said it was a sweetheart.
I wish I had the space for some pigeons; I have a parrot but she's not calming at all (fun though). Are they easy to keep?
I hope you can get something worked out about that fucker shooting them.
>>2076485
I'm in the UK and they're typically protected under The Wildlife and Conservation Act of 1981 unless it can be proven that they're causing the spread of disease/safety hazard (which they can't prove because they're not) and you're only allowed to resort to lethal means if all other methods of control have been exhausted, which they obviously haven't because there's no spikes and there's also no ultrasonic bird scarer.
But yeah, I'll begin photographing the corpses regularly with a timestamp. That's a really good idea so thanks.
Is your university in or near a city? It's usually illegal to discharge firearms so close to residential areas.
>>2076570
Yes, I'm in the city of Newcastle-upon-Tyne in the UK, but I don't really know much about those laws. If anybody could expand it would be wonderful.
>>2076489
Alright then, sorry for the assumption. Carry on.
I have no idea how it works over there.
One thing says
>The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 states that it is an offence to kill any bird - including pigeons - unless a licence is held, but section one allows exemption if an organisation or individual complies with general licence regulations.
and
> Pigeon Control Advisory Service, an independent bird control consultancy
Try contacting them?
>>2076489
I'm surprised they hired someone to shoot them.
The most common pigeon control method I see is paying for someone to fly their bird of prey around the area every so often. Speak to your university and suggest this method instead? May work better if you find a local falconer and give the uni their details.
There will be less pigeons around as a result, but they won't die. It's disgusting that he's leaving shit around like that, especially corpses. If he's not disposing of them correctly, then the guy clearly doesn't have a clue on what he's doing. Might be legal ramifications there too. I'm sure the uni just hired whoever was cheapest.
shut up, fag, pigeons are pests that spread disease and they shit everywhere
much like you
>>2076451
>Desire to feed the birds for toppins a day intensifies.
>>2076694
True, but leaving corpses around isn't helping. Plus, more pigeons will just come in this case, so you'll have disease carriers, literal shit, and corpses around.
>>2076701
Why are you buttmad? Did a pigeon rape your parents to death in front of you or something?
Yeah, contact your local wildlife/humane society. They might not be able to help, but they might be able to point you in the right direction. Document everything. You might try sending a letter to whoever is in charge of the accommodation pointing out how stupid and a waste of money this is, and pointing out the abundance of alternatives that would probably be more effective.
