Grey's

17hmr1 · 03-03-2022 10:35am #1

Anyone trapping Grey's yet.I started at beginning of February and I'm getting on average 1 a day.I really can't believe the numbers around where I am but I'm noticing I've very little magpie around.Big increase in raven and buzzard numbers so they might be pushing magpie further out.Its seems very few are at the greys now even local gunclubs seem to have stopped doing it.

deeksofdoom · 03-03-2022 1:31pm

So.. I had a lot of success last year on the magpies, primarily catching then in my own garden these were 'town' magpies but as I was wiping them out there were being replaced by a new fleet of magpies which I would subsequently wipe out, I'm assuming that these replacements were coming in from the surrounding countryside or were passing through looking to make territories of their own. Didn't really need call birds would catch them in the larsen traps with dried dog food and then they'ld all come over to investigate and get caught in the process. I reckon that i must have caught about 40 birds in that way and was trapping right from May 'til start of November. But the mags are scarce now at the moment and I don't think I'll be able to catch them as handy as that this year, i was actually able to catch one by hand, i was able to corner in the dog run as they would go in to eat the dogs food. My Brother in law has a few around his house so I think i'll e able to get them from him this year as they are also eating his dogs food.

As regards the grey crows we had a trap which had weak springs and the greys would go into the trap and a second one then would be able to push the door open and drop in on the first crow and they'ld have a fight to the death then, so you'ld have one less death on your conscience on the way back from checking the traps. The trap with the underpowered springs was the job as you weren't restricted to catching just the one crow in a single compartment and could catch another.

Birdnuts · 03-03-2022 10:25pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058235675/greys

Vital to keep on top of the Greys to protect game and ground nesting birds. Trap all winter and spring on my place in North Mayo and have taken 20 so far this season. I'm in a good location for getting them cos the forestry plantation nearby is a major winter roost for the buggers!!

JP22 · 03-03-2022 10:30pm

Magpies are highly intelligent, you will never see one by itself, they always travel in groups and there’s always a look-out or two who cry the alarm. Corvids numbers will always increase in towns during in the colder months when food is scarce and they know food is more freely available, maggies are cute hoor’s as they say.

I live in a small town, plenty of maggies about, they are up/down the garden hedges constantly looking for nests/chicks etc. It’s a bit early for song bird chicks (bar pigeon and doves which hatch year around) at the moment but they still check the hedges and gardens daily.

There’s always a slight fall off in trapping success in Feb/early March as it’s mating season for most birds and they have their minds on love.....I see sparrows/finches in my garden are now taking the fluffy heads from the pampas grass to line their nests.

If trapping on your Game Club lands, I think a ladder trap can/could be better than a Larsen trap. Ladder traps are easily made (4 sides and a top held together by zip ties), the ladder itself can be adjusted for different size birds, easily movable from place to place and it’s most important to re-locate them every so often. Corner 1, corner 2, 3, 4, centre of field, etc.... move it about, movement makes a difference and seems to fool some birds. Try canned dog/cat food as it has a good scent from it.

Buzzard numbers have increased in some parts and crows in numbers (especially near rookery's) don’t like maggies and will/can force them out.

Best of luck with your endeavours, keep up the good work.

17hmr1 · 03-03-2022 10:53pm

I've a huge amount of bog bordering our land so they are coming from there and all the good grazing ground and forestry nearby.Im mostly trapping for ground nesting birds.Im never really successful with the ladder I get great success with Larsen but it needs a lot more looking after than the ladder.

Asus1 · 05-04-2022 11:23am

JP22 · 05-04-2022 4:52pm

Im never really successful with the ladder I get great success with Larsen but it needs a lot more looking after than the ladder.

Try adjusting the spacings on the ladder itself, too small and nothing gets in, far too large and they get out.

https://basc.org.uk/advice/how-to-make-a-ladder-trap/

Feisar · 05-04-2022 5:35pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118882905#Comment_118882905

I'm seeing a lot more of them about and that's even from "passive" observation. Nothing as sweet as seeing the effects of a 53 grain VMax on them.

Asus1 · 05-04-2022 7:40pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118884798#Comment_118884798

minktrapper · 05-04-2022 10:34pm

"Im never really successful with the ladder I get great success with Larsen but it needs a lot more looking after than the ladder".

I was the same. Very little success with the ladder but got a good few with the larsen. I did some experimenting with the ladder this winter. Found the most success was using a decoy bird and scattering the floor of the trap with small pieces of meat at night. I presume the greys would arrive at first light and spot the decoy dropping to the floor of the trap and then return to the perch. Probably thought it was getting away with the bait. Got 9 one morning.