To invest in an airgun to shoot a pigeon?

[unlucky83]

So this wood pigeon sits on the house roof and craps...
Its a sloped roof - sloping the other way - said pigeon sits with its bottom hanging over the edge so the crap lands on doorstep -
Massive craps and often splatter... I have pigeon crap splatter over my front door, walls and the side of my shed...
Worse the odd splatter gets on the outside door mat ...and my DCs and friends run in and out - they take their shoes off but I have it walked in on the inside door mat and the laminate floor in the hall...

Went out earlier and cleaned two piles up (was hoping yesterday's rain would wash it away)......sure it is only a matter of time before its gets one of us on the head...
Just been out now and it is sitting there - probably working up to producing another huge pile ...all I can see is its bottom...a perfect target.
Did wondered if DCs supersoaker would reach but I fear not (equivalent to 3 floors high)....
I fear an airgun is the only solution ....AIBU?

[LEMmingaround]

Yabu -you'll just miss anyway

[Idontseeanyicegiants]

YABU unless you're a crack shot you'll just end up with pigeon bits all over the place or holes in the side of your house.
DH used to use an air gun on rats, pigeons and foxes (farmer) but he was only allowed to do it when he could prove he could kill with one shot.
It was an interesting first date...

[unlucky83]

I'm prepared to get lessons....I won't miss ...I'm determined.... it can't be that hard can it?

[unlucky83]

Actually maybe a shotgun would be better - a bigger spread?
(Don't mind holes in the walls - even the odd broken window ...just need to kill that pigeon)

[PureMorning]

You need to call theses guys

[Pinkrose1]

DH regularly shoots wood pigeons in our back garden. He is an experienced shooter and has shotguns. He only uses the air rifle though. They are classed as vermin so it's allowed. The EU has given an open licence to shoot pigeons but you have to prove that you have used every other means possible to get rid of them, like spikes, noise etc.

Against a skyline there is little risk.

[Idontseeanyicegiants]

Couldn't tell you if it was hard, the one and only time I've fired an air fun I gave myself a black eye
DH has utterly shit eyesight though and with practice he could hit a pigeon from a good distance.

[LEMmingaround]

Might I recommend coke and honey marinade should you get a good shot in. Youll need a licence for a shot gun

[Branleuse]

can you get one of those fake cat sillouhette things up there

[Ifyourawizardwhydouwearglasses]

YABU.

An airgun is unlikely to kill a woodpigeon (they're much bigger than normal pigeons. You'd probably just really hurt it.
Find someone with a shotgun and ask them. Or just chase it away!

[unlucky83]

Actually just worked out if I climb on a chair and lean right out of the bathroom window (might need to tie myself to a door or something)
I might be able to get it with the supersoaker - do you think that will be a big enough deterrent?
Not keen on pigeon - bit strong for me...
but sure my cat will be very impressed...spends hours watching the one on the fence in the back garden but as soon as it goes out the cat flap pigeon flies off...

[Pinkrose1]

Air guns def kills pigeons

[ThinkIveBeenHacked]

My dh uses an airgun (with permission) to shoot wood pigeon at a local allotment. Airguns definetly kill woodys.

[unlucky83]

Brain fantastic suggestion...my neighbours would really think I'd lost the plot...
But seeing as the one in the back garden laughs at my cat not sure it would work...
(Plus I'm nervous of ladders and that is really high -I'd have to employ someone to do it...imagining the conversation now when I ring for a quote...)

[sebsmummy1]

I hate then too do you are not unreasonable to think it. In reality though is there something more practical you could do to stop it sitting there everyday? Could you glue some of those spikes to the edge of the roof or something?

[LastTango]

And when you've done that you can come and shoot the bloody collared dove that spends ALL day coo-coooooooo-coo on our rooftops driving us mad! Please.

[Runningforfun]

At the moment you have just one bird, what if that one bird is keeping a whole flock at bay. If you get rid of one bird 200 might take it's place.

Getting a shotgun and killing a bird is not the sort of example I would set for my dc. I.e. Don't like something/someone then kill.

[OnIlkleyMoorBahTwat]

YABU for using the term 'invest in' to mean 'buy' but seriously, if you don't know what you are doing, please don't go trying to take random shots at it.

Can you use other methods of deterring it from sitting on your roof like plastic spikes, or a cut out model of a bigger bird?

[Tangoandcreditcards]

At work we got these amazing little pots of gel that give off UV and pigeons think that they're on fire and won't land. If you can attach them to the roof I promise they work a treat!

However, if it's vengeance you want, go with an air gun.

[MERLYPUSSEDOFF]

And can you rid me of the magpies that live in the holly tree o/s DS1's bedroom window please. He really doesn't need waking up by these feckers.
Poundland sell 'huffer puffers'. They are water guns that look like a bicycle pump. You slurp water out of a bucket and pump it 'Let em have it'. Got to the top of a sycamore tree last year. Magpies remained undeterred.

[londonrach]

Rent a hawk and a man for a few weeks..

[unlucky83]

running Not really going to shoot it ...and I suspect it isn't always the same one - just fantasising about it (that sounds worse !)
My DCs tell me off killing flies...killing a pigeon they'd never forgive me...
and knowing my luck it would roll down the roof and end up stuck (and rotting) in the gutter.
I think with no prior experience trying to randomly shoot up in the air might not be the wisest thing I've ever done....

Meryl Huffer puffers sound like a plan ...did it really go that high? This is about 7m high? If I get it up the bottom maybe it will think twice ...

And maybe spikes etc - just had the facings painted if I'd thought about I could have got them to fit them at the same time - even if it just keeps them away from the very edge - they can crap on my roof just not on my doorstep...

Lived here for 14 yrs, always had wood pigeons - first year I've had this problem...

[BravePotato]

Lol, I am just picturing you as Betty Draper, from Mad Men, who starts going crazy and is seen in the garden with a rifle shooting the birds, as an indication she is losing the plot!

Have you got a nice 50s dress so you can do it in style?

[sashh]

Find someone with a bird of prey, ask them to visit and bring the bird with them.

[LarrytheCucumber]

The 19 year old son of one of our neighbours takes pot shots at collared doves and various neighbours have found wounded birds in their gardens because he hasn't actually killed them.
Another neighbour is adamant that you are not supposed to shoot in your back garden. Anyone know if that is true?