Law on hunting wild pigeon? (UK)

Question

Pigeon meat is good! 1 squab (whole pigeon) has 37g of protein which is the majority of most people's daily needs. On top of that wild pigeon has practically no carbon footprint, which is impressive considering that meat is often very high carbon.

I can purchase squabs at my local farmers market, but they are quite pricy. There are lots of pigeons on my land. If it where legally possible I would definitely hunt them, but I'm having trouble working that out. So far my searches have turned up similar information to this question, original source here.

Clearly someone is hunting pigeons, or they wouldn't turn up at farmers markets. Can I hunt the pigeons on my land (UK), and what methods can I use? (I'd rather not use a gun, but I'm not squeamish.)

Answer 1

Lots of information can be found here.

Hunting wood pigeon (and other pest birds) is covered by a general license, which means you don't have to apply for it, but must follow it and may have to report what you do using it. There are different licenses for England, Scotland, Wales and NI so I suggest you check out the appropriate one.

You must have reason to shoot pigeon this can include prevention of crop damage or spread of disease. You must also have landowners permission.

The allowed methods of hunting are primarily shooting or cage traps. Check the licenses for specifics. Obviously, if you are shooting you'll still need to comply with the appropriate firearms laws.