Not pigeons, Thunder Chickens! but other than that, YUP!

Im waitin on cormorants too

Ever hear of "splat fishing" for catfish. I have been fortunate to do it a couple of times. Find a cormorant roost on a lake. Ideally sneak into the area only with trolling motor. Take a medium duty spinning reel combo spooled with braid. Use like a number 4 or 2 treble hook, about the size you would find on a bass bait. Don't use any weight.

Attach a whole piece of bacon or two on the hook. Cast it under the trees where the cormorants have been roosting so it hits the water with a splat and hang on. Reel it in after it sinks some. Move to the next tree after about three casts if no luck. If cats are there they hammer it. The bacon will lengthen and get sort of sloppy, even making a better splat sound.

I went catfishin' last night with a buddy and was telling him about it.

I've never done it, but 4-5 years ago I was pulling the boat out after a hunt when a couple ol' guys came in right behind me. They had 2 coolers loaded with blues and told me that is what they were doing. I wanna try that sometime...

Aren't we prohibited from taking cormorants with lead shot, even with a permit because they are migratory birds?

Migratory bird isn't what matters, sandhills and dove are migratory, and you can use lead for them. The restriction has to do with waterfowl, and I don't know if they would count cormorants as waterfowl or not.

Good point... I know they are biologically speaking, but who knows what the feds think?

Fingers got ahead of what I was thinking.

Migratory waterfowl was what I had in mind. That would put it under the feds? Maybe I am over thinking this.

Correct, they are already federally managed.

If you get a cormorant permit now, here in TX you have to use non toxic shot

If shooting Crows under a depredation permit the Feds require non toxic shot now too.

Looks like I need to go to Academy for some shells.

You do not need a state or federal depredation permit in texas to hunt crows or pigeons and lead is perfectly legal.

First time I ever saw one was on Lake Fairfield back in the 70s.
Many's a time since then I wished the State would open season on those fish eating worthless bone bags.

Cross your fingers.

Now, if we can get 'em going on Grackles....

Huh? Grackles are already open to do whatever you want to. From the tpwd site "may be controlled without a federal or state depredation permit when found committing or about to commit depredations on ornamental or shade trees, agricultural crops, livestock, or wildlife, or when concentrated in numbers and in a manner that constitutes a health hazard or other nuisance."

Yep. And lead good too.
Try grackles with nr 9 lead and 12 gauge plug off.
Raining birds

All just trivia really that does not matter, but Yes and no. There was talk of doing away with the "permit" because no one has asked for one for years and it is covered under the depredation order. http://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/50/21.43 The non toxic shot requirement under the depredation order is a fairly recent change. The Feds require non tox it if under depredation order, but If the state has a crow season, then lead is allowed, but only during season. Crow hunting in Texas is one of those things much like migratory game possession limits. Federal law includes birds in your home freezer in your possession limit. Texas game wardens do not enforce it that way. Then crows. If you write the US fish and wildlife to ask about recorded calls and decoys for crow hunting, the feds will tell you it is not legal as your are attracting the crows and thus not killing them due to depredation. Texas game wardens again do not enforce it under the Federal interpretation. So in that same way Texas has not enforced the federal requirement of non toxic shot for Crows, Texas State law does not require it, nor has the commission added the federal requirement to TPWD code. http://law.onecle.com/texas/parks/64.002.00.html
At least not yet. Last year I noticed Oklahoma is following the new Federal non toxic shot rule and has changed it in their regulations.

CROW
.......
Depredation Order
Federally-approved nontoxic shot must be used when taking crows under depredation order. Federal law provides for a depredation order for crows when committing or about to commit depredations or when concentrated in such numbers and manner as to constitute a health hazard or other nuisance. For a complete copy of the Depredation Order, see 50 CFR, Part 21.43.

Thank you sniper

yes- non toxic only- applied for permit last week!!

Excellent information.
I am in your debt.
Another good reason to love THF.

Send them to SC where they had the season............