Michigan Votes Forum

Introduced in the House on October 20, 2005

Click here to view bill details.

The DNR should have the authority to establish seasons and limits on any animals that are game, predator, fur-bearer, and/or nuisance types. This should not be left to the purely political process. Butt out Steve.

English Sparrows are an invasive species and there is no reason not to hunt them.

What is the reasoning for this legislation? Is the species in danger of extention? Are other species being mistaked for the sparrow? I cut my hunting teeth hunting sparrows on our farm with my BB gun. It taught me safe gun handling and ethics.

English sparrows are the scourge of my chicken coop. They sit in the eaves and drop little white presents all down the walls. They splash in the chicken's water pans like they are birdbaths put out special for them, soiling the water so the chickens have to drink nasty stuff. They eat just as much grain as my flock of chickens does. I'm tired of spending money to feed them. My barn cats try their darndest to keep up with them, but until the cats sprout wings there is no way they can eliminate the pests. Even if my children and I spent time every day shooting at them we would never even start to make a dent in their population. If we can no longer shoot them, their population will become even more of a problem than they already are.

While you're at it, how about protecting the Zebra Mussel, the snakehead fish and the lamprey.

RUNNING OUT OF THINGS TO DO IN LANSING? GO HOME AND GET A REAL JOB. QUIT WASTING OUR TAX MONEY ON THIS DUMB STUFF.

Leave the English Sparrow alone! Nature will take care of itself - it doesn't need human intervention to make it work better. Also, how many other birds that look similar to English Sparrows (and there are a lot of others that do) are getting killed? There's way too many human's on this earth, but you don't see any laws being passed to hunt human's. We don't even allow capital punishment in most states. Human's are far more destructive to the earth, its resources AND other human's than any other animal in existance. Leave the birds alone!

If HB5350 passes, all authority over management of house sparrows will revert to the DNR (house sparrows are not federally protected species). If HB5350 does not pass, the law to allow the killing of house sparrows will remain on the books, meaning that the legislature provides the authority to allow the take of the species, and the DNR has authority over how take can happen (the current situation). Karen Cleveland All-Bird Coordinator Michigan Department of Natural Resources Wildlife Division

Here it is 2008. So what was the ruling on getting rid of English Sparrows ? I live here in Delaware, and I have watched English sparrows and starlings, year after year, terrorize native birds and their nests. I have a small bluebird trail...every year it is a battle to drive out and or control the english sparrows. How I do it is none of your beeswax. I think Australia has the right approach to unwanted, destructive non-native species. Get rid of the buggers. If a non-native needs to be in a zoo program to rejuvenate its population in its country of origin, then fish and wildlife and the breeding zoos/organizations should be working together on such efforts. A bluebird should be able to have 3 thriving broods a summer. This year has been the worst. Here it is July (2008), and only one of the many attempts to nest by bluebirds has finally succeeded...the babies have hatched...now they have to survive til fledged. By the way, the bluebirds don't mind me helping them at all. More than once I have had to bring a bird-house containing baby bluebirds into the house to protect them from marauding english sparrows. I would put the bird-house back outdoors once I got rid of the english sparrows. The parent bluebirds would fly immediately to the house and check on their babies and then would carry on raising their young. I have never been attacked by an adult bluebird for helping them. Feral domestic house-cats are a real threat to wild life as well...esp. to wild birds

Hi,  I live in southern NJ and I'm having a SEVERE problem with sparows and starlings.  Last year I sadly watched, out my kitchen window, as a starling swooped down and killed one of my bluebirds.  I can't stand it any longer.  I've got several bluebird houses and just two days ago two sets of bluebirds arrived.  This morning, sparrows were in the houses again and starlings were in the yard beneath the boxes.  I'd love to hear your remedies, as I can't stand the thought of losing my bluebirds to sparrows and starlings again this year.  We lost four babies last year because of the sparrows, yet I can't seem to get rid of them.  I've cleaned out the nests, chased them away,etc..  If you can, please email me and let me know what you do.... Thanks.

 English sparrows are plentiful, and bothersome. they are also destructive to some animal and plant species.

now, the question is, ARE THEY TASTY?

perhaps if we start an ENGLISH SPARROW RECEIPE CONTEST, with a private school tuition grant going to the winner, we could control the population and perhaps feed the hungry.