Crow/magpie decoying

[tegater 789]

First time I tried a slit bunny, they just wouldn't entertain it at all in the middle of the paddock. Put it near the road however!

They flocked to it but I made the mistake of positioning myself without a fence post for a backstop behind the bunny!

 

So the whiley feckers got a feast and I couldnt get a shot off!

Thats one of my favorite methods providing I have a bunny to hand. I find at first light, a good half to three quarters of an hour before sunrise at this time of year, a bunny lay on its back so the white underfur is showing, and then slit and its heart, liver and lungs are on show, is irresistable.

[Skot Ruthless Teale 1,701]

lol schoolboy error! hahaa.. theres a road at the bottom of the field but its a big field.

 

Obviously im not going to shoot towards the road, and im going to make sure i have a good backstop.

 

so i was wondering about the law regarding shooting near roads..

i know you have to be 50 ____ away

-and not shooting in a way that is dangerous or whatever-.

but is it 50 yards. meters, or feet??

 

this is the only 'grey area' im not sure about.

i have permisssion, gun is 11.7ftlb, blah blah blah but i just needed the distance thing clearing up.

[tegater 789]

Its 50 feet and there are other things such as inerupting and endagering other people etc, but in all honesty it is better not to chance the safety of potentially children and other members of the public, and keep well outside the 50 foot limit! imo

[The Duncan 802]

You can't shoot less than 50 feet from the centre of a highway IF it causes danger or inconvenience to other pedestrians or roadusers. This includes bridleways, which are technically 'unmetalled' roads.

So even if you are only20 feet from the road, you can shoot legally, providing you are not causing danger or inconvenience.

[Skot Ruthless Teale 1,701]

cheers duncan pal

[Phantom 631]

You can't shoot less than 50 feet from the centre of a highway IF it causes danger or inconvenience to other pedestrians or roadusers. This includes bridleways, which are technically 'unmetalled' roads.

So even if you are only20 feet from the road, you can shoot legally, providing you are not causing danger or inconvenience.

 

Being the 'Operative' word

on three of my permissions I have the "A63" arterial road from/to Hull.

I often shoot towards it and pretty much within 100 yards of it.

As I mentioned on the earlier post re the Corvids, I couldn't get a shot off because I wasnt lined up with any of the backstops (mainly large fence posts), but also a good deep embankment (on one perm) and large concrete blocks on another.

With the blocks though I have to keep an eye out for pedestrians (namely schoolies) as the foot path is between the paddock and the blocks, so at certain times of the day, shooting in that direction is obviously a clear NO-NO, at other times of the day its a good clear looksee before pressing the trigger.

To date I have had NO accidents or indeed anything resembling close calls as my finger rarely touches the trigger before its time to releasethe shot

Edited March 29, 2012 by Phantom

[miroku moocher 140]

i just use them flock coated decoys. set half a dozen out . wait for em to come then dab em'. i shot 16 rook's 2 jackdaw's a crow and 5 pigeon a few days back usin me flockies wit me shotty. gettin em to land and stay still long enough to take a shot with an airgun is harder. i'v found a dead crow laying tits up in an obvious place draws them in[ curiousity] i found this out accidently some years ago. i had shot a crow off me garage roof killing it dead i left it laying there. over the next couple a days i shot 7 more who had came to pay there respects to there fallen brother.. curiousity killed the cat'' gets alot a crows plugged anall,,,,lol.

[Aaz 3]

They are very aware of changes to their environment, I've found building a hide and leaving it up for a few days to be the best, make sure that it doesnt give away your silohutte i.e you cant see through it. Movement is key, or lack of it, dont look up and follow the birds with your eyes just keep still with your focus on the target area and they'll come in if there is something to be had. Camo is confidence boaster but not essential, I've sat in the hide in jeans and tee shirt with just a hat on to break up my bodyshape a bit and they still come in. They're that clever they'll be watching you go into the hide so sometimes having someone 'tuck you in' then leave 5-10mins later works well. Can you put up something for them to perch on before they land - they do like to survey the area?

I dont find decoys work for me on my permission.

Good luck

[Michael5 2]

Aaz

Do you just use bait to attract them down ?

[paulk73 151]

ive spent a few full days decoying crows and maggies, with an owl deek and some maggie deeks with limited success.

 

 

this is the only crow to fall victim to the hw 100, however the crow landed nowhere near the deeks or the opened up rabbit left out as bait.

it landed in a tree, about 50-60 yards from the hide, and began to call. i had to creep about 30 yards, through the woods to get a shot off. i leaned up on a fence post, but found i still couldnt get a clear shot off, then a mate dropped in to the same tree, and some hopping about took place and the crow offered me a perfect shot.

i havnt given up though. i dont care if im sat in the woods in my hide all day. its just nice to be out, on my own watching whats going on around me, and i still get a few shots off at the occasional squizzer, as they use the trres right in front of the hide as a highway.

 

 

keep trying mate. it will come good eventually

[The Duncan 802]

Nice one and some tasty squirrels too

 

For the sake of our woodland and other song birds, we all ought to be out more on grey squirrels and crows and magpies. I'd rather shoot 1 crow than 100 rooks though - rooks only crime is pinching a bit of feed - they don't take nestlings or eggsike crows and maggies do.

 

Lets start a crow n magpie culling campaign! Gamekeepers will be very happy too

[Michael5 2]

Very nice rifle you have there , I'm thinking of getting an hw100 after my hw97kt , i am going to keep trying , I might get better results after the first cut of silege is done

[tegater 789]

Nice one and some tasty squirrels too

 

For the sake of our woodland and other song birds, we all ought to be out more on grey squirrels and crows and magpies. I'd rather shoot 1 crow than 100 rooks though - rooks only crime is pinching a bit of feed - they don't take nestlings or eggsike crows and maggies do.

 

Lets start a crow n magpie culling campaign! Gamekeepers will be very happy too

Rooks may not hunt the hedgerows for eggs like a crow or magpie, and I, like you dont really shoot many for that reason.

 

Dont be fooled by them though, I have shot loads of them coming into the laying pen, knicking pheasant eggs, and loads at this time of year, knicking the sheep nuts put out for the pregnant ewes.

 

It is unfortunate for me that there are not so many rookeries around me any more, as the call of the rooks, is one of those great countryside sounds, along with the wild geese, plover and curlew.

[The Duncan 802]

Rookeries are great to have around. And they can grow to serious pest level, but they are not so bad round here. Healthy population I think is a fair description.

Plenty for me to take my tithe of on Brancher day. Delicious delicacy which I wouldn't want to miss for the world

[Aaz 3]

Aaz

Do you just use bait to attract them down ?

 

No bait exaclty, but i shoot on a small holding so theres loads of chicken and goose feed about