is it legal to keep a call bird in a ladder trap

[george atkins ga 1]

i have recently contructed a ladder trap,which has caught over 25 rooks in 3 weeks,i was just wondering if it is legal to keep a call bird in the trap to lure the others in.

 

i could not find much information on this matter on the internet so if anyone knows the rules about this could they please inform me.

[410phil 4]

Multi-catch cage traps:

 

Under the terms and conditions of the general licences as issued in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland an authorised person may kill or take the following species of birds at any time by shooting, by use of cage traps or by any other method which is not prohibited by the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 Section 5 and the Wildlife (Northern Ireland) Order 1985 Article 6. These are:

 

rook, crow, magpie, jackdaw, jay*, great black-backed gull, lesser black-backed gull, herring gull, feral pigeon, collared dove* and woodpigeon.

 

*Jay and collared dove are protected species in Northern Ireland under the Wildlife (Northern Ireland) Order 1985.

 

Every cage trap used under authority of the general licence must be inspected by an authorised person on a daily basis when the cage trap is in use, except where this is not possible because of severe weather conditions e.g. as a result of heavy snowfall. In such cases, every effort must be made to inspect the cage trap as soon as possible. At each inspection any birds caught in the trap must be removed from it.

 

* Where traps are left in the open but not in use, they must be rendered incapable of holding or catching birds, e.g. door scured in open position.

 

* Any of the listed birds caught must be killed quickly and humanely.

 

* An authorised person is the same as described under Larsen cage trap.

 

Always provide adequate food, water, shelter and a perch.

 

There are several types of multi-catch traps available, but the ladder/ letterbox design is the most popular for controlling rooks, crows and jackdaws. This is a large permanent or moveable timber framed catcher with the top and sides covered in small wire mesh. A ladder type arrangement on the top of the pen allows corvids to drop into the trap to feed but not to fly back out.

 

BASC recommends the following sizes depth 2m, width 2m and length 3m as a minimum size for multi-catch ladder/letterbox type traps (see below). The operator should always construct traps to include a door to facilitate daily inspection.

 

Doesn't mention anything about call birds but as long as it has food and water and adequate shelter leaving a bird or birds in a multi catch trap to attract other birds I would have thought is acceptable and legal.

You could always ring BASC and ask them to clarify this.

Hope the above information is of some use

All the best

410 Phil

[george atkins ga 1]

thanks for the info