Crows Damaging Crops

June 3, 2010

Question: I am having problems with crows damaging my crops. Based on size, I think we also have ravens at work here. I know there is a crow hunting season, but what about ravens? Since “corvids” (crows and ravens) are very problematic predators for song birds and marbled murrelets on the coast, can landowners get a depredation permit for either species? If so, where? (Patrick)

Answer: There is no hunting season for ravens. They are protected by the federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA). Check with the Permit Office of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) at www.fws.gov/permits/. Crows are also protected by the MBTA, but there is an open hunting season between December and April each year (CCR Title 14, section 485). In addition, both Federal (50 CFR 21.43 http://www.gpoaccess.gov/cfr/index.html) and state regulations (CCR Title 14 section 472(d)  http://weblinks.westlaw.com) permit the take of crows that are found committing or about to commit depredations on ornamental or shade trees or agricultural crops.  Several specific conditions apply to the use of these regulations to address depredation by crows so be sure to read the regulations on the links provided.