dipper Posted March 29, 2014 Report Share Posted March 29, 2014 Had trap in garden a few magpies in a tree close . Was cooking pasta I put some in the trap steaming had a magpie before pasta was cool. Dipper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elby Posted March 30, 2014 Report Share Posted March 30, 2014 I say this every year and will keep on saying it. Forget trapping magpies, it is a Larsen trap wasted. Get a carrion crow call bird in the trap. Carrions are far far more damaging to game and wildlife than magpies ever will be. In my Larsen it's been a bit strange. If I have a carrion in there I catch magpies and if I have a magpie I catch carrions Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matone Posted March 30, 2014 Report Share Posted March 30, 2014 I say this every year and will keep on saying it. Forget trapping magpies, it is a Larsen trap wasted. Get a carrion crow call bird in the trap. Carrions are far far more damaging to game and wildlife than magpies ever will be. Very true ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Konnie Posted March 30, 2014 Report Share Posted March 30, 2014 very true but from what I've seen on here not many know the difference between crow and a rook Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cosmos05 Posted March 30, 2014 Report Share Posted March 30, 2014 Or just get plenty off trap and run there for both Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teal Posted March 30, 2014 Report Share Posted March 30, 2014 In my Larsen it's been a bit strange. If I have a carrion in there I catch magpies and if I have a magpie I catch carrions That's interesting, I have usually found that I will catch crows and magpies with a magpie as call bird, but with a crow I will only catch other crows. I presumed it was because the crow was more dominant Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
r1steele Posted March 31, 2014 Report Share Posted March 31, 2014 That's interesting, I have usually found that I will catch crows and magpies with a magpie as call bird, but with a crow I will only catch other crows. I presumed it was because the crow was more dominant That's the usual thing that happens. A magpie will usually attract a crow as he will be wanting to remove it from his territory, but a magpie (in general) won't stand up to a crow and usually won't want to get that close. The same usually happens in ladder/funnel traps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kent Posted March 31, 2014 Report Share Posted March 31, 2014 Be VERY careful using rabbit as bait, once had RSPB claiming the trap was set for sparrowhawks because of rabbit bait. Did you laugh at their comment? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kent Posted March 31, 2014 Report Share Posted March 31, 2014 I say this every year and will keep on saying it. Forget trapping magpies, it is a Larsen trap wasted. Get a carrion crow call bird in the trap. Carrions are far far more damaging to game and wildlife than magpies ever will be. Smack on the button, shoot the magpies as and when (just popped one this morn with the 410 actually myself). Any game bird that cannot defend its nest from a magpie is perhaps better removed from the breeding stock anyhow. The magpie is a smaller bird than it seems and preys on nothing bigger than a blackbirds nest in my experience, its control is worthwhile for songbirds and that's about it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
r1steele Posted March 31, 2014 Report Share Posted March 31, 2014 Smack on the button, shoot the magpies as and when (just popped one this morn with the 410 actually myself). Any game bird that cannot defend its nest from a magpie is perhaps better removed from the breeding stock anyhow. The magpie is a smaller bird than it seems and preys on nothing bigger than a blackbirds nest in my experience, its control is worthwhile for songbirds and that's about itOn a grouse moor you cannot afford to have magpies or crows. Most good keepers will control both with as much effort as they can. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tullman Posted April 1, 2014 Report Share Posted April 1, 2014 Try dogbiscuits or dog food(smellier the better) but its still abit early once the magpies are nesting and territorial then it will happen. Note to self watch out for charlie as hes also keen on dog food!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kent Posted April 1, 2014 Report Share Posted April 1, 2014 On a grouse moor you cannot afford to have magpies or crows. Most good keepers will control both with as much effort as they can. Magpies are not treated seriously here on the grouse, crows are! Can I ask if you have ever seen a magpie mix it at the nest with anything bigger than a blackbird because I haven't. (seen crows push it with allsorts) Kill them when I can I say but don't waste too much time on them though we don't have big numbers of Magies perhaps it different if your loaded with the things like I have seen on some estates but crows are public enemy number 1 even a pair can devastate things in the wrong spot Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
r1steele Posted April 1, 2014 Report Share Posted April 1, 2014 Magpies are not treated seriously here on the grouse, crows are! Can I ask if you have ever seen a magpie mix it at the nest with anything bigger than a blackbird because I haven't. (seen crows push it with allsorts) Kill them when I can I say but don't waste too much time on them though we don't have big numbers of Magies perhaps it different if your loaded with the things like I have seen on some estates but crows are public enemy number 1 even a pair can devastate things in the wrong spot Crows are definitely the biggest problem but yes I have seen magpies attack nests belonging to birds bigger than blackbirds. Having keepered on a moor all corvids are taken seriously with carrions taking the number 1 spot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kent Posted April 2, 2014 Report Share Posted April 2, 2014 just I have yet too see it and no way on earth could I believe a magpie or two bully a Grouse off her nest or away from her young (unattended and unguarded eggs yes), yet have seen crows pick fights with far bigger birds and even mammals as big as hares just from the heck of it let alone to plunder the nursery. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
r1steele Posted April 2, 2014 Report Share Posted April 2, 2014 just I have yet too see it and no way on earth could I believe a magpie or two bully a Grouse off her nest or away from her young (unattended and unguarded eggs yes), yet have seen crows pick fights with far bigger birds and even mammals as big as hares just from the heck of it let alone to plunder the nursery. Just because you haven't seen something it doesn't mean it doesn't happen. Believe it or not they are more than capable of taking chicks from grouse. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kent Posted April 2, 2014 Report Share Posted April 2, 2014 Just because you haven't seen something it doesn't mean it doesn't happen. Believe it or not they are more than capable of taking chicks from grouse. That's true but from your earlier response it seems you have not witnessed it either, have seen a lot of crow attacks though, yet only seen magpies on far smaller birds so until I see it or similar. Unattended chicks or eggs of course are just an easy meal Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
r1steele Posted April 2, 2014 Report Share Posted April 2, 2014 That's true but from your earlier response it seems you have not witnessed it either, have seen a lot of crow attacks though, yet only seen magpies on far smaller birds so until I see it or similar. Unattended chicks or eggs of course are just an easy meal What earlier response suggests that I have not witnessed this. I stated in post #38 that I had seen it and more than once. I do not have to prove myself to somebody who seems to think I know nothing about my job, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kent Posted April 3, 2014 Report Share Posted April 3, 2014 What earlier response suggests that I have not witnessed this. I stated in post #38 that I had seen it and more than once. I do not have to prove myself to somebody who seems to think I know nothing about my job, You stated birds bigger than blackbirds not grouse (which I found unusual as that is how I classed their quarry in relation to a debate on grouse) I suppose I expected you to say "yes they have and will kill my Grouse, seen it happen", hence my questioning further. I know nothing about what you know or don't know about your job and shouldn't wish you or anyone else to think otherwise. I know the grouse keepers here don't go mad on killing magpies for grouse protection I do live on the edge of a grouse moor and have witnessed nest raids by crows many times, yet to me I see the Magpie more as a hedge raider taking eggs and newly fledged song birds. I also say unguarded nests it don't matter what the parents are if they aint there. Rooks, jackdaws, jays they will all do it on occasions of opportunity and it shouldn't astound me to find an entirely unexpected bird species doing a nest in one day. Local variations exist in behaviour though when I lived only 15-20 miles away Crows did raid the young lambs (and its far from unknown elsewhere) here it has never been known, its quite possible this exists in this case. Sorry I seem to have touched a nerve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alycidon Posted April 20, 2014 Report Share Posted April 20, 2014 (edited) Be VERY careful using rabbit as bait, once had RSPB claiming the trap was set for sparrowhawks because of rabbit bait. In 20 plus years of trapping I have caught a Kestrel, twice, same bird I think in successive mornings, never caught any bird of prey before or since. Ironically the trap was set with no bait just a live maggi. A Edited April 20, 2014 by Alycidon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heathysam Posted April 22, 2014 Report Share Posted April 22, 2014 I have a few spare call birds in Cheshire let me know if you are still looking Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
r1steele Posted April 22, 2014 Report Share Posted April 22, 2014 In 20 plus years of trapping I have caught a Kestrel, twice, same bird I think in successive mornings, never caught any bird of prey before or since. Ironically the trap was set with no bait just a live maggi. A I had a young buzzard get into one of mine years ago. One angry bird. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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