# Hunting > Varminting and Small Game Hunting >  How to Get a Magpie.....HELP!

## 7mmTom

Hey Guys
I am using an air rifle (Life Style block) but I can't seem to shoot a magpie, I have got a decoy etc but not a dead magpie...... Plz help!

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## veitnamcam

@Dundee the magpie whisperer.

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## longrange308

Use that new rem mag

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## chindit

Good luck with that, magpie are smarter than the average bird. Go for a walk unarmed and they will be a few meters away, take a gun and the shits are nowhere to be seen.

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## Mooseman

Buy a Magpie distress tape and play that. Set up close  or under some trees as once the tape starts the birds will come in quick, be ready to shoot. You may get a  couple of shots if  you are lucky but the magpies wise up pretty quick  those tapes do work, you may still be able to get them through the Regional Councils.

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## MB

Bait? Dead possum or rabbit with guts hanging out.

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## Nibblet

> Buy a Magpie distress tape and play that. Set up close  or under some trees as once the tape starts the birds will come in quick, be ready to shoot. You may get a  couple of shots if  you are lucky but the magpies wise up pretty quick  those tapes do work, you may still be able to get them through the Regional Councils.


Or Google it and download and use your phone to play it.

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## Carpe Diem

@30calterry AKA the magpie dis-mantler.... any tips...

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## 6x47

Get a serious air rifle so you can nail them past 50m.  Wont be cheap though.

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## bully

enjoy the hunt, once he's dead no more fun.

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## Micky Duck

find where they nesting/roosting and take them out at night in nest/roost

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## Happy

.17 hornet Smoke them from bit further out.  AKA just shoot it

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## Friwi

I just got a Juvenile this evening with the 204. Not much left of it...:-)

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## northdude

22hornet

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## GWH

> Or Google it and download and use your phone to play it.


I have the mp3 file saved to my pc, i can send you the file and you can load it onto phone and play thru a bluetooth speaker etc.

Do you have a 22?  I live in town and back onto a reserve with a creek with a sheep paddock behind that,  and I smoke the odd pest bird, water rat etc late at night when no one is around.  Suppressor and subs, and its no louded than your air rifle ;-)

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## Steve123

Get a 223. :Thumbsup:

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## 7mmTom

> Use that new rem mag


Hard bro, when i get smash em..... :XD:

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## 7mmTom

> I have the mp3 file saved to my pc, i can send you the file and you can load it onto phone and play thru a bluetooth speaker etc.
> 
> Do you have a 22?  I live in town and back onto a reserve with a creek with a sheep paddock behind that,  and I smoke the odd pest bird, water rat etc late at night when no one is around.  Suppressor and subs, and its no louded than your air rifle ;-)


Yeah, We also have an HMR but the problem is its still in town and probably not big enought to shoot a .22 or .17HMR...... But yeah, those noises would be good thanks, pm me and I'll give you my email..

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## kidmac42

I remember, one of the fellas here was using traps to get madgepies. That might work for you easier as lead in the air could get dodgy for the neighbors etc

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## time out

They are clever birds with amazing eyesight - once they know you are after them it is hard to get near them 
I know farmers round the Park here that use a magpie cage with mirrors - they get big numbers - 50 to 100 a year 
I bought a magpie cage and a magpie decoy - used it for weeks and never got one - I have been told they are attracted to fat or lard by the cage - didnt work for me 
I bought an hmr and got a few - but never got on top of them 
Bastard birds that chase any other bird that flies - Kereru and Tui are at risk - hawks just move on and then come back

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## SiB

We appreciate them on the orchard. Their territorial nature helped keep the fruit eating birds off our orchard

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## Dundee

Get a possom cage trap and bait it with mutton fat,that way the bait won't get fly blown. Won't be long and you'll have a magpie grave.

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## muzza

22 with suppressor , shooting standard velocity ammo works well and is silent

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## rigga

Geez Dundee that amount of dead magpies would get you locked up over here cause they are protected here 
but just as big  a pest here as over there 
When they are nesting they attack the kids in the school grounds and the grounds have to be closed off
If it was me I would be moving the magpies ''Permanently''
Over here they pretty much eat the same as the crows bugs, meat, grasshoppers, we catch a lot of crows with mince meat
in a trap or in a chook pen with a spring loaded door with a trip stick and a string way back at the house feed them for a couple
 of days then trip the door whilst they are in there

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## 6x47

> .. if you .. don't kill the first one with the first shot leave it and shoot the others, best I got was six like that ..


That is very true. If you get a wounded squawker, it attracts others and they attack it. Like you, have had 4-5 on many occasions like this

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## Bill999

if its close to your house open the nearest window and close the curtains for that window

put your rifle there and have a comfy chair
sit down with a book and wait for him to land where it suits you 

leave that windows curtains closed permanently and when you see him poke the barrel out and end him

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## gonetropo

as bait: sardines but the ones in oil or water not chili flavor !

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## timattalon

> ]Geez Dundee that amount of dead magpies would get you locked up over here cause they are protected here [/U]
> but just as big  a pest here as over there 
> When they are nesting they attack the kids in the school grounds and the grounds have to be closed off
> If it was me I would be moving the magpies ''Permanently''
> Over here they pretty much eat the same as the crows bugs, meat, grasshoppers, we catch a lot of crows with mince meat
> in a trap or in a chook pen with a spring loaded door with a trip stick and a string way back at the house feed them for a couple
>  of days then trip the door whilst they are in there


Wait until you see what we do to Possums.......Do you get green rain?

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## dannyb

> if its close to your house open the nearest window and close the curtains for that window
> 
> put your rifle there and have a comfy chair
> sit down with a book and wait for him to land where it suits you 
> 
> leave that windows curtains closed permanently and when you see him poke the barrel out and end him


I have had to resort to this for starlings at our place, they are also very clever and after wasting 18 of the little bastards in a week I am now having to shoot them from windows and doors guerilla tactics as every time I step outside now they squak there distress call and take off.
Recording of calls works well in low light on dusk or dawn if I can stay well hidden.
No starling decoys but I bet with the recording that would work mint.

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## Bill999

> I have had to resort to this for starlings at our place, they are also very clever and after wasting 18 of the little bastards in a week I am now having to shoot them from windows and doors guerilla tactics as every time I step outside now they squak there distress call and take off.
> Recording of calls works well in low light on dusk or dawn if I can stay well hidden.
> No starling decoys but I bet with the recording that would work mint.


sparrows in my shed are my current target, breeding season is here and the little shits come inside my shed and scream

the other option for bird control is alpha chloralose 
pre feed them with something then spread the paste on it
you will still have to finish them off but they will be drunk and slow

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## dannyb

> sparrows in my shed are my current target, breeding season is here and the little shits come inside my shed and scream
> 
> the other option for bird control is alpha chloralose 
> pre feed them with something then spread the paste on it
> you will still have to finish them off but they will be drunk and slow


We have plenty of native birds I don't want to kill and I have noticed since removing starlings the natives are coming to our trees more so win/win no starlings in roof and more natives in the trees, have been nailing the occasional sparrow too.

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## northdude

Get rid of the mynas as well

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## McNotty

Just use a cage trap, not so smart when it comes to traps. Really easy to catch, bit of fatty mutton and he'll be in like Flynn

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## PillowDribbler

This.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSzjerjpJns

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