when I was in my early 20s we would go caning and my buddy's dad would get up bright and early and go on a blujay hunt. He'd holler out when he got one, now mind you this would be around 5:30 so none of us were thrilled to hear him yelling about this. He seemed to have this vendetta against them he hated them for some reason. Which leads me to wonder what's everyone else's position on them?
Bluejays to shoot or not to shoot
- Thread starter Jedediah
- Start date
Bluejays are nasty, noisy buggers that torment and kill anything smaller than themselves. I have personally seen them pin songbirds to the ground, and eat their bellies out of them alive. They are related closely to crows, and if they were ugly, I am betting it would be open season on them. But they are not ugly; quite the opposite. So, it is of little surprise that they are a protected species. There is no open season on the bird in my state, and likely all others.
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Blue jays are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, so if you're in the states I'd say don't shoot them unless you're able to secure a permit from a Parks & Recreation office.
http://www.fws.gov/migratorybirds/regulationspolicies/mbta/MBTANDX.HTML
http://www.fws.gov/migratorybirds/regulationspolicies/mbta/MBTANDX.HTML
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They are the predominant birds in my neighborhood, tall oaks, and some massive eastern pines. They are fierce defenders of their territory, and young. A baby bird fell out of the nest, and the neighbors cat grabbed it. It looked like a scene from "The Birds" seemed like every bluejay in the neighborhood was on the roof or branches surrounding the house for weeks. We laughed as the cat would not venture out during daylight hours. I think I remember reading something like one in eight birds reach maturity, the squirrels will carry the young out of their nests, figure they have enough going on dodging pellets should not be on their list also.
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I don't see them much were I'm at (Maryland). Plus there protected here anyway, they get a pass. Best Steve
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I think Blujays are fine but they are considered pests in some places because of there aggressive nature (beating up other birds and things like that). I think they might be protected in some states. Peoples opinions change from state to state. That's all I've gathered up about them.
-Jimmy
-Jimmy
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Can't touch them in California without a permit. Permits are usually given to clubs or groups for reducing a species that has over taken an area. Air guns are strictly forbidden for this type of hunt in California. This occurs every few years. In Cali you can't shoot pretty much anything without a permit from the owner or Gov't. For example I have to get written permission from the land owner to hunt rats in my neck of the woods, which isn't really an issue. I have only been checked once due to the neighbor seeing me hiking to the chicken coop with an air gun on my back.
In all instances I would recommend that you check your local laws before putting any lead in anything.
http://www.sialis.org/mbta.htm
http://www.network54.com/Forum/79537/thread/1199459033/California+law+regarding+airguns+and+Crows----
*Edited for content and spelling
In all instances I would recommend that you check your local laws before putting any lead in anything.
http://www.sialis.org/mbta.htm
http://www.network54.com/Forum/79537/thread/1199459033/California+law+regarding+airguns+and+Crows----
*Edited for content and spelling
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I am not sure if Bluejays are considered a migratory bird but all migratory birds fall under federal jurisdiction. It is a Class C felony to shoot migratory birds out of season. They can can take your gun, vehicle, and also have you pay a huge fine along with jail-time. Conservation Officers are usually very helpful but I have come across several that were looking for a reason to give you a hard time. I would be absolutely certain what birds are legal to shoot and which ones you can't.
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When I was a lad blue jays were noisy and aggressive birds which no one liked, or minded if you used for bb gun practice. Now that I am a lot older I have noticed that blue jays are very quiet, seldom making any noise, and are only slightly aggressive, usually only around the bird bath, and usually only when there's more than one present.
I wonder if the loss of most of the old trees and increase in housing density may have affected their behavior? It really isn't a nuisance to have the around these days, as it was before.
Jack
I wonder if the loss of most of the old trees and increase in housing density may have affected their behavior? It really isn't a nuisance to have the around these days, as it was before.
Jack
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"Shoot em, shoot em all"...uhhh...did I say that out loud. What I meant to say was, "They are so beautiful and brightly colored. How could anyone shoot such a gorgeous creature? They're melodic vocalization is God's natural alarm clock." Well...was God's natural alarm clock.
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Hunt junky and scubajeeper that's some pretty funny stuff. I believe I've seen weak footed alarm clock birds before.
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Bluejays eat a ton of acorns. That beak of theirs can bust right through the hard shell. They frequently sit in the tree outside my window, and I can hear them smashing the acorns with the beak; they hit them so hard. They even cache them in trees and on the forest floor like squirrels.
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Sorry to point this out Ted but in the wild it's not uncommon for animals to die by being eaten alive, . Humans are the only predator that cares how we kill or even if we kill. The others just want to eat and survive. Yes the Blue Jay is aggressive. We need to stop putting human values onto animal behavior. An agressive co-worker is the poops while in the wild it is an edge to many. There is no bad or good in the wild. All that matters is survival. Stop thinking about animals in moral terms.
Besides, all of this bad mouth talk about Blue Jays is starting to piss off the folks in Toronto.
Red.
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A valid point, Red. One that I have made myself many times. Just shows how easy it is to slip back down that slope. Your message was like a spray of cold water. I'm awake. I'm awake!!
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Thanks Ted, but keep in mind that it's not a bad thing to piss off the folks in Toronto, in fact it's a lot of fun"Ted"
A valid point, Red. One that I have made myself many times. Just shows how easy it is to slip back down that slope. Your message was like a spray of cold water. I'm awake. I'm awake!!
.Red.
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Hi fellow hunters!
Great conversation. I'm struck by the topic title:
Of course, Hamlet was talking about suicide. But, who's the biggest "pest species" on the planet? The most destructive "invasive species"? That's right, us. And, to some extent we are hunting ourselves when we hunt animals. In one of Ted's videos (I forget which one) he talks about hunting being a part of who he is in the world spiritually. He doesn't elaborate just mentions it. It's one of the things that drew me to him. I've hunted pests and, for food. I'm more comfortable hunting for food. But, that's no judgement on pest hunting. Like I said, I do it. One of the ways we are able to destroy things that look like us (Two eyes, two feet, beating heart) is to objectify them. It's a psychological defense and there's nothing wrong with it. When we ask our troops to kill we can't, also, ask them to feel the humanity of the enemy and have a breakdown on the battlefield every time they do what we've asked them to do. C.S. Lewis talks about our society robbing young men of "the joy of battle". Hunting and war are, of course very different. And, yet there is something similar as well. There is something in us that loves to hunt, to kill. And, there is something in us that feels wretched about this. Our relationship with the "prey species" has been evolving in context for a very, very long time:
Joseph Campbell says that our relationship to the prey species is the origin of the religious dimension of our life. Anything can be distorted. Objectification can enable genocide, like in Rwanda when people became "cock roaches". We ARE different from animals. And, equally, we are NOT different from animals. No human being on this planet can separate him/her self from taking violently from the earth and wild animals. Flicking on the light, burning fossil fuels, buying a package of meat at the supermarket, how much habitat was destroyed for the soybean field that made that tofu burger possible?
We hunters take first hand. Our currency is blood. There is an honesty in it. And, it makes us better people. I enjoy the kill as much as the next guy. But, I also, give thanks. Sorry for the ramble! I'm home sick today and I love talking about this stuff! And, just a note: the last thing I want to do is involve this conversation in Judgement or Offense. We're all brothers and sisters here. The internet can be so difficult for real discussion and this topic can be divisive. Peace and Love to you! "The unexamined life is not worth living!"
Great conversation. I'm struck by the topic title:
Of course, Hamlet was talking about suicide. But, who's the biggest "pest species" on the planet? The most destructive "invasive species"? That's right, us. And, to some extent we are hunting ourselves when we hunt animals. In one of Ted's videos (I forget which one) he talks about hunting being a part of who he is in the world spiritually. He doesn't elaborate just mentions it. It's one of the things that drew me to him. I've hunted pests and, for food. I'm more comfortable hunting for food. But, that's no judgement on pest hunting. Like I said, I do it. One of the ways we are able to destroy things that look like us (Two eyes, two feet, beating heart) is to objectify them. It's a psychological defense and there's nothing wrong with it. When we ask our troops to kill we can't, also, ask them to feel the humanity of the enemy and have a breakdown on the battlefield every time they do what we've asked them to do. C.S. Lewis talks about our society robbing young men of "the joy of battle". Hunting and war are, of course very different. And, yet there is something similar as well. There is something in us that loves to hunt, to kill. And, there is something in us that feels wretched about this. Our relationship with the "prey species" has been evolving in context for a very, very long time:
Joseph Campbell says that our relationship to the prey species is the origin of the religious dimension of our life. Anything can be distorted. Objectification can enable genocide, like in Rwanda when people became "cock roaches". We ARE different from animals. And, equally, we are NOT different from animals. No human being on this planet can separate him/her self from taking violently from the earth and wild animals. Flicking on the light, burning fossil fuels, buying a package of meat at the supermarket, how much habitat was destroyed for the soybean field that made that tofu burger possible?
We hunters take first hand. Our currency is blood. There is an honesty in it. And, it makes us better people. I enjoy the kill as much as the next guy. But, I also, give thanks. Sorry for the ramble! I'm home sick today and I love talking about this stuff! And, just a note: the last thing I want to do is involve this conversation in Judgement or Offense. We're all brothers and sisters here. The internet can be so difficult for real discussion and this topic can be divisive. Peace and Love to you! "The unexamined life is not worth living!"
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Great response Andy. I couldn't help thinking of Jacob's 'blessings' for his 12 sons in Genesis 49. In 5-7 he chastises Simeon and Levi for their cruelty to oxen. We are to subdue and utilize the earth and what is in it, but we should have a respect and nobility in how we treat it. Everyone is different. Snakes don't bother me but I'll squish a spider every time. When I lived in India there was a sect that swept in front of themselves where ever they walked so as not to injure even an insect.
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I brought the topic to Ted's attention because he had lost sight of the basic thing with hunting ethics and that is respect. What elevates humans is the ability to respect the life we take. The pest must die because they are a threat to us and our family's well being, not because they are ugly buggers that act inappropriately for a human. Do we respect the game we take and thank them for giving us food for our family? Or do we shot the eeffing things because it's so cool the see them blow up?
The key is respect. Ask a non-hunter how much respect they have for the animal that feeds them when all they ever do is buy a small piece on a styrofoam plate at the super market. It is so detached they can offer no respect for that animal and the life that the styropacked piece represents. Hunters see things as real and can offer real respect.
Red.
The key is respect. Ask a non-hunter how much respect they have for the animal that feeds them when all they ever do is buy a small piece on a styrofoam plate at the super market. It is so detached they can offer no respect for that animal and the life that the styropacked piece represents. Hunters see things as real and can offer real respect.
Red.
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Wow, great topic and responses! Back to bluejays: love or hate 'em, at least they're indigenous. Go find some European starlings to blast.
edit: typo
edit: typo
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