Bird Trapping

[swarmcatcher 15]

Seeing the full-house earlier in the thread made me think about a problem a friend has in Cornwall.

I've never tried using a larsen trap or a ladder trap but may well look at making some up if you all think it would be beneficial..

They have a real problem with pest birds during lambing - most of which is done in the field. Can't remember which bird it was now, one of the corvids anyway, but they basically pick away at everything live or dead, adult and just born - truly cruel.

I just presumed that these birds fly around the countryside in a random manor but thinking about it they are bound to have home grounds so its probably worth trapping them throughout the year? - anyone know

Would this be best way to reduce the number of pest birds or would a ladder trap be more effective - anybody had experience of getting rid of these birds during lambing.

[DIDO.1 22,840]

It depends which bird your trapping. Sounds like crows to me. I'd sit over a dead lamb with a decoy and shoot a few. Or start with a larsen if you don't have much experience

Edited May 15, 2016 by DIDO.1

[swarmcatcher 15]

Thanks Dido - I hadn't really thought about going down that root as they didn't want any shooting round the stock, but thinking about it using a couple of decoys on a dead lamb in a neighbouring spot could offer a good solution if done regularly enough.

Appreciate your thoughts

[neil cooney 10,416]

I have a couple of larsens on a couple of lambing fields at the moment. They're for Grey Crows which are more or less the same as your Carrion Crow (ye call them crows whereas here in Ireland we call the Rook the Crow) that have been taking the eyes out of lambs.

A larsen at either end of the field with an intrusive call bird in it will account for the culprits quickly.

I took 24 Grey Crows in 15 or 16 days with just one trap this year.

[stormyboy 1,352]

I've got a larsen down here if your friends want to use it swarmcatcher.

[swarmcatcher 15]

Appreciate the offer stormboy may well take you up on it.

Neil thats a pretty good catch rate with just the larsens - very encouraging to hear

[neil cooney 10,416]

Another bonus in the same area that I hammered the grey crows and magpies is the amount of ground nesting birds that are breeding.

I can't take my eye of the Springer when she's with me as she marks nest after nest. It doesn't happen in too many other places.

[Squirrel_Basher 17,100]

I expect your trouble is from ravens ,protected at the moment unfortunately .

[king 11,972]

Use to shoot a rookery yrs ago with air rifles with a mate off here.a good day we would account for about 100.the only downside side was the aching neck.