Wayne,yes rooks are legal quarry when taken for crop or wildlife protection,they are part of the corvid family and can be shot with airguns.
I have never eaten rook and to be honest don't really fancy trying it,their diet can include road kill,carrion and the like ,so doesn't fill me with confidence or curiosity.
I am looking into the Weihrauch HW35 for my next airgun,been around for decades and still in production,walnut stock,carbine length barrel,probably stick with open sights for a change,stick with .22 just shoot so much smoother in a springer.

That HW35 sounds like a very good air rifle.

I presume that there are many air rifle clubs in the UK where you have access to indoor ranges???

I have read some airgun magazines from the UK and it looks like you have a very active bunch of folks who are really into airguns.

Ain't nothing wrong with that!!!

Wayne

Managed to find a very nice new Weihrauch HW35K in .22 at a relatively local gunshop,a deal was struck,hopefully get to the range this weekend.

Neale,
I would be interested to see how that new piece does on the range.

Much paperwork involved in the UK to purchase an airgun?? I know that there are restrictions on foot pounds and stuff but anything else.

Do they have to be registered??

Wayne

Buying a sub 12 ft lb air rifle (6ft lb for pistols) is hassle free in England,Scotland however is another matter,I was in Scotland on holiday last year and the one gunshop I visited said that airgun licensing had all but killed his airgun sales to the point he no longer stocked any.
There are no restrictions on the number or type of airgun you can own,there is a good and healthy following of antique/vintage rifles and pistols as well.If you want to up the power and go over the 12 ft lb limit then it has to be aquired via a Firearms Certificate,these are issued by your area Police Firearms Licencing Dept and are only available to those shooters who can prove they have a need for and acceptable land to shoot on with the landowners written permission,you really have to jump through hoops.
I relinquished my Firearms Certificate at the last renewal as I was not doing enough shooting to maintain permission on the land I had available,plus it is now becoming the norm to have doctors written testimony that you are a 'fit' person etc,I didn't feel as though I would miss my .22 rimfires which is one of the reasons I have got back into airgun shooting,much easier access to ranges.

Neale,
Hopefully it will not come to this in the US. Need a doctor to certify that you are fit??? Who certifies that the doctor is fit?

What about archery in the UK? Crossbows??

Wayne

I am not very familiar with crossbows other than they are only for use on targets in the UK no hunting of any kind of game is permitted with them.

Wow Neale, never realized how strict your sporting laws are across the pond. Sounds like the land of NO. It's ridiculous enough here in New York. I'm afraid we are heading in your direction if the left gets their way.

It has been years since the UK smallbore Olympic rifle team was forced to practice out of the country, which should tell you all you need know as to draconian laws.

Ask Neal as to knife restrictions there, if you truly wish to be depressed.

To stay only somewhat on current topic, I still own my very first BB gun in box and with papers from the late 60s, and only other air rifle is my trusty Benjamin .22 pump, which has pasted uncounted raiding and smaller bird killing grackles at feeders, oftimes 30yds out and then up in treetops, likewise squirrel and even hawk using feeders as lunch buffet.

It is a Federal Offence to kill Hawks Owls or Eagles or to even to have any feathers unless you are Native American and I think they have to get a permit now. That is how it is in Va. may be different in other states but I don't think so since it is a Federal law.