My larsen trapping so far

[Guest JohnGalway]

Hi folks,

 

Well just recently I've got my first call bird - huge stroke of luck as he got confused inside a ladder trap with some big holes in it just as I was passing by Brought him home and put him in a wire larsen trap on our flat roof in the village. First magpie I caught there I brought back to the farm and put into a larsen trap I made. So far I've caught two magpies in the trap in the village and five from the trap on the farm. I gave one from the village to a local man who - like a lot of people I think - had bought a trap but couldn't get a call bird. Not sure how he's getting on as yet but there are plenty of maggies around his place. When I got to the farm now I hear songbirds, not magpies I think there's just one left in the wood beside me so it's time I started identifying some new trapping ground

 

What I am wondering now is how long you guys leave them out for? September isn't far away and will bring with it some drop in temperature, shorter days and so forth - I would say worse weather but with this summer that's not possible So for the people who're using larsens a lot longer than me, when do you generally finish up using them for the year and when do you start again?

 

ATB,

 

John

[Lost Generation 93]

Hi folks,

 

Well just recently I've got my first call bird - huge stroke of luck as he got confused inside a ladder trap with some big holes in it just as I was passing by Brought him home and put him in a wire larsen trap on our flat roof in the village. First magpie I caught there I brought back to the farm and put into a larsen trap I made. So far I've caught two magpies in the trap in the village and five from the trap on the farm. I gave one from the village to a local man who - like a lot of people I think - had bought a trap but couldn't get a call bird. Not sure how he's getting on as yet but there are plenty of maggies around his place. When I got to the farm now I hear songbirds, not magpies I think there's just one left in the wood beside me so it's time I started identifying some new trapping ground

 

What I am wondering now is how long you guys leave them out for? September isn't far away and will bring with it some drop in temperature, shorter days and so forth - I would say worse weather but with this summer that's not possible So for the people who're using larsens a lot longer than me, when do you generally finish up using them for the year and when do you start again?

 

ATB,

 

John

 

I stop when the birds cease to have nests full of eggs or or when there are no longer young chicks about. On a shoot magpies etc are only really a threat to eggs and chicks so there is no advantage in culling them outside of the breeding season and it costs time and money to continue trapping

[Guest JohnGalway]

I was thinking more about the weather, but I'm new to trapping magpies. The biggest reason I do it is because magpies in the past have attacked young lambs that would be poorly but who could easily be brought to full health again with treatment, also they do the same to ewes who go on their backs and can't right themselves again. Songbirds would be my secondary concern. The local shoot isn't a concern of mine to be honest as besides one guy who I go lamping with the rest only think as far as their bellies and do nothing against vermin. So I take the view that a magpie trapped and culled now is one less to be attacking either lambs or songbirds next spring when I won't have nearly as much time as I do now as the weather will be improving for work but the days will still be short enough.

[Guest JohnGalway]

Got another small one on the farm today. Nothing in the village but there is a magpie hanging about The one at the farm is very small and has made it through the 2"x2" mesh into the call bird compartment Hopefully he'll be content there until nightfall I'll order 2"x1" mesh for the next one or maybe use chicken wire (I prefer the mesh as it's stronger). Here are a couple of photos of the larsen at the farm. It's up on fence posts as there are a minimum of three cats around plus whatever badgers and foxes roaming around. I've set one cross timber low so I can access the top of the trap. I got a very good suggestion from John B to add a perch post above the trap which I have not yet got around to doing but will in the near future

 

 

[alimac 882]

when they stop catching or when ever my birds come home, which ever comes first..

[john b 38]

John

I've just noticed the tally in your sig " JG 9 - 0 Magpies"

 

So what do that magpies have to do to score a point then ?

 

In one of your posts you mentioned replacing the 2x2 mesh with smaller, but liked the rigidity of the large gauge wire. One way round it is to add a layer of lightweight but smaller hole mesh over the top of what you have. Cheap and effective without the rework.

[RatSnatcher 0]

Firstly that Avatar John Galway

 

Thats is so right

 

 

 

Right I am off to read this thread

[Guest JohnGalway]

when they stop catching or when ever my birds come home, which ever comes first..

 

Hi Ali,

 

What do you mean when your birds come home? Sorry, it's most likely a basic question but I'm very new to this type of control

 

 

John

I've just noticed the tally in your sig " JG 9 - 0 Magpies"

 

So what do that magpies have to do to score a point then ?

 

In one of your posts you mentioned replacing the 2x2 mesh with smaller, but liked the rigidity of the large gauge wire. One way round it is to add a layer of lightweight but smaller hole mesh over the top of what you have. Cheap and effective without the rework.

 

I'll let you in on a secret JB, it's a rigged game I've got some chicken wire that would do the job over the 2"x2", I'll use that for the time being. Knowing me though I'll get 2"x1" and do the rework anyway I know, I know, I like things a certain way though

 

 

Firstly that Avatar John Galway

 

Thats is so right

 

Right I am off to read this thread

 

Lol RS, when you get done drooling and reading if you've a good suggestion I'd welcome it

[Lost Generation 93]

I was thinking more about the weather, but I'm new to trapping magpies. The biggest reason I do it is because magpies in the past have attacked young lambs that would be poorly but who could easily be brought to full health again with treatment, also they do the same to ewes who go on their backs and can't right themselves again. Songbirds would be my secondary concern. The local shoot isn't a concern of mine to be honest as besides one guy who I go lamping with the rest only think as far as their bellies and do nothing against vermin. So I take the view that a magpie trapped and culled now is one less to be attacking either lambs or songbirds next spring when I won't have nearly as much time as I do now as the weather will be improving for work but the days will still be short enough.

 

 

My answer is similar to my original one, trap them when the young lambs are out and the songbirds are nesting. Every time you kill some magpies you create a vacancy and more magpies will come along and fill that vacancy. Most of the year they do no harm at all and just eat invertebrates and carrion etc. There is no point controlling them when they aren't doing any harm so concentrate your efforts on that period of the year when they can do damage and use the time freed up the rest of the year to do something productive.

[Guest JohnGalway]

I'm not sure I agree as they have attacked ewes that get into trouble also. It's much the same story as with the lambs, a voulernable animal will have had it's eyes picked out in no time. Often, not always, but often these animals are easily brought back to full health with some care and treatment. So I see magpies as a threat fulltime I do realise most of the eye theft is done by hooded crows but I've seen maggies at it on ewes who have lived.

 

What I'm concerned about is the two birds I currently have in the cages. I do not want to have them die there with bad weather, anything I cull I do my best to ensure it's swift and painless So what I was getting at is there a general time of year when most lads using larsens say ok that's it until spring time and either knock off the existing maggies they have or as I've seen elsewhere take them indoors for the winter (just imagining mucking out that shed :sick: ).

 

-------------

 

Caught no more birds since. There are at least two and I suspect three on the farm that I have seen. Problem there is with the 2"x2" mesh, as I said one bird got into the call bird compartment. When I went to cull one of them, yeah, you guessed it, I couldn't tell them apart They were roughly the same size, both had some type of mite condition about their heads, so I picked the smallest one and knocked him off. No bird since lol.

 

The magpie on the flat roof is in fine form, very active and very very vocal. Just now I saw two maggies on the tree out the back, which isn't more than 15 yards from the larsen, giving him hell. But I didn't hear a clunk above me so I don't think they went for it I'm wondering if I've been spotted up there. I've another couple of spots I can site the larsen anyway so no panic. It would be nice to catch one here though as I could then replace the existing call bird on the farm.

[Guest JohnGalway]

Moved the farm larsen trap 200-250 yards Thursday night, heavy little bugger Two magpies waiting for me this morning in it They'll both go as call birds to local people, one of them for certain, the other guy I have yet to get in touch with. Definately worth moving these traps about

[Jim Grant 4]

Up here in Scotland we have to have a tag to put on our traps. The Polis will give you the code to use. So yes I have brought in my traps for this year.

 

As we have more than a few people in the district setting traps we usually leave them out as long as there are Maggies about. You can give them a look when you are out with the dogs.

We also pick up a few Carrion Crows, they seem to hate Maggies. So we always use a Maggie as a call bird.

Edited August 30, 2008 by Jim Grant

[Guest JohnGalway]

Cheers Jim

 

I can check mine daily as one is at home and one on the farm I've got two other spots in mind as well which are close enough to be handy for me and far enough apart that I think they're in different magpie territory

 

No carrion crows near me that I am aware of, but the place is full of Hooded crows which are nasty feckers. Just looking at the funnel trap in John B's book at the moment, I think that and his larsen trap are my next projects (once I get my generator back into action).

 

I'm still amazed at just how effective larsen traps are once you get a call bird Even the local huggy brigade don't like the magpies.

[Guest JohnGalway]

Removed them last night One went as a call bird, the other got culled as I couldn't get into contact with the other guy - until I ran into him this morning

 

[alimac 882]

birds coming home........when i get my pheasant poults

 

you will catch hoodies in that cage too