This afternoon my apprentice related to me his uncle shot a squirril with a pellet gun and had to serve two days IN JAIL after his nieghbor made a fuss. He said his uncle was lucky, he could have got up to a month. Now I don't know how exact his facts are or when this happened, he did say it was in Denver and his uncle moved VERY soon after. YIKES!
In jail for shooting squirrel?
- Thread starter Tokugawa
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Standing Wolf
Member in memoriam
It's illegal to discharge pellet guns in many, many cities. Not being a hunter, I'm unfamiliar with Colorado law, but in many states, one's required to have a license to hunt squirrels.
Car Knocker
Member
I believe your logic may be a tad shaky. I've seen ducks and pheasants killed by cats and dogs. Deer by dogs. All without prosecution. Unless, of course, you're saying hunting licenses for duck, pheasant and deer shouldn't be required either.
Double Naught Spy
Sus Venator
Yes, in many areas, you do need a license to hunt wildlife. What consititutes wildlife is another matter and what constitutes hunting is another matter.
The thread title is probably misleading and misrepresentational of the actual charges, sort of like when folks post that a person was arrested for self defense and you figure out from the story that the person was not arrested for self defense, but through a matter of self defense it became known that said person defended himself with a weapon he could not legally possess (such as by not have it registered in New York or because the person was a felon) or because the weapon was illegal itself. Maybe the uncle made the neighbor mad because he was shootiing squirril across a property line, shooting critters that were in the neighbor's yard, not his own. So maybe it was hunting across a property linee without permission or that the neighbor felt endangered by the cross property shooting into his yard. Endangerment by shooting across a property line is a violatoin of Sec. 38-129, Air Guns, in Denver, at least if done by a minor.
In Colorado, Alberts, Fox, and Pine squirrels have a season and require permits and have limits.
It could be that said uncle was shooting some protected species.
I am certain that the charge and subsequent jail time is not for "shooting squirril."
The thread title is probably misleading and misrepresentational of the actual charges, sort of like when folks post that a person was arrested for self defense and you figure out from the story that the person was not arrested for self defense, but through a matter of self defense it became known that said person defended himself with a weapon he could not legally possess (such as by not have it registered in New York or because the person was a felon) or because the weapon was illegal itself. Maybe the uncle made the neighbor mad because he was shootiing squirril across a property line, shooting critters that were in the neighbor's yard, not his own. So maybe it was hunting across a property linee without permission or that the neighbor felt endangered by the cross property shooting into his yard. Endangerment by shooting across a property line is a violatoin of Sec. 38-129, Air Guns, in Denver, at least if done by a minor.
In Colorado, Alberts, Fox, and Pine squirrels have a season and require permits and have limits.
It could be that said uncle was shooting some protected species.
I am certain that the charge and subsequent jail time is not for "shooting squirril."
JohnBT
Member
Squirrel season here runs from September 3 to January 31. Yes, you need a license. No, you can't shoot them in any city I know of.
I wonder how many windows he shot out of the neighbor's house before he hit the squirrel and if he was drinking.
John
I wonder how many windows he shot out of the neighbor's house before he hit the squirrel and if he was drinking.
John
Is there an exception for killing squirrels that are getting into your trash and otherwise making a nuisance of themselves?
I understand that property owners are usually permitted to take any game that is harming their property. Deer or rabbit eating your garden for example.
I understand that property owners are usually permitted to take any game that is harming their property. Deer or rabbit eating your garden for example.
gunsmith
member
could be that some folks don't take kindly to squirrel hunting
if you tell us where you live and the circumstances we might be able to give you a better answer.
if your in NYC your in trouble, if your in west VA your getting some dinner
if you tell us where you live and the circumstances we might be able to give you a better answer.
if your in NYC your in trouble, if your in west VA your getting some dinner
mtnbkr
Member
Like JohnBT said, you need a general hunting license to "hunt" squirrels, but I'm sure you could simply kill a nuisance animal without the license. Also, many cities forbid shooting airguns as much as they do real firearms. It's one of the reasons I sold my BSA Supersport. Why bother if I have to take it to a range...
A squirrel is a fine meal, why kill it if you aren't going to eat it.
Chris
A squirrel is a fine meal, why kill it if you aren't going to eat it.
Chris
shermacman
Member
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I have an iron-clad rule: You eat what you kill.
Of course, I also have another iron-clad rule: I don't eat squirrel, pigeons, rats or seagulls.
I think that JohnBT is on to the real problem. I can't imagine the cops being to aggressive about a squirrel murdered with a pellet gun. I would guess that random pellets zinging off of the neighbor's house combined with some adult beverages combined with some adult language may have added to the situation.
Of course, I also have another iron-clad rule: I don't eat squirrel, pigeons, rats or seagulls.
I think that JohnBT is on to the real problem. I can't imagine the cops being to aggressive about a squirrel murdered with a pellet gun. I would guess that random pellets zinging off of the neighbor's house combined with some adult beverages combined with some adult language may have added to the situation.
chas_martel
Member
>I have an iron-clad rule: You eat what you kill.
What about rats, germs and cockroaches?
Oh wait you said rats. Sooo, if your home
had a rat in it, you'd just sho it outside?
You make no sense to me whatsoever.
What about rats, germs and cockroaches?
Oh wait you said rats. Sooo, if your home
had a rat in it, you'd just sho it outside?
You make no sense to me whatsoever.
Actually in Virginia you can get into trouble for shooting a squirrel out of season no matter what the bugger is doing.
Even the exterminators are not allowed to shoot them.
You can ‘live catch’ them and release, or poison them inside your buildings, but shooting them is pretty much verboten out of season or in season without a license (and in an area that allows hunting/discharge of weapons).
Even the exterminators are not allowed to shoot them.
You can ‘live catch’ them and release, or poison them inside your buildings, but shooting them is pretty much verboten out of season or in season without a license (and in an area that allows hunting/discharge of weapons).
OH25shooter
Member
Where I live, squirrels, doves and geese, destroy and crap anywhere they feel like doing it. Animals rule! City council has no guts to allow hunting of such vermint. The worse culprits are all the damn geese. They block moving traffic, bikeways, and crap everywhere. 
Sergeant Bob
Member
I prefer killing tree rats with a hammer, or running over them with a lawn mower.
Art Eatman
Moderator In Memoriam
Drifting way OT, with nowhere enough info in the beginning...
Art
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