Catch magpie

[harveykeitel22]

hey everyone, i want some advice to catch my first magpie for the year, to start the ball rolling for my larsen traps, any advice in how to catch the first one would be much welcomed

[Alpha Mule]

Baiting them is illegal I believe, but I've seen them bully songbirds away from finely chopped bread crusts.

The will get very inquisitive about finding out why one of their mates has fallen flat on their face too (if they were to by some weird chance).

[Catamong]

My advice would be not to start trapping until the end of March, otherwise the call bird will die from exposure during cold weather.

 

They're not that hard to catch by baiting the catch compartment with eggs to look like a nest, scatter a few eggshells around the trap, also break a fresh egg on top of the trap.

 

Also, move the trap every couple of days if you've not caught one, they work better if they're elevated a couple of feet off the ground, (on a bale or something similar), but be careful to keep it away from footpaths for obvious reasons.

 

Cat.

[Stealth Stalker]

Beg to differ on this one Cat

 

I caught an injured magpie last September, & kept him well fed & sheltered all through the winter, he was the best call bird I've ever had, accounted for well over 70 fellow maggies.

 

I grew so attached to him I let him go free at the end of the trapping season

 

SS

[inthedark]

catamong knows his stuff mate. I'd get cracking though, and just fetch them in if gets rough.

[Catamong]

kept him well fed & sheltered all through the winter, he was the best call bird I've ever had, accounted for well over 70 fellow maggies.

 

 

SS

 

Doh...........yes, of course they'll survive if they're molly coddled, but birds left twenty four seven in an open cage this time of year simply won't make it if it turns cold.

 

Speak to B the keeper on the G Estate, he taught me a lot about trapping, that's his golden rule, and he runs 5 or 6 traps continuously from the end of March.

 

Cat.

[harveykeitel22]

many thanxs catamong, im starting today, and if i catch, i will bring them in, i just wanna be catching some call birds for march

[Beardo]

B of G is certainly a very knowledgeable man - and his father before him

[dusk2dawn]

Beg to differ on this one Cat

 

I caught an injured magpie last September, & kept him well fed & sheltered all through the winter, he was the best call bird I've ever had, accounted for well over 70 fellow maggies.

 

I grew so attached to him I let him go free at the end of the trapping season

 

SS

 

Ha Ha yah big softie, I did the very same last year, a particular call bird lasted all year and I hadn,t the heart to knock it on the head after it had done so well (probably shot it since).

 

This year wont be a problem for callbirds, I have caught and kept in good condition with Rabbit, bread and wheat four fine specimens.

 

These have done well in the crowtrap all winter, I did throw a polysheet over during the snow though so that they could feed properly.

 

I think I will get my Larsens going earlier this year as its so mild here, cant do any harm.

 

Rgds Rob.