Why is it legal to shoot crows, but not to keep them

Factual Questions
1

Note to moderator: I’m posting this one in GQ with the idea that there might well be an actual answer to my question. However,I’m aware of my strong feelings on some issues and my tendency to be a tad-bit emphatic about things; so if I come across as all ranty and you decide to move the message to GD or The Pit, I’ll understand…
**When just about any Cletus out in the boonies can shoot a crow just for the hell of it, legally, why can’t I rescue its orphaned fledgling and raise it as a pet? **

I’m definitely someone who enjoys the companionship of pets, especially birds. I’ve always been especially fascinated by and drawn to birds of the Psittacine and Corvine .tribes, due to their remarkable intelligence and the way their behaviours seem to indicate a level of individuality and awareness that’s closer to our own than previously recognized, and the way they can interact with people.Plus the fact I think crows are just strikingly beautiful animals with their shiny, deep-black plumage and claws.

Therefor, I’ve always wanted to have a crow as a pet or companion bird. There’ve neen a lot of folks who tamed crows or ravens to varying degrees; it wasn’t illegal to do so in the USA until fairly recently.From what I’ve read and heard, the birds tended to enjoy and benefit from these interactions as much as the humans involved.

Now it’s illegal for even a conscientious and responsible person to tame any bird of any native Corvid species in the USA. However, their protection as a native bird species does not extend to protecting them from any jerk with a .22 who’s cold blooded enough that he sees these fascinating and rather admirable avians as fitting target practice and nothing more. That’s right. For the purposes of shooting them, without a hunting license or much in the way of any restrictions or limits, American Crows are considered varmints and it’s legal to murder as many of them as you can hit with a bullet. And when the poor fellows become so numerous that they’re seen as inconvenient, wholesale slaughters are okayed. But there are Federal laws that specifically prohibit taming, keeping, harboring or making pets of these same crows.

Now why the hell is that? Crows are not an endangered species by any stretch of imagination. and the authorities obviously don’t care at all about these creatures’ lives .But I am still forbidden to care for a captive individual or two of the species no matter how conscientious I might be about their health, welfare and happiness. Has officialdom ever invoked any supposed reason for this discrepancy? And why isn’t the arbitrary, inconsistent and basically non-humane nature of the law or laws in question as obvious to the wider public as it is to me?

People who see other living creatures as nothing but objects to do anything they want with or as inconveniences to be wiped out as they see fit, do piss me off and appall me, certainly,; but that isn’t really the point of my inquiry, and doesn’t mean my questions on the issue aren’t legit, I think.

2

According to Wikipedia (Crow - Wikipedia):

The American crow is very susceptible to the West Nile virus, a disease just recently introduced in North America. American crows usually die within one week of acquiring the disease with only very few surviving exposure. Crows are so affected by the disease that their deaths are now serving as an indicator of the West Nile Virus’ activity in an area.

Perhaps this is why?

3

Well, you’re dealing first off, with the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, which by an amendment in 1972, includes crows. The act says, and I’m oversimplifying, “It’s illegal to capture, own, or kill any of the migratory birds under this act, unless there’s specific law that says you can.”

Before that, crows were considered pest birds, and could be killed whenever someone wanted to in most of the United States. However, federal law (in 50 CFR 20 and 21) indicates two exceptions to the law against killing crows.

First, states can pass laws allowing sport hunting of crows, with provisions (no hunting from aircraft, can only be taken by gun, bow, or falcco, only for a certain period each year, etc). Second, if crows are committing or about to commit depredations on livestock, crops, or orchards, or if they’re gathered in sufficient numbers to pose a health hazard, they can be killed. So, a farmer could kill crows eating his crops, for instance.

So, that explains why you can’t own, and, under some circumstances, can kill crows.

4

You can shoot a deer, but in most states you cannot keep them as pets. Same for bears.

5

In my state, except in specific areas (farmland, areas of agriculture), it is illegal to shoot crows.

No you don’t. I know someone that tried. They are noisy, they stink, and even on good days, the crow would just as soon bite and peck you than take the food from your hand. The crow was about 4 inches long when found and grew rapidly to well over 12 inches long. The owner decided that having a pet that required the wearing of a leather jacket and gloves to feed and clean the cage was not worth it. For the first month after releasing the crow, it would return to his house at night and “nest” on the front porch and crap all over his patio furniture.

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Crow Raising Story 1

Crow Raising

7

Because “they” say so. Seriously. That’s the answer. The migratory bird act was a good intentioned, but marvelously ill- employed law that makes it technically illegal for a child to pick up and keep feathers amongst other things; designed to keep the birds safe from over hunting and poaching.

Corvids can make rewarding pets to the experienced bird owner. They will require a LOT of attention, and are demanding captives. You better know what you are doing, because if your pet gets sick, most vets won’t help you without reporting you.

8

Traditionally, in many places, the law classified wild animals into 2 main categories, and 2 subcategories.

  1. Domestic animals
    1a. Livestock
    1b. Pets
  2. Wild animals
    2a. Game (suitable for making food or fur)
    2b. Vermin (automatically considered to be destructive pests)

Crows have traditionally been classified as pests.

The notion that you might want to keep a wild animal around just for its own sake, without any economic ulterior motive, is a relatively recent innovation.

9

Two ideas for you:

  1. Apply for a permit. Maybe it’s not worth that much trouble to you, but if it works you could have a small-scale crow rescue facility.

  2. My brother did exactly what you’re talking about many years ago. He found an injured crow and nursed it back to health. My parents made him release it. The bird waited around the house for him to go outside, and came down and landed on his arm or shoulder (yes, he fed it). It would fly overhead following as he walked to school every day. He basically had a pet, but it didn’t come inside and make a mess.

10

So have some states passed laws allowing people to shoot crows without restriction?

11

I just want to say that I LOVE crows, they are my favorite bird. I think that if you find an abandoned or sick/injured baby crow, you should be able to raise it if it would otherwise die. But since they’re wild animals, if they can be returned to the wild, they should be – I would feel bad keeping such a wonderful wild animal in captivity, unless he kept coming back.

Last summer I rescued a baby house sparrow that fell from its nest. I raised him for a month and released him once he could fly. It was one of the best experiences I have ever had. I loved that bird so much and took such joy in seeing him grow and learn each day. I think it would be a wonderful experience to be able to raise a crow, I think they are the most awesome birds, so beautiful and intelligent.

12

Not sure how similar the Australian species is, but whilst I like crows for their coolness factor (they are very intelligent birds), they can be bloody horrible things too. Ask any farmer who has had baby, weak, or injured livestock have their eyeballs pecked out by these birds.

13

Odd, I would have guessed the snowy owl.

I once took in a bird. It died within a day. Then, I came down with flu like symptoms. I’ve never been sure whether it was West Nile (which was reported in the general area at the time) or something else.

ETA I too would like a pet crow. But why settle for one? I’d like to befriend a whole murder. They would have each other for company. Young would be raised without my help. But, when I appeared, I’d be covered in crows. Rather like Homer in the marijuana episode.

14

:smiley: Well I do love the snowy, but I’ve never met one in person… and I have met many a crow, and love their personalities & intelligence, so yeah, crows are my favorite!

15

Years ago I was doing laundry in my basement with the outside door open. I heard a wing flap and looked up to find a crow perched on the back of the dryer. I was momentarily stunned into silence, but quickly recovered and said “Hi!” It said “Hi!” back! I asked where it came from, and it answered “Hi!” I held out my arm and it jumped aboard. I walked outside and again asked where it belonged. It again said “Hi!”, spread its wings and flew west.
That was it. I never spoke to it again. :frowning: Even though I only knew it for a few minutes, I miss that crow.
I wonder sometimes why it stopped in to meet me.

16

So they ARE just like parrots!

You need to raise 'em from babies, little tiny babies, and properly socialize them. When I was very young we had a neighbor with a pet crow that learned to talk and do tricks (pre migratory bird act)

Truth is, if you don’t raise a parrot from a baby you wind up with an aggressive wild animal. That’s why a good parrot costs so much - there’s a lot of labor involved in raising them properly.

17

“Since they are both native species, it is illegal to keep American crows or common ravens as pets, because wildlife officials fear that it could lead people to “kidnap” baby birds from their nests to sell. Given how common crows and ravens are in the United States, this might seem like an irritating and unnecessary precaution, but, without it, it’s very likely that our native bird populations would be threatened by people recklessly seeking to sell novelty pets.” - Wild About Wildlife: How Can I Get a Pet Crow or Raven?

Personally, as annoying as it really is, If this is the real reason and even if it isn’t the real reason. It makes sense and is probably sadly really true. Crows are beautiful animals, if they became popular as pets, there would probably be a big rush of the worst kind of scum trying to capture and sell them or even worse, kill them just so they can raise the prices of the remainder. It would definitely become a problem and just like puppy mills and overstuffed shelters, crows could wind up even worse since careless owners might simply decide to release them thinking they will be fine when they have been abused and in need of rehabilitation.

18

Thank you for joining us and adding your info. Just so you know, this discussion dates from 2008. So you’ll probably not have much of a dialog since many of those folks are long gone.

19

If you are dead set on a corvus, there’s nothing better than a Jackdaw.

More intelligent than a crow or rook.

Raised correctly they can be very loyal and be taught tricks and will play games.

20

Odin is depicted with a corvine on each shoulder. Their names are Huginn and Muninn. Odine is blind in one eye…

Most people who have that happen gain wisdom. The wisdom not to have one of those birds on your shoulder.