# Wildlife on your property **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 29, 2007, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wildlife-on-your-property/428165 "2007-11-29T12:13:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2007, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wildlife-on-your-property/428165/1 "2007-11-29T12:13:15Z")
If wildlife wandered onto your property, are you allowed to kill it? Specifically, I mean a wild animal that would endanger you, your family, your pets, your livestock, and/or your home. Even something as innocent as, say, a hawk has been known to carry off domestic cats when left in one’s yard. Can you kill it? What if it were a bear? I recognize laws will vary by state, but what does the SD know about this? Or, do you have to prove it was self-defense? Who do you contact to learn more about the laws on this? Not being a hunter myself, is there really such a thing as a game warden? (With so many hunters out there, I can’t imagine every single hunter reporting every single killing. Is there really such an office to record every single animal hunted?) - Jinx ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2007, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wildlife-on-your-property/428165/2 "2007-11-29T12:58:47Z")
If you are threatened then in general you have the right to defend yourself. But otherwise you need to follow hunting laws for animals like black bears (which rarely threaten humans). Some animals are considered fair game at all times in some states, with a bounty on their heads, such a coyotes or wolves. But you still need to follow local gun/hunting laws. Hawks, as far as I know, never fall in that category. ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2007, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wildlife-on-your-property/428165/3 "2007-11-29T13:48:04Z")
Here in England few people apart from farmers can apply for a shotgun licence and nobody gets to use a handgun. So if a dangerous animal turns up, we call the police. I have put a wire mesh over my garden pond to protect my fish from herons… ---
**Author:** ![GrizzRich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7ba0ec/32.png) [@GrizzRich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrizzRich)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2007, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wildlife-on-your-property/428165/4 "2007-11-29T13:50:26Z")
In some parts of the country (that is, where local game laws allow) one does not need a permit, nor is there a specific season, to hunt and kill non-native species. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2007, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wildlife-on-your-property/428165/5 "2007-11-29T13:52:54Z")
[QUOTE=glee] Here in England few people apart from farmers can apply for a shotgun licence and nobody gets to use a handgun. So if a dangerous animal turns up, we call the police. [/QUOTE] To be fair, we don’t have a lot in the way of dangerous animals, unless you count a few local populations of reintroduced wild boar, or crypto-cats. About the most dangerous wild animal we have is the common wasp, and guns aren’t all that effective against them. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2007, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wildlife-on-your-property/428165/6 "2007-11-29T13:54:59Z")
Keep in mind some species (as of raptors) might be protected. ---
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2007, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wildlife-on-your-property/428165/7 "2007-11-29T13:59:08Z")
[QUOTE=Telemark] If you are threatened then in general you have the right to defend yourself. But otherwise you need to follow hunting laws for animals like black bears (which rarely threaten humans). Some animals are considered fair game at all times in some states, with a bounty on their heads, such a coyotes or wolves. But you still need to follow local gun/hunting laws. Hawks, as far as I know, never fall in that category. [/QUOTE] Really? I’ve got 11 acres of woodland behind my house that abuts state land. I thought I could shoot anything on my property whether in or out of hunting season…I’d better check the CT state laws for this. I don’t get bear on my property but we have a decent roost of turkeys and deer that frequent the meadow, and all manner of rabbit, gopher, squirrel, fisher etc…etc… I can understand not shooting an endangered species like a fisher, but I can’t plug a turkey any time I want on my own property? I don’t shoot much of anything alive in my back yard…Mrs.P doesn’t like it - but I do kill a few skeet from time to timme. ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2007, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wildlife-on-your-property/428165/8 "2007-11-29T14:11:12Z")
[QUOTE=Mangetout] To be fair, we don’t have a lot in the way of dangerous animals, unless you count a few local populations of reintroduced wild boar, or crypto-cats. About the most dangerous wild animal we have is the common wasp, and guns aren’t all that effective against them. [/QUOTE] True, unless you count [this!](http://www.bbc.co.uk/suffolk/nature/wild_cat/wild_cat.shtml) ---
**Author:** ![Martini\_Enfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/martini_enfield/32/11123_2.png) [@Martini\_Enfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martini_Enfield)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2007, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wildlife-on-your-property/428165/9 "2007-11-29T14:12:13Z")
[QUOTE=glee] Here in England few people apart from farmers can apply for a shotgun licence and nobody gets to use a handgun. [/QUOTE] That’s not strictly true- collectors in the UK can get Section 5 Firearms Certificates for handguns made prior to January 1, 1919, and it is possible to get permission from the Home Office to fire them as well. Black Powder handguns are also legal and can be fired (subject to the appropriate licencing requirements). It’s also apparently possible for some Deerstalkers to get a Section 5 permit for .380 ACP/7.65mm calibre handguns to administer a _coup de grace_ on wounded deer as well- but it all depends which Police Region of the UK you’re in (some are more gun-friendly than others). Here in Australia, you can- for the most part- shoot wildlife on your property provided A)You have a gun licence, B) Don’t live in the city, and C) The wildlife isn’t a protected species. There’s no “season” on deer, foxes, rabbits, hares, pigs, goats, dogs, cats and so on here in QLD, but in other states they have seasons on Deer and Ducks, depending where you are. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2007, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wildlife-on-your-property/428165/10 "2007-11-29T14:17:43Z")
We get black bear wandering onto our property pretty often. While not much of a threat to humans, they have broken into peoples houses. They’ve tried to get into my shed twice. Nothing seems to scare them away but a gun shot. I will take a large caliber weapon (.357, 30-30, .356) and shoot into a tree stump in it’s general direction. Bears are fast, so I always leave myself an escape to the house or car. I do not want to have to depend on a weapon to defend myself against a charging bear. To easy to mis. ---
**Author:** ![BarnOwl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e95f7d/32.png) [@BarnOwl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BarnOwl)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2007, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wildlife-on-your-property/428165/11 "2007-11-29T14:51:49Z")
We live next door to a pit bull. The owners let the animal run free at night, presumably to do his business on other peoples’ property. Every once in a while we’d here a bit of clatter on the back deck back, and when the overhead light flashed on, sometimes we see that damned dog on the deck itself, or in the yard close by. He also scares my grandkids with his malevolent barking whenever we go out in the yard to play. I’d like to kill that dog. Maybe one day I will. ---
**Author:** ![Cluricaun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bb73d2/32.png) [@Cluricaun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cluricaun)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2007, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wildlife-on-your-property/428165/12 "2007-11-29T15:07:10Z")
I’m going to think that you can’t shoot any game on your property sans permit, etc usually because the deer/turkey/bears are considered property of the state no matter where they might actually be, and the harvesting of such is a matter of law as overseen by your state department of natural resources. If there is a season you’d better be within it, and if there is a tag you’d best be in posession of one or you can face very steep fines up to and including and a lifetime ban on ever being able to have a hunting or fishing license again. This may not be the case for non game animals such as coyote or woodchucks or other “varmint” species. ---
**Author:** ![FarmerChick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a9a28c/32.png) [@FarmerChick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FarmerChick)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2007, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wildlife-on-your-property/428165/13 "2007-11-29T15:14:47Z")
[QUOTE=BarnOwl] We live next door to a pit bull. The owners let the animal run free at night, presumably to do his business on other peoples’ property. Every once in a while we’d here a bit of clatter on the back deck back, and when the overhead light flashed on, sometimes we see that damned dog on the deck itself, or in the yard close by. He also scares my grandkids with his malevolent barking whenever we go out in the yard to play. I’d like to kill that dog. Maybe one day I will. [/QUOTE] I live on a farm in Alberta. We can shoot anything that come on our property and threatens our livestock. Roaming dogs are always fair game, they chase cattle and just create all sorts of problems. Pit bulls are a whole different story. If you have such an irresponsible dog owner next door, call animal control and complain, those dogs are dangerous, they are banned in a lot of the cities in Canada because of stupid owners like your neighbour. That being said, I do have a couple of friends that are dog trainers and have awesome pit bulls, well trained and behaved. ---
**Author:** ![Bill\_Door](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@Bill\_Door](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bill_Door)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2007, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wildlife-on-your-property/428165/14 "2007-11-29T15:16:11Z")
[QUOTE=enipla] We get black bear wandering onto our property pretty often. While not much of a threat to humans, they have broken into peoples houses. They’ve tried to get into my shed twice. Nothing seems to scare them away but a gun shot. I will take a large caliber weapon (.357, 30-30, .356) and shoot into a tree stump in it’s general direction. Bears are fast, so I always leave myself an escape to the house or car. I do not want to have to depend on a weapon to defend myself against a charging bear. To easy to mis. [/QUOTE] I’m not judging you on this, but do you think that if a bear is exposed to gunshots regularly without injury, they may become desensitized to the sound and be more likely to ignore it, or even attack? Of course, putting a round into the bear would lead to another whole set of problems, so you’re probably doing the best thing. It’s hard to scare away a wild animal that has become acclimated to the presence of people. Wildlife officers usually try to trap it and haul it away, but once the animal learns that people mean food it’s hard for it to survive without them, and it almost invariably ends up badly for the bear. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2007, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wildlife-on-your-property/428165/15 "2007-11-29T15:36:33Z")
[QUOTE=glee] True, unless you count [this!](http://www.bbc.co.uk/suffolk/nature/wild_cat/wild_cat.shtml) [/QUOTE] That’s pretty much what I meant by crypto-cats. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2007, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wildlife-on-your-property/428165/16 "2007-11-29T17:02:47Z")
[QUOTE=Phlosphr] I can understand not shooting an endangered species like a fisher, but I can’t plug a turkey any time I want on my own property? [/QUOTE] > **[Information Page](http://www.ct.gov/dep/cwp/view.asp?a=2700&q=323400&depNav_GID=1633#TOP)** I don’t see anything that would exempt a private property owner from shooting game out of season. Hunting (as opposed to varmint control) is regulated by the state because the animals are owned by all. Hunting of migrating species also gets the Feds involved. Private property doesn’t enter into it, as far as I can tell. The only difference is that you don’t need written permission from the land owner. ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2007, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wildlife-on-your-property/428165/17 "2007-11-29T17:03:24Z")
Here in Michigan, if it’s your property, you’re pretty much able to do what you want, within reason: > [@](#): > > 324.43514 Hunting and fishing without license; exception. > Sec. 43514. > (1) A resident, the resident’s spouse, and the resident’s children may hunt small game without a license upon the enclosed farmlands upon which they are regularly domiciled, at a time and in a manner permitted by law; except that they shall obtain a waterfowl hunting license for hunting waterfowl and a federal migratory bird hunting stamp as required by law. > > (2) A resident, the resident’s spouse, and the resident’s children may fish without a license in water wholly within the limits of their enclosed farmlands or other enclosed lands upon which they are regularly domiciled, at a time and in a manner permitted by law. I’m unsure what constitutes “small game.” I also wonder that if, for example, you share a pond with a single neighbor who agrees with you, whether you could count that as fully within the limits of your land. Also the first part indicates farmlands, and the second indicates “or other enclosed lands,” which makes me wonder if it’s okay for me to trap wild turkeys on my tiny, little half-acre. If I plant a vegetable garden, does that change things? ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2007, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wildlife-on-your-property/428165/18 "2007-11-29T17:18:04Z")
[QUOTE=Bill Door] I’m not judging you on this, but do you think that if a bear is exposed to gunshots regularly without injury, they may become desensitized to the sound and be more likely to ignore it, or even attack? Of course, putting a round into the bear would lead to another whole set of problems, so you’re probably doing the best thing. It’s hard to scare away a wild animal that has become acclimated to the presence of people. Wildlife officers usually try to trap it and haul it away, but once the animal learns that people mean food it’s hard for it to survive without them, and it almost invariably ends up badly for the bear. [/QUOTE] I agree. We have tried the banging pots and pans approach, and that has led the bear to go sit down 100 feet away and look at the show the humans put on. There was one nutty woman in this valley that fed the bears dog food, and kept a 30-30 laying on her sofa in case the bears got too close. We don’t leave any trash, dog food, bird feeders available to any wildlife. The way I see it, we are sharing a habitat. I do not want to make any wild animal dependent on me any more than I am dependent on them. If I hunted for food and clothing, it would be a different story. The gun shot and yelling, making yourself look as big and scary as posible seems to work. We see one or two bears a year. All different sizes and colors. I don’t think I’ve ever seen the same bear twice. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2007, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wildlife-on-your-property/428165/19 "2007-11-29T18:35:18Z")
[QUOTE=Balthisar] Here in Michigan, if it’s your property, you’re pretty much able to do what you want, within reason: [/QUOTE] My reading of that is that you don’t need to obtain a license, but you must still observe all the hunting laws including seasons. It does say **at a time and in a manner permitted by law** so you can’t just blast away anytime you want. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2007, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wildlife-on-your-property/428165/20 "2007-11-29T18:47:40Z")
It is just common sense that much (most?) regular hunting is done on private property anyway. Owning land doesn’t mean can give yourself a year-round hunting season for game that has a state regulated hunting season. However, there are some animals classified as varmints in some places. Scylla worked hard on the problem of killing evil Nazi groundhogs and I believe they can in any number all year round en masse (turnabout is fair play for Nazis). [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wildlife-on-your-property/428165.md?page=2)