I Hate Magpies

[Deker 3,478]

Best way to nail the buggers is to either tunnel right inside a bush/hedge or make a hide within range of their favourite trees, usually the tallest ones in the area. Make sure the back of the hide is blacked out so no light can get through from behind.

When they land don't shoot at them straight away but wait half a minute or so until they settle down and stop looking around, they then usually start preening themselves and/or peck about. Don't shoot when they are stood still and the sides of their heads are facing you.

VERY SLOWLY bring the gun up and take a shot but stop dead still if they suddenly stop whatever they're doing and look sideways. They often flick their heads round from one eye to the other if they spot any movement from you so just keep still until they go back to what they were doing before.

It does require a fair bit of restraint and patience but when they feel comfortable they'll stay where they are rather than always flying off as soon as you so much as twitch.

My score so far this year is 124 using this method.

 

BubbleDuck,

 

Do you find that once you have nailed one the others come around to examine their fallen brethren?

 

Watched a vid this evening and Steve Price shot one, another couple landed to see what was up with it and he hit them he then nailed another 4 all withing a few feet of the original

 

Someone told me these birds are smart If I saw some of my mates lying dead on the deck, I'd be giving it legs not hanging around for the next shot

 

Phantom

 

 

It's very common that a whole load of them turn up making a hell of a racket, that's usually when a couple more go down!

 

They are smart, and look after their own, interesting trying to justify that in this situation though!

[Guest Bubbleduck]

Best way to nail the buggers is to either tunnel right inside a bush/hedge or make a hide within range of their favourite trees, usually the tallest ones in the area. Make sure the back of the hide is blacked out so no light can get through from behind.

When they land don't shoot at them straight away but wait half a minute or so until they settle down and stop looking around, they then usually start preening themselves and/or peck about. Don't shoot when they are stood still and the sides of their heads are facing you.

VERY SLOWLY bring the gun up and take a shot but stop dead still if they suddenly stop whatever they're doing and look sideways. They often flick their heads round from one eye to the other if they spot any movement from you so just keep still until they go back to what they were doing before.

It does require a fair bit of restraint and patience but when they feel comfortable they'll stay where they are rather than always flying off as soon as you so much as twitch.

My score so far this year is 124 using this method.

 

BubbleDuck,

 

Do you find that once you have nailed one the others come around to examine their fallen brethren?

 

Phantom

 

Oh yes they certainly do and that's where the fun starts lol! Most magpies I've got when this happens is six.

Same thing with crows. I shot one a couple of weeks ago and it stayed stuck up the tree (it's still there now) and a whole squadron came over including magpies, I got two more crows that landed in the same tree.

 

They are smart but if they won't come near you as Deker says, I just stay where I am and they'll gradually return especially if you put some broken eggs or bread around.

[Squirrel_Basher 17,100]

I once wiped out a whole brood that came to see a fallen mate and a pair of crows and a jay that joined in the fray .

[Phantom 631]

Cool

 

Must try the bread on my verbal permission sometime; I can hide in my written permission behind some of the more ancient graves

 

Let you know when I do it. One of the Shetland Ponies has a hell of a scare on its forehead near its eye from that Corvid attack that got me the verbal permission in the first place.

 

Phantom

[y444tes 0]

Good shootind mate i hate them buggers i woke up this morning to about 20 of them in the tree in my back garden so am goin to be ready for them tomorrow