Luring corvids down

[McSparkie 0]

Has anyone made their own bird lure?

Not the sort to be used with raptors. I fancy making up some corvids and/or pigeons, but have only a vague idea where to start.

We have a good 30 or 40 crows locally and good handfulls of rooks, magpies and jays. There is a decent sized flock of Woodies that over-fly us too.

 

I'd love some tips on how to make decoys/lures if it has been done before (can't afford / not interrested in buying them from a web site).

I'm on a tight budget and quite fancy trying my hand at this anyway.

 

I won't be using traps, I'll be using an air rifle. I just need them to settle for a couple of seconds while I get a bead on them.

I'm also considering making up a false chicken nest with a cracked egg or two on show (the farm next door have a handfull of chickens and the crows know this!).

[stubby 175]

the nest and eggs is a good one, as is a rabbit cut open at the stomach

[McSparkie 0]

the nest and eggs is a good one, as is a rabbit cut open at the stomach

 

Rabbits are as scarce as rocking horse sh,,,, teeth here abouts.

 

As are the dozens of smaller wild birds that the crows etc. have been decimating.

We had 6 thrush farting around after Yew berries, until the magpies took an interest in them. There is 1 left.

The black death are well switched on to me. If I open an upstairs window, sneak around or through the garage, come round the back of the house, bla, bla, they scarper before I can get into a decent position with a clear shot.

 

A mate donated about 10ft sq of ex-army camo netting which I may drape over the front of the garage and create a nest against a wall across the farm yard.

Actually I could set up a chair, flask and my book too

[TOMO 24,880]

heres one told to me by snareman just the other day, get one of those small fluffy chicks , the sort of thing you get from greeting card shops.

 

glue it to a tyle or a bit of board , scatter some egg shels around. not done it myself but snareman says they cant resist

[fish 148]

heres one told to me by snareman just the other day, get one of those small fluffy chicks , the sort of thing you get from greeting card shops.

 

glue it to a tyle or a bit of board , scatter some egg shels around. not done it myself but snareman says they cant resist

now that sounds good think ill try that

[The one 8,398]

If you cant get a rabbit sliced white bread

[Guest JohnGalway]

heres one told to me by snareman just the other day, get one of those small fluffy chicks , the sort of thing you get from greeting card shops.

 

glue it to a tyle or a bit of board , scatter some egg shels around. not done it myself but snareman says they cant resist

 

I must see what my niece has in the toybox

[moxy 617]

Other than baiting as already posted, you are then moving towards decoys. Either the species type you are targeting or perhaps a bird of prey decoy placed within a baited area.

 

Full decoys are relatively cheap £2-3 each or just shells, even cheaper at say around a pound a pop.

 

If you are unable to purchase half a dozen of the cheap shells then your only other option is to make your own. This i belive is hardly worth the effort. Making a mould then casting from it with papier mash and a good amount of pva glue, painting it then applying a good varnish. For it to only last a limited amount of use. The costs of making could also outweigh the cost of buying outright.

 

However you decide to go, if you are lucky and shoot a few (or even 1, it all helps ), then keep them in your freezer, everytime you need the use of your decoys, defrost them, use and freeze again.

They wont last forever but realistic looking birds have to be better than plastic.

If your frozen decoys proove to be succesfull, identify them with a ring of tape on their legs in order to rotate and refresh your stock when they become too manky!!

 

If its mainly corvids you are after, then build a trap. This will then provide you with freshly culled birds for decoy shooting, and they work.

 

Thats if the wife isnt too chuffed with you filling her freezer with dead, mouldy birds.

 

atb

[McSparkie 0]

Muhahaha, I think we have something here!

 

I've just read your replies to the boss and she just about flipped at the re-freezing idea :sick:

 

What she doesn'r know about,,,,, :glare:

 

I've been looking at making a Larsen, but that would probably get me in even more trouble than raiding the kids 'Make and Do' box for fluffy chickens or toy rabbits.

[stubby 175]

if you pm'd johnb, he'd sell you the springs/rods etc for a larsen trap, leaving just the wire and wood to buy/source for free, have had good results with them using his plan to build

 

 

 

 

 

[BBB 7]

if you can get a dead crow or maggie use this to draw in it's commrades. lay it tit's up out in the open in an obvious place. then sit back and wait . corvids are very curious and this works like a charm on em. when they spot a downed mate they will come to investigate . giving you plenty 'o' time to plug em.

[Guest JohnGalway]

if you can get a dead crow or maggie use this to draw in it's commrades. lay it tit's up out in the open in an obvious place. then sit back and wait . corvids are very curious and this works like a charm on em. when they spot a downed mate they will come to investigate . giving you plenty 'o' time to plug em.

 

Magpies are practically suicidal for this idea. Often been shooting hooded crows for one, two, three maggies to come along and jump on the same hoodie, all got shot.

[topshot 0]

im in cardiff got a few decoys and a hide id be happy to assist you in your battle against the corvids. we have got quite a large number whee i am i find it best to set up near a tree where the can sit in to sqwark. i bought a call from keens only about a fiver dont half bring them in tho

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