Shooting, as a method of control, is widely used by pest control contractors. Birds are usually shot at night in their roosting places and the ‘marksmen’ carrying out the task are often young and inexperienced. As it is almost impossible to kill a bird the size of a pigeon with an air rifle pellet a majority of the birds that are shot are merely wounded. Due to the inaccessibility of roosting/nesting sites it is virtually impossible to ‘dispatch’ wounded birds and as a result those birds are left to die a long and agonising death. If the injured birds return to their roosting sites to die, in a roof void of an occupied building for example, there can be serious health and safety issues for the property owner concerned as a result of rotting and stinking maggot-infested carcasses of dead birds. This is to say nothing of the humanitarian implications of leaving injured birds to die of gunshot wounds. It is not uncommon for property owners that use this service to find dead and dying pigeons in various areas of their property or site for days following a shoot.

This method of control is commonly recommended by pest control contractors as it is highly profitable. The client is normally told that once the birds have been shot and killed this will be the end of the problem; the reverse is the case. Any form of lethal control, particularly when used to control the pigeon, has been scientifically proven to increase pigeon flock size. Pigeon numbers will increase back to the pre-cull figure within a matter of weeks following a cull. Therefore the client is sold a worthless and expensive service and the pest control contractor will need to be called back in to undertake further shoots every 6-8 weeks indefinitely. See our Case Study below.

There are legal implications associated with the use of any type of lethal control. It is the client’s responsibility to ensure that the contractor is intimate with every aspect of the General Licences prior to the contractor undertaking any form of lethal control on their behalf. It is the property owner, not the contractor that will face prosecution if the service provided falls outside of the terms and conditions of the General Licence.

Target bird and point of aim.
Only one bird should be targeted at a time. The shooter should aim to have a single bird in the centre of the shot pattern at the point of impact. Shooting at a flock is not an acceptable practice.
The objective is to fire at the closest range practicable in order to reduce the risk of non-lethal wounding. Accuracy is important to achieve a humane death. One shot should ensure instantaneous loss of consciousness and rapid death without resumption of consciousness.
A pest bird should only be shot at when:
It can be clearly seen and identified.
It is within the effective range of the firearm and ammunition being used.
For most small to medium birds, the point of aim should be the centre of the birds’ chest.
For large birds such as emus, a shot to the brain, using a shotgun, is preferred when the bird is in close range (<30 m). If the bird is > 30 metres from the shooter, a chest shot using a large calibre centrefire rifle (eg .243) should be used.
When using a rifle, the target bird must be stationary and within a range that permits accurate placement of the shot.
When using a shotgun, the target bird may be stationary or mobile, but must be no more than 30 metres from the shooter. The pattern of shot should be centred on the brain (for large birds) or chest (for small to medium birds). It is essential that the distance to the target bird is accurately judged. To achieve adequate penetration of shot, the bird must be in range.
See notes above in Firearms and Ammunition on the use of air rifles on small birds.
The target bird should be checked to ensure it is dead before moving on to the next bird. When targeting multiple birds in a flock, a number of birds will need to be shot in rapid succession. In this case, the birds in the group should be checked to ensure they are dead before moving on to the next group. Death of shot birds should always be confirmed by observing the following: ― absence of movement ― absence of rhythmic, respiratory movements. ― absence of heart beat – feel the chest between thumb and forefinger ― absence of eye protection reflex (corneal reflex) or ‘blink’.
If death cannot be verified, a second shot to the head should be taken immediately or the bird killed with a blow to the skull using a heavy instrument to destroy the brain.

Killed birds must be collected and disposed of in an appropriate manner in accordance with acceptable practices as required by local councils and applicable state or federal regulations.