Ways to spend a summers day: vermin control
Get yourself a Larsen Trap & pop in the Judas bird, sit back & wait
Be sure to have your rimfire to hand, or alternatively (as I tend to do), simply throttle the magpies
Now the main problem with trapping vermin is that whilst perfectly legal, if the bunny huggers come across them, they either steal or wreck them - but not if they are labelled RSPB Census complete with logos.
Comments
And there I thought you had popped down to Whitehall to begin The Great Purge...
Posted by: D.W. Drang | June 15, 2009 1:40 AM
Mr FM,
how does one go about getting the Judas bird? Would a rubber decoy work instead of a live magpie? We have noticed a huge drop-off in songbirds in the garden since magpies started nesting nearby, and I'm tempted to apply for a destruction licence...
Posted by: Denis | June 15, 2009 9:05 AM
Denis, I don't think you will need any special licence, amazingly. There is an open licence which applies to everyone who is destroying these varmints for a legitimate purpose, ie not for fun, though I think you are allowed to express quiet satisfaction at a job well done. Of course, if you are unlucky enough to live in Scotland, things may be different, I don't keep up since they went independent.
Posted by: John K | June 15, 2009 10:52 AM
I have found that although plastic decoys are good for keeping the rotters away from my chicken feeders a live call bird is normally the best way in the Larssen and you need one from a few miles away as a call bird, they are very territorial!
Posted by: TimC | June 15, 2009 12:34 PM
John K,
apologies - I should have specified that I live in Belgium, where I would definitely need an individual licence to destroy magpies. I Googled around a bit, and it seems that one can perhaps entice the Judas bird into the trap with bait - carrion or eggs.
Posted by: Denis | June 15, 2009 1:47 PM
Denis, this prize winning trap (got 6 birds in 4 hours!) is mine and most attempts to get magpies into traps without a calling bird will fail. If you bait the traps you might be lucky but I doubt it. The tried and tested way is to ask all your local farmers if they use a larsen and when they catch a bird to give you a call. Indeed, before any of these birds were despatched I rang round all my network to see if anyone wanted one. It is then paid back should you need yours replacing in the future. I'm sure people will be only to glad to help. As for using rubber magpies, I nearly fell off my perch!!!
Posted by: Pete | June 16, 2009 10:56 AM
Thanks, Pete!
Posted by: Denis | June 16, 2009 3:56 PM
Why exactly are you killing these creatures?
Posted by: Barth | July 3, 2009 11:31 PM
Magpies eat eggs and chicks, in the past they were kept at reasonable levels by birds of prey (they don't fly well) but without this control two many kill everything. My dad was a gamekeeper, he used to say 2 Magpies per 100 acres was the correct number. In urban areas you can find 50/100 acres
Posted by: David | November 3, 2009 10:33 AM
The way Denis worded his question sounds accusatory as if he's *really* saying "you're a bad person for killing magpies," and thus I don't quite think he's looking for an asnwer.
But, here goes.
Corvids of all kinds (crows, ravens, jackdaws, magpies, etc.) have had EXPLOSIVE population growth as a result of urban environments. Trouble is, corvids are scavengers, and will eat anything they get their beaks on.
I've seen countless reports of magpies thoroughly raiding songbird nests, taking the eggs or killing the nestlings. On YouTube, there's videos of it happening.
Considering the growth of the magpie population, it only makes sense that they need to be controlled in order for other animals (like songbirds) to survive.
And to be honest, humans are a lot more merciful in killing than other predators are. Ever seen a video of a hawk eating a magpie alive as it screams bloody murder and struggles to escape? It's distressing. At least humans make a magpie's death quick.
Posted by: Passerby | November 28, 2009 7:57 PM