Magpies - a guilt trip…

[Foxyboy43]

Sooo just back from Perthshire and the clear-up of the black and white assassins obviously wasn’t quite as clear as I thought. Two of the rascals were on my roof yesterday and today - I swear they were laughing!
Soo quick call and pal offered me a freshly caught Judas bird - only a 50 mile round trip so what could go wrong? Problem is the little rascal is not a doer - sits cowering in the corner of the Larsen neither eating or drinking - pathetic really. So now your man is in full intensive care mode lavishing TLC on said bird and 10 minute checks in the magpie ICU ward (a box in the garage with food and drink to hand or maybe beak).
Question is - am I mad?

 

[VSS]

No, not mad. Just compassionate. The mark of a true hunter.

 

[monarman]

Not mad at all.... I bring my birds in if bad weather is due also when it's too hot.
We have a duty of care when they are in our traps and they are working for us, so why not give them a bit of tlc?.

 

[Len the dog]

In much the same way that we don't want to wound anything and cause prolonged suffering. Foxes for instance may be pests, but I wouldn't want anything but a clean instant kill, and I certainly don't want to wipe them out in my area.

 

[JSW]

When you stop doing what you are doing it's time to pack it in, well done you

 

[Smellydog]

Your not mad, the irony though is funny.
Is it not a little late for Larsen's?

Cant you get an air rifle FB?

 

[jall55]

Your not mad, the irony though is funny.
Is it not a little late for Larsen's?

Cant you get an air rifle FB?

Im currently having a beano with mine pal - on the crows
Catching 4/5 day - Had nearly 100 in June

 

[Foxyboy43]

Your not mad, the irony though is funny.
Is it not a little late for Larsen's?

Cant you get an air rifle FB?

Nope - we are just starting to catch the young birds over here now Smelly.
Haven’t had an air rifle since I sold my Original 50(?) 40 plus years ago and replaced it with a .22rf - it and the .17hmr do all I need.
Sadly the new “lodger” went off to the great Burger Bar Bin in the sky an hour ago.
Funeral arrangements later….

 

[2Ll’s]

Your not mad, the irony though is funny.
Is it not a little late for Larsen's?

Cant you get an air rifle FB?

Had 12 magpies in mine since last Friday, never too late for a Larson trap.

 

[2Ll’s]

Sooo just back from Perthshire and the clear-up of the black and white assassins obviously wasn’t quite as clear as I thought. Two of the rascals were on my roof yesterday and today - I swear they were laughing!
Soo quick call and pal offered me a freshly caught Judas bird - only a 50 mile round trip so what could go wrong? Problem is the little rascal is not a doer - sits cowering in the corner of the Larsen neither eating or drinking - pathetic really. So now your man is in full intensive care mode lavishing TLC on said bird and 10 minute checks in the magpie ICU ward (a box in the garage with food and drink to hand or maybe beak).
Question is - am I mad?

If he doesn’t pull through bait your trap with a couple of fat balls, catch my first call birds with them each year, sounds unlikely until you try it.

 

[Smellydog]

Nope - we are just starting to catch the young birds over here now Smelly.
Haven’t had an air rifle since I sold my Original 50(?) 40 plus years ago and replaced it with a .22rf - it and the .17hmr do all I need.
Sadly the new “lodger” went off to the great Burger Bar Bin in the sky an hour ago.
Funeral arrangements later….

My apologies

 

[Foxyboy43]

If he doesn’t pull through bait your trap with a couple of fat balls, catch my first call birds with them each year, sounds unlikely until you try it.

Thank you - I have but fat balls have demonstrated to me in spades that starlings should not be on the red list, more red mist!

 

[Len the dog]

A couple of hen’s eggs with one of them cracked open, corvids become almost suicidal at the sight of them.

 

[LuckyEddie]

Had 12 magpies in mine since last Friday, never too late for a Larson trap.

Youngsters moving about and not yet savvy!

 

[GlennUK]

A couple of hen’s eggs with one of them cracked open, corvids become almost suicidal at the sight of them.

Here's hoping, we have been 'sniping' maggies and odd crow from the kitchen window when they come to feed off the fat balls (and the song birds) , they have become somewhat shy of coming clo0se to the house, have just managed to zero the .17hmr i so will be having a bit of a stake out this weekend hopefully.

 

[Kalahari]

This post should be banned! I am in Wales and have to just watch them !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

David.

 

[Foxyboy43]

This post should be banned! I am in Wales and have to just watch them !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

David.

 

[Len the dog]

Yup, utterly bonkers.

 

[Dunwaters]

They’re not exactly doing a lot of harm at this time of the year, so why bother?
Leaving them to die off over the winter all on their own and start trapping again in February/March saves a bit of work

 

[Len the dog]

They’re not exactly doing a lot of harm at this time of the year, so why bother?
Leaving them to die off over the winter all on their own and start trapping again in February/March saves a bit of work

Just last week when I was driving back down the track on one of my permissions I was gobsmacked at the number of magpies, and they were all working the edge of the barley looking for the larks etc.
And judging by the numbers I don't think many are dying off in the mild winters we get now. As with the conundrum of shooting pigeons over stubble, you could argue that they aren't doing any harm, but they'll stil be around and needing food when the rape starts coming through later in the year, same with magpies when next year's chicks appear.