Ireland's Finest! Posted June 6, 2010 Author Report Share Posted June 6, 2010 Good question, IMO a larsen trap with a magpie in it as a larsen trap wasted. Get a carrion crow call bird, they do far more damage to game than magpies. Once you have cleared up the local carrions then start on the magpies. Jackdaws, and rooks are comparatively harmless compared to the above so I tend to leave them in peace unless in exceptional circumstances. I was thinking of getting rid of some carrion crows in my area aswell but I've no chance of getting a call bird off anyone so how would you reccommend catching one in a larsen trap using just bait? Cheers.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonevo Posted June 6, 2010 Report Share Posted June 6, 2010 I think we should all contact spring watch and ask them to show any footage they have of magpies taking young chicks from nests,surely this must be education for any viewers,who are not sure how these birds erridicate the songbird population Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ziplex Posted June 6, 2010 Report Share Posted June 6, 2010 I think we should all contact spring watch and ask them to show any footage they have of magpies taking young chicks from nests,surely this must be education for any viewers,who are not sure how these birds erridicate the songbird population true, last time I heard her on the radio some months back she even suggested the noise they made was quite endearing I keep them out of our garden as at one time they were like a bunch of marauding hoodies, damn things they are. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scolopax Posted June 6, 2010 Report Share Posted June 6, 2010 I was thinking of getting rid of some carrion crows in my area aswell but I've no chance of getting a call bird off anyone so how would you reccommend catching one in a larsen trap using just bait? Cheers.. TBH in recent years I have always got my initial call birds off local game keepers, one of whom overwinters a couple of crows in an aviary to ensure he has a call bird come the spring. I have also caught carrions in a larsen baited with a dummy nest and a couple of chicken eggs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikaris Posted June 6, 2010 Report Share Posted June 6, 2010 I was walking into my garden a few weeks ago when I saw a magpie and two crows attacking a robin. before I could get out there the magpie flew away with the robin in it's beak. Also, a neighbour of mine keeps hens and has confirmed that the magpies take the eggs. He's asked me to shoot a few if I get the chance. Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quickshot Posted June 6, 2010 Report Share Posted June 6, 2010 After Problems With crows at my chicken feeder, i had a larsen trap with a carrion in for a little while, caught one. killed it and threw it in the field at the end of my garden. swapped the original call bird for a magpie, and have caught 3 maggot pies in a week. talking to my keeper friend who keeps around me, and he says he has caught 80+ magpies for 2 consecutive years now. QS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norrie Posted June 6, 2010 Report Share Posted June 6, 2010 (edited) Hiya, We , (Davy, my mate and I ) were asked by the farmer on one of our permissions to get rid of every Maggie we saw....he's a cattle farmer, and they are sitting on the backs of the cattle pecking away at them...looking for tics etc..so, when it comes to market time, the cattle have massive blotches on their backs...therefore bringing the price down.... We've culled a load of them at that farm so far, mainly with air rifle, but now shotty..but more still keep showing up..... but the farmer has noticed a big difference in the songbird population since the start of the year...B) Another farmer has asked me to clear his ground of them, as they and the Jakies are eating the mastic out his window frames on the farmhouse!!! still got to get round to that.. Today , while out having a wee stroll,at another permission, we saw a family of three Maggies having a play next to a hedge...( Mibbes something to do with hunting songbirds as in previous post) anyway...2 x 12b carts later, strike 2 Maggies.. Another got away!! but later, after having another go at it... it was missing a few tail feathers.. Wings are now being collected to give to the local angling club...got a nice little collection so far!!! and we only started saving them recently... Edited June 6, 2010 by Norrie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluboy Posted June 9, 2010 Report Share Posted June 9, 2010 I live in a very nice place near the coast with a big magpie problem and not to many songbirds corvids cats and foxes will be the demise of many a rare bird i have tried talking to these types of nice people who winge on the one hand how the ground nestig see bird population has taken a hammering of off charlie some of these birds rare then in the next sentence tell me there is a lovely fox earth nearby with cubs in it prolific vermin numbers do need culling to protect the future of rarer species fact just my veiw. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brad93 Posted June 10, 2010 Report Share Posted June 10, 2010 I've built a larsen trap recently and everytime i see a magpie in the field grabbed my airgun and legged it to get a shot at the blighters. One afternoon, went and counted the duck eggs on the pond. Newley laid was 4 there the day before, now there were 5. few hours later i have a wander over after seeing 3 magpies in the area. most of the eggs cracked and the yolks coming out of them. explain that. Also on spring watch tonight they showed a jackdaw return twice for a ringed plovers eggs! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deputy dog Posted June 11, 2010 Report Share Posted June 11, 2010 All magpies get short thrift from me. I honestly hate them with a passion. Iv seen them taking eyes out of new born lambs and numerouse chicks out of nests. I will go to great lengths to shot a magpie, weather decoying with dead rabbits or crow calls. I feel very satisfied when i see one drop out of the air stone dead, or tumble out of a tree. One less theaving nest robbing blighter. That Spring Watch program aint got a clue if they honestly think that these birds do not do considerable damage to the local song bird population. Who ever does the research for the program needs to look for a new job. Because he or she aint doing their jobs tidy. Oh an by the way i hate Chris Packham Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bullet boy Posted June 11, 2010 Report Share Posted June 11, 2010 All magpies get short thrift from me. I honestly hate them with a passion. Iv seen them taking eyes out of new born lambs and numerouse chicks out of nests. I will go to great lengths to shot a magpie, weather decoying with dead rabbits or crow calls. I feel very satisfied when i see one drop out of the air stone dead, or tumble out of a tree. One less theaving nest robbing blighter. That Spring Watch program aint got a clue if they honestly think that these birds do not do considerable damage to the local song bird population. Who ever does the research for the program needs to look for a new job. Because he or she aint doing their jobs tidy. Oh an by the way i hate Chris Packham I agree.I love to see a Maggie tumbling out of the sky!Horrible Creatures as they are!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest gloker Posted June 12, 2010 Report Share Posted June 12, 2010 I dont watch springwatch.I have banned it in our house. I tuned in for Kate Humbles Badgerwatch and didnt once get to see her Badger! This is surely exploitation of perverted gutter minded individuals such as myself! I have emailed the BBC. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tikka tom Posted June 10, 2011 Report Share Posted June 10, 2011 billoddy is a **** Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TaxiDriver Posted June 10, 2011 Report Share Posted June 10, 2011 I dont watch springwatch.I have banned it in our house. I tuned in for Kate Humbles Badgerwatch and didnt once get to see her Badger! This is surely exploitation of perverted gutter minded individuals such as myself! I have emailed the BBC. +1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ireland's Finest! Posted June 10, 2011 Author Report Share Posted June 10, 2011 I've just brought all my Larsen traps back in. Finished on exactly 60 Magpies and 15 Greycrows Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kent Posted June 10, 2011 Report Share Posted June 10, 2011 Why do we cull magpies? My knowledge was too make song birds flourish etc but after watching springwatch I'm led to believe magpies have no effect on songbirds?? Sheer BBC propaganda, the more people listen the more they think its fact. I can tell you as far as smaller bird species are conserned the magpie is a major threat, even in low numbers as it is far better at seaching out the hiding places than crows (which rely more heavily on numbers and a thugish approach). On larger bird species it does have to rely more heavily on trickery and as such i feel preditation on say wild partridge is fairly low but don't control and allow magpies to proliferate and they soon become mob hunters and a very general threat. I once didn't bother with them feeling they didn't do much damage but was prooved very wrong Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MM Posted June 10, 2011 Report Share Posted June 10, 2011 because we can. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ack-ack Posted June 10, 2011 Report Share Posted June 10, 2011 Not a good thread if you like mags . I used to love them as a kid for there sheer audacity but you cant ignore the damage they do to our other species. If they're in range I'll give them 20p's worth. I don't enjoy it but its for the greater good of conservation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deputy dog Posted June 11, 2011 Report Share Posted June 11, 2011 (edited) I hate magpies plain an simple. Them an crows are the most destructive birds i know. Countless times iv seen both raiding nests taking chicks an eggs. And pecking lambs eyes out as their getting born out in the field. I definitly support the fact that where there is an healthy populous of magpies an crows, there will be a significant drop in song bird in that area. So i will say in all honestly, i feel great when i have either shot one from the air with my shotty. Or slapped a 17grain v max into one while its grounded. Totally an utterly detest them with a passion. And while never lose an opitunity to kill one if it arises. Killed many of them since iv been shooting and hope to kill many more. Edited June 11, 2011 by deputy dog Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave-G Posted June 11, 2011 Report Share Posted June 11, 2011 The noise they make is very annoying for me as someone who goes to sleep at dawn. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poontang Posted June 11, 2011 Report Share Posted June 11, 2011 I hate magpies plain an simple. Totally an utterly detest them with a passion. I find that quite odd Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deputy dog Posted June 12, 2011 Report Share Posted June 12, 2011 I find that quite odd [/quote Well i respect your point off view Pootang. But why is it odd to hate some thing. Iv seen loads of posts on this forum where some one has said they hate some sort of predatorial vermin or rats at some time. Some people go to great lengths to justify why. But i just think well if they hate them then thats up to their personall feelings. I know there are loads of predators out in the countryside who rob nests an do other horrible things to other animals, whether for survival or just plain blood lust like foxes in an hen house. But IMHO i just think magpies are the slyest and lowley of them. The damage iv personally seen them do to song birds nests an lambs while being born. I'v just grown to hate them over the years. Hope thats cleared the matter up mate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blunderbuss Posted June 12, 2011 Report Share Posted June 12, 2011 (edited) Like Poontang I too find people hating and detesting any animal a bit odd :( Animals do what animals do, it's nature and they don't have any choice in the matter. They are just following their instincts and are not, sly or evil or acting out of malice. These are human "qualities" which people project onto them. When a magpie takes an egg or chick, he's not doing it to spite you, or because he just happens to fancy causing mayhem that day. He does it because millennia of evolution have hard wired his brain to do it, and because he is hungry or has chicks to feed. Magpies like all Corvids are incredibly intelligent birds and can be very entertaining to study. They can also be very destructive and undoubtedly need controlling from time to time and I have no issue with that whatsoever. But I wish people would do it dispassionately accepting it as a necessity, without focussing all sort of hatred and spite towards a wild animal. It's been said before but remains very true, an animal is not a pest because of what it is, but because of where it is. Edited June 12, 2011 by Blunderbuss Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deputy dog Posted June 12, 2011 Report Share Posted June 12, 2011 Like Poontang I too find people hating and detesting any animal a bit odd :( Animals do what animals do, it's nature and they don't have any choice in the matter. They are just following their instincts and are not, sly or evil or acting out of malice. These are human "qualities" which people project onto them. When a magpie takes an egg or chick, he's not doing it to spite you, or because he just happens to fancy causing mayhem that day. He does it because millennia of evolution have hard wired his brain to do it, and because he is hungry or has chicks to feed. Magpies like all Corvids are incredibly intelligent birds and can be very entertaining to study. They can also be very destructive and undoubtedly need controlling from time to time and I have no issue with that whatsoever. But I wish people would do it dispassionately accepting it as a necessity, without focussing all sort of hatred and spite towards a wild animal. It's been said before but remains very true, an animal is not a pest because of what it is, but because of where it is. I agree their very intelligent birds. And yes i do agree with you when you say they have to feed themselve an chicks in breeding season. But i have seen many a time magpies going up an down hedge rows robbing as many nests as they can find, yes maybe eat the odd chick or egg. But mostly just dropping them on the floor an leaving the eggs to addle or chick to die. Perhaps saying i hate them with a passion was a bit strong, but i honestly can't say that i don't feel some sort of gratification when i shoot one. And when a farmer asked me what iv shot an iv told him iv bagged a few maggies. The smile on his face is very welcome, and many have told me how much they hate them. Not only for what they do to their live stock but song bird populations as well. nearly every body who hunts must have a passion for it other wise they don't do it. And nearly every body prefers to shoot one spieces more then another, whether it be fox, pigeon deer or magpies. Every body has their different reasons for doing so. I try my hardest to kill what ever i shoot at, as cleanly an humanely as possible including magpies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poontang Posted June 12, 2011 Report Share Posted June 12, 2011 I think Blunderbuss summed up what I think. I just find it strange to hate an animal/bird when it's just doing what it needs to do to survive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.