Magpies at this time of the year

[PeskyWabbits 464]

Today's dilemma

I have caught a magpie in my Larsen Trap.

Should I deal with it as intended, eg use it to catch more then properly deal with them.

Or... they nest in January. Should I just let it go for now and then deal with more magpies when everything is nesting.

I grow my own meat and magpies are a big threat to this operation. As well as noshing the food for hens and ducks, they also munch eggs and later in the year, ducklings.

But I also have a conscience and a great empathy for nature, especially during the Winter months.

 

[big napper 3,591]

6 minutes ago, PeskyWabbits said:

 

 

Use it to catch as many as poss then shoot the lot mate

[si brown 8,486]

sounds tight pesky but they cause you a fair bit of trouble... monopolise the moment and get rid of a few

no one likes shooting breeding rabbits but we have to do it to keep the perms!

atb si 

[Jonjon79 13,358]

Yep, take the opportunity PW

[john t 9]

help nature out, by killing as many as you can! one of the biggest takers of song birds there is..

[mattwhite 1,993]

Second to cats, magpies are at the top of predators for songbirds in the uk so i would capitalise on having one in your grasp as he wont let you get near him again pal and may educate his young to steer clear of you as well?

[Rez 4,961]

Second to cats...  I wouldnt of thought that... Suppose it makes sense around suburban areas like. Bet squizzers take there far share, though I have never actually seen a tree rat attack any thing other than a bag of nuts.

[mattwhite 1,993]

2 minutes ago, Rez said:

Second to cats...  I wouldnt of thought that... Suppose it makes sense around suburban areas like. Bet squizzers take there far share, though I have never actually seen a tree rat attack any thing other than a bag of nuts.

Yes sorry pal. Not may cats out in the woods etc but in gardens?

[ftm 3,357]

agree with matt on this one  but reckon cats are the leaders in the amount they kill  -my take on this would be to use it to catch as many as you can and kill every one of them  -Rez I saw a squirrel dragging a woodpigeon along a country lane but don't know if it had killed it or it was a road kill  so I shot the squirrel for good measure  

[j j m 6,539]

id use it to take as many as you can

[PLEDGEY 496]

4 hours ago, Rez said:

Second to cats...  I wouldnt of thought that... Suppose it makes sense around suburban areas like. Bet squizzers take there far share, though I have never actually seen a tree rat attack any thing other than a bag of nuts.

Seen a squirrel eating a small bird in the field next to the house and the Mrs came out to see 2 Magpies that had killed a Blackbird and were eating it. Scroll down and you can see squirrels eating birds--->https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=squirrel+eat+bird

[PLEDGEY 496]

 

EDIT....FAILED :-(

EDIT...TRY AGAIN    .Think we have a winner :-). Stop at 00.25 and see if you can guess what's gonna' happen.

 

[PeskyWabbits 464]

Caught two so far.

It is incredible that such a wylie bird that is so hard to stalk or ambush can pretty easily be caught in these traps.

Greed is in their nature.

The bait is a dead squirrel (from last weekend and the .22 TX200) and some bread.

I have a bowl of water and some bread in both sides.