Mehhh... I just went through two boxes of .410 in my back yard this afternoon... and I was the quietest person in the neighborhood. All depends on where you live and what your neighbors are comfortable with.
Wait... so according to the law pasted in the post by BeoBill, in PG Co you can fire at squirrels eating your tomatoes in your yard?
Is that right? Or am I missing something?
Looks like it is OK as long as the squirrels are in season and you have a valid license and follow all the DNR rules or have a special permit from DE(?)R. But you should check to be sure you read all of the laws that might apply.
Unless there has been a major change, a license is not needed to hunt upland game on your own property.
So, then, you can only shoot animals who are damaging your crops or property when they are in season?
That seems counter to the purpose of a law like that...
I wouldn't call it "hunting", but "protection of crops and property"...
The squirrels where I live are awful. I got maybe 2 decent tomatoes off of four big plants a couple of summers ago. The squirrels would squeeze through the chicken wire, strip them when they were still green, and leave them half-eaten on the ground!
For out of season you need a special permit. I believe the Department of Natural Resources will issue you one with just a phone call. However the PG county law referenced above refers to a permit issued by the Department of Environmental Resources whoever that may be. The other options would be to reduce the local squirrel population through hunting and or trapping (might need a trapping license) when they are in season so there is less demand on food sources the rest of the year. Or get chicken wire with smaller holes.
this doesnt answer his question in any way shape or form.
+++++1
So screw the Introduction Thread; just come on in and start taking the benefits; sorry but that sounds like Obama voters. It doesn't take much to invest a little time in a introduction. I hate it when total strangers come up to me and want medical advice without so much as a howdy doooo.....
I believe here in Monkey Cty, any gun is a firearm (including pellet, dart and nerf guns) and welcome to the forum!
Just a FYI here in Harford county. They're not so restrictive
http://ecode360.com/HA0904
Chapter 260: Weapons