Corvid control, what to try next?

[snipe]

I recently went to see a farmer about controlling some of his corvids, which he was more than happy for me to do, but asked if I'd go and see his friend, as he'd passed on my name to him and he urgently needed assistance.

 

Not one to look a gift horse in the mouth off I went. Sure enough, there were plenty around. However, they were all in a few trees by his house i.e. not there to feed, more of a roosting spot.

 

I tried decoying, but this was met with limited success. They didn't really want to be on the land other than to sleep and nest. I then went back to try and get them as they came back in the evening (this was over a week later). This, again, was met with limited success.

 

What to try next? they don't work their land as such, so there's unlikely to be a feeding frenzy to decoy them onto in the near future. Do I try and go back another evening when they are closer to breeding?

 

Any advice would be great please, as they need getting rid of as they're becoming a nuisance to the farmer from the noise perspective if nothing else.

 

Thanks,

 

Snipe

[dan-250]

Destroy the nests, shoot them with an air rifle when they are in said trees, try and trap them beneath it, or take the trees down, Get a winters worth of logs out of it. Every one counts get 5 or so a week, that's 20 a month, not huge bags but gets rid of then slowly. That's the way I have to do it on one of my bits near the farmers house

[dan-250]

Could also try an owl decoy on the floor apparently they will attack it, never tried it myself tho.

[snipe]

Thanks Dan. Unfortunately I don't live that close to this farm, otherwise I could do it in dribs and drabs. Looks Like I'll have to go nest blasting in the near future then.

 

Snipe.

[Greenhunter]

I'm assuming these 'corvids' are rooks. If they are the only real way is to shoot out the nests

as they won't decoy easily near the nesting site and they probably wont come to an owl either. They are not as aggressive as Carrion crows and jackdaws.

They will tend to return to the roost/nest site from the same direction most evenings so a bit of flight-lining might account for a few.

It could well be a slow job.

 

GH

[steve_b_wales]

I think you will be in for a difficult time, trying to get the birds. The only way I can get Crows/Jackdaw's in close enough, is to use decoys, flappers, floaters and a Primos Power Crow caller. You don't need all these at the same time, but they all help.

As mentioned, if you can get to the nests, just blsat the down with 12g #4-6 shot, depending how high the nests are.

[ollie]

I presume it is Rooks you are trying to get in a 'Rookery'. If this is the case what you could do is wait until early May when the Branchers (young Rooks coming out of the nests) start appearing and shoot them with an air rifle.

 

The flight line suggestion from Greenhunter is also good advice; we have a Rookery close to our house and they always take the same flight line late evening.