The opening of crow hunting season might be the gateway to a student-government enforced effort to help the campus deal with issues regarding the abundance of birds in Ames.

The crow population is one of few issues students care about, said Andy Walling, director of campus awareness for the Government of the Student Body. In order to pique student interest and involvement in curbing the crow population, Walling has turned to informing students of hunting seasons and ways to displace the birds.

“[Students] care about things that affect them directly and negatively,” he said. “When students get pooped on walking to class, they get ornery.”

The issue is a matter of quality, and a campus littered with bird droppings doesn’t reflect a high-quality institution, Walling said.

“My strategy is to start a publicity campaign on hunting seasons,” Walling said. “That is phase one.”

Crow hunting season began Oct. 15 and ends Nov. 30. It also runs between Jan. 14 and March 31. There are no specified shooting hours or bag limits for crow hunters, according to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.

Walling said people should receive rural landowners’ permission to shoot the crows from their property, and doesn’t encourage students to use firearms on campus. It is unlawful to discharge a gun within the city limits, according to Ames city code.

Terry Little, system wildlife chief for the DNR, said crows fall under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.

“Virtually all birds are migratory to at least some extent,” Little said. “Crows are a game bird and can only be hunted for a total of 107 days a year.”

Crows cannot be hunted during spring migration or during nesting season.

“I don’t expect many crows to get shot by students,” Walling said. “We want people to be careful. They should follow state guidelines for hunting and firearm use.”

He said the second phase of his plan has to be a population-management utility.

Little said most crow management tactics are designed to displace the birds.

Students should simply harass the birds, Little said. He said if students go around beating on tree trunks trying to chase them off, chances are, some of them will leave campus.

Little said like most animals, crow droppings can carry some diseases, though most are not transmittable to humans.

“It can be a health hazard and a mess if there are sufficient numbers,” he said. “It is not totally unusual for them to break down limbs of trees.”

Walling said he has not contacted many people about the problem yet. He said he is currently working on researching the most effective crow population management technique.