How to keep crows & blue jays away?

[Gigiannie]

I don't know which state you are in, so the law may be different in your state. Here, in WA state, crows can be managed by lethal means under certain conditions. Here is the appropriate page from our Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife: http://wdfw.wa.gov/living/crows.html
Scroll down to the the section on Legal Status. This is way down the page, past the section on Lethal Control. Under Legal Status, they describe conditions under which crows can be eliminated by lethal means.

 

[Gigiannie]

Here is an update on my crow situation: I did some reading and found that although my state (WA) doesn't protect crows, it was still unclear to me about the federal laws. So, since I didn't want the FBI showing up because we shot a crow, I figured we'd better not. But (because apparently some people DO shoot crows) crows know what guns are. They are disturbingly smart! I had a group of seven crows harassing my sweet girls, they would sit on the fence on the outer run (We have three stages of containment, then the backyard, where my chickens usually are, anyhow.) and caw at my hens until they were hiding. Then the bandits would come down and take up residence at the feeder, gorging on layer crumble, and keeping my girls from getting any. When I came out the back door, they would fly up onto the power lines over the alley, behind our house, and sit there and laugh. Finally, my husband deposited an old BB gun by the back door. The next time I heard the ruckus, I dashed out back with my BB gun, pointed it over our gas grill, and hit the butt of the gun against the hollow top of the grill. It made a very satisfying sound effect! Those crows scattered, and they haven't been back since. That was weeks, ago...fingers crossed!! Crows are smart, but not THAT smart!

 

[carlf]

While crows are covered under the migratory bird treaty act, crow hunting regulations are set by the states, not feds. So just make sure you are in compliance with WA crow hunting rules. That said, if they are harassing your flock, you can probably get a depredation permit.

 

[Gigiannie]

There are still crows in my neighborhood, here & there, but since I faked them out with the BB Gun & sound effects, they haven't been back in my yard (...knock on wood). It's good to have the information though, so thanks!

 

[Isaac 0]

Scarecrow lol