njc110381 Posted September 26, 2016 Report Share Posted September 26, 2016 Hi chaps. I seem to be catching very few magpies now. Do they lose interest at the end of summer or something? Is there anything I can do to up it? I changed my call bird a week or so ago and caught two within an hour or so of doing it, but then it's all gone quiet again. It's hard to keep changing things around but possible if I have to - I always keep a spare bird but the spare I have now is the one that was in there previously. Last of all, does anyone keep a call bird over winter? It's not easy to get the first bird of the season so I'm thinking of setting up an aviary with a nest box for warmth. If I put a trap mate on the side it will be a form of trap rather than a bird store, so legally I will be operating a call bird friendly trap all winter?... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShootingEgg Posted September 26, 2016 Report Share Posted September 26, 2016 Call bird local or not? Best to be one from a far, try baiting with eggs or mince, maybe a bit of dead rabbit. ive found that they trap best in spring when they become more teritotial etc. Wouldn't of thought there is a right or wrong way of doing it (apart from not opening the trapdoors) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rimfire4969 Posted September 26, 2016 Report Share Posted September 26, 2016 Now the breeding season is over the birds are not so territorial so tend to be more difficult to catch. A lot of keepers put their call birds in an aviary and over winter them until spring, or despatch them and start again in about March. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bumpy22 Posted September 26, 2016 Report Share Posted September 26, 2016 when the trap stops catching move it even if its only 50 yards. but as said earlier a bit late i the year Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
njc110381 Posted September 26, 2016 Author Report Share Posted September 26, 2016 First call bird wasn't local. That caught 13. Then I changed it for my most recent catch when it went really quiet and got another two almost instantly. Nothing since Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kippylawkid Posted September 28, 2016 Report Share Posted September 28, 2016 +1 +1 when the trap stops catching move it even if its only 50 yards. but as said earlier a bit late i the year Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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