The law regarding killing any animal in PA protects all animals except the English Starling which is the only animal listed in the PA Game Commision Rules as having no closed season. Even groundhogs have a season which you are allowed to hunt them in. So they are still protected against any hunting or killing during the off season. Even chipmunks are protected under PA game commission law and have no season but are not mentioned in the PA game commission rule book. The law states you can kill an animal out of season if it is destroying your property but I would bet any money that a game officer would still find that the holes chipmunks dig in your yard or eating your flowers would not negate the law protecting them and you would be fined and possibly loose your gun and hunting privileges for a while. Try explaining your shooting squirrels of any color for raiding your song bird feeder and you will loose. The game commision web site encourages you to use means to discourage invasive species to come on your property rather than to kill them. So by PA game commission laws in PA one can legally only kill English Starlings year round. All other animals not considered game animals are protected and can not be killed unless they are destroying property or livestock and are to be reported to the Game Commision for permission first. Animal listed as game animals can only be killed during the regular hunting season with daily limits. Now one may ask what about rats and mice and pigeons? Well the PA game Commission does not even mention them but their statement says all animals and song birds are protected. I know from experience and from friends that just because it isn’t clearly stated in the rules doesn’t mean it is or isn’t the law in the eyes of the PA game commission. What we do on our own property is still covered by all Game Commision laws. Just saying.
English Sparrow and European Starling
Pennsylvania Game Commission website:
STARLINGS AND ENGLISH SPARROWS: No closed season, except during the antlered and antlerless deer season. No limit.
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