# Hunting > Game Bird Hunting >  Pukeko and "Sensitive bird caring frustrated gardener" problem.

## LBD

Hi All... I have a problem to solve... that will require something somewhat down the scale from a WSM300.

My wife... an avid gardener and bird lover... sensitive soul she is... is in a catch 22 situation.... Pukekos are digging up the garden but a terminal type solution is ruled out...  

This is a problem for which there is a simple solution ... however that answer is ruled out because...
A) Suburbia and 
B) My good lady likes the birds by the creek and does not want them fatally injured so to plan "B" ...a deterrent.

I am thinking a bb gun or something that will sting or give them more of a fright....and if in time they get used to a mad women brandishing a pistol wearing dressing gown and slippers at 7 am on a frosty morning ... then she may could direct a couple of plastic pellets in their direction...Hopefully in time they will learn where in the garden not to venture.

The question... head or leg shot except... what sort of pellet and FPS will cause a sting without lasting injury to a bird the size of a pukeko or weka?... something with a range of 25m and would cause them to let out a good squawk of surprise...

Looking forward to all the smart replies... hopefully there will be an answer in amongst them.

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## Petros_mk

What you lady doesn't know, it won't hurt her.

Just sayin...

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## SlowElliot

I've heard silver tinsel on a post so it blows in the wind works, but I have my doubts.
Slingshot might be the ticket.
Spring powered airsoft pistol could be a good option.
Trap and realease.
You could kill one and hang it up, or spread it's feathers(and guts) around.


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## stickle7

Same problem here in Nelson, my wife accused me of pulling out her bulbs and nice plants, now would I do that? of course not, the problem PUKEKO in plural. Fruit trees, Veg plants flower plants are fair game to them and to be honest they were here first before the Treaty so may be they have a right. The only way is to eliminate them or as we do, cover the fruit trees and veg garden with nets. The correct answer is the 12gague. K

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## Awaian

(spread guts etc around)
then they'll definitely stay away....

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## LBD

There is that but Pukekos are smart... they seem to wait until I am away at work for a couple of weeks ... so I need to give her something she would be happy to use... 

She would soon wizen up if pukekos kept vanishing in a puff of pink when she pulled the trigger

Will try the tin foil

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## gonetropo

air rifle. 1/2 a cotton bud  but down it. hurts like hell but no penetration

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## bully

I lent a slug pistol to a mate who shot a rooster up the ass it ran off and didn't come back. I reckoned it didn't die. or the 6mm plastic bb will kill a small bird close, but not that size.

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## LBD

> air rifle. 1/2 a cotton bud  but down it. hurts like hell but no penetration


That sounds like it has potential...

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## Biggun708

Cage trap ... Bait with apple... Garden hose for a while on the contents of the trap... Great deterrent... Worked really well on neighborhood cats...

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## Tommy

Spud gun with a rolled up tea towel in it.

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## kukuwai

Get a dead one off the road, hang it in the fence. End of story  :Have A Nice Day:

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## LBD

> Cage trap ... Bait with apple... Garden hose for a while on the contents of the trap... Great deterrent... Worked really well on neighborhood cats...


I like this one.... I wonder if they will learn from it....

I cannot see my wife using a spud gun.

Dead one .... yes well not really an adornment my wife will like in the garden.

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## MassiveAttack

Once you catch it in the cage trap, don't just turn the hose on it.  Prove your dominance over it by unzipping and pissing on it.

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## LBD

> Once you catch it in the cage trap, don't just turn the hose on it.  Prove your dominance over it by unzipping and pissing on it.


Right yes well... if that carry on is what it takes for you to prove your dominance.... (Mental note to self...  turn down any invite to a game food meal at Massive Attacks house)

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## 7mmwsm

Hound the crapp out of them with a dog.

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## Dundee

Legally they are classed as a gamebird so can only be shot on the wing by a licensed gambird hunter.There is know law about running them down in a vehicle but your good lady might go sceptic about wheelies in her garden. :Grin:  The other option is kill the bastards anyhumane way as possible and don't get caught. :Wtfsmilie:  :Wink: And don't publish your sucsess rate :Yuush:

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## JasonW

> air rifle. 1/2 a cotton bud  but down it. hurts like hell but no penetration


But put a wallboard pin in the cotton bud sabot and it will go through 18mm MDF and through a garage door into a car bumper (I was 13). 

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## gonetropo

> But put a wallboard pin in the cotton bud sabot and it will go through 18mm MDF and through a garage door into a car bumper (I was 13). 
> 
> Sent from my GT-I9295 using Tapatalk


at 13 i was gluing rifle primers on the front of 22 cal air pellets. local rats at the forestry dump never stood chance . my god they stunk when exploded !!

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## Gibo

Frozen paintballs, oh sorry its not a stag do

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## MassiveAttack

> Right yes well... if that carry on is what it takes for you to prove your dominance.... (Mental note to self...  turn down any invite to a game food meal at Massive Attacks house)


They generally won't stay still long enough for me to take a crap on them so this seemed easier.

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## P38

Try putting up warning notices around the boundary of your Garden.

I.E.
"No Pukekos Past This Point".

If that doesn't work then maybe you could request a family group conference and politely ask them to stay off the garden.

If by a remote chance that doesn't work , and I can't see any reason why it wouldn't work, then I'd blast them with a 12ga and make sure you have open chokes fitted if your only shooting 25m.

Cheers
Pete

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## FatLabrador

Use a full choke

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## kotuku

> Once you catch it in the cage trap, don't just turn the hose on it.  Prove your dominance over it by unzipping and pissing on it.


ah so now we know the true meaning of the moniker "massive attack", urea with ya pukeko anyone???

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## LBD

Trying the foil option now... if no change in a week it is a BB gun....

One future morning in Murch.....

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## SlowElliot

> Trying the foil option now... if no change in a week it is a BB gun....
> 
> One future morning in Murch.....


Cool, keep us posted.
I'm interested to hear if the foil works.

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## MassiveAttack

All jokes about taking a crap on a pook's head aside I think you are doomed to fail.  Wild animals are driven to survive and obtain food.  If your garden has food then all harassing them will do is make them wait until you are not looking before they come in and start destroying things.  Ultimately you need to either kill them or keep them out with physical barriers like chicken netting cages over your veg plants.

However a bit of backyard target practice is always fun so try all the suggestions first.

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## gsp follower

> All jokes about taking a crap on a pook's head aside I think you are doomed to fail.  Wild animals are driven to survive and obtain food.  If your garden has food then all harassing them will do is make them wait until you are not looking before they come in and start destroying things.  Ultimately you need to either kill them or keep them out with physical barriers like chicken netting cages over your veg plants.
> 
> However a bit of backyard target practice is always fun so try all the suggestions first.


massive is  totaly correct but try this 
dig a *massive* hole conseal yourself in said hole.
wait for prey.
 grab said pook by legs literally scareing the shit out of him/her.
step 2 
after wiping pook shit from face and general area repeat until pooks desist or you run out of hidey holes :Yuush: 
it goes without saying amount of pook excreta will vary with size of  pook so dress accordingly and grip the smaller ones more gently.

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## Awaian

> Trying the foil option now... if no change in a week it is a BB gun....
> 
> One future morning in Murch.....


If thats the wife, where's the problem??

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## LBD

> If thats the wife, where's the problem??


That is portraying the wife's mood... there will be a problem if the birds do not depart from the garden.

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## FatLabrador

If all you have is a WSM300 go buy yourself a 12 gauge or get a cage trap bait it with maze and give them a swimming lessons. But if you do get rid of a few more new pooks will keep coming cus there overpopulated. So go hard out on the duckling eating beggers this game bird season.

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## Tombi

If all else fails you'll just have to convince the wife that a couple need to be shot to keep the rest away, and will need to be repeated occasionally. 
You could run with the classic "you need to brake a few eggs to make an omelette" argument   :Thumbsup:

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## stug

Electric fence?

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## MassiveAttack

> massive is  totaly correct but try this 
> dig a *massive* hole conseal yourself in said hole.
> wait for prey.
>  grab said pook by legs literally scareing the shit out of him/her.
> step 2 
> after wiping pook shit from face and general area repeat until pooks desist or you run out of hidey holes
> it goes without saying amount of pook excreta will vary with size of  pook so dress accordingly and grip the smaller ones more gently.


Noooo you're doing it wrong.  If the pook takes a crap on your face it's going to think it's dominant over you.  You need to hold the pook still and take a crap on it so it knows who's boss.

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## LBD

> Electric fence?


Too many friends with pacemakers or heart problems... or just plain scared of erictrickery... it did cross my mind...

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## gsp follower

> Noooo you're doing it wrong.  If the pook takes a crap on your face it's going to think it's dominant over you.  You need to hold the pook still and take a crap on it so it knows who's boss.


what while the rest of his pook family watches???
i bow to your superior knowledge of pook crap and species hierachy  :Psmiley:  :Yaeh Am Not Durnk:

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## stug

Stuffed cat in the garden? Get a jack Russell and let it loose. I'd lend you my wirehair, he cleaned up all our chickens one afternoon. He was pretty proud of himself.

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## gsp follower

> Stuffed cat in the garden? Get a jack Russell and let it loose. I'd lend you my wirehair, he cleaned up all our chickens one afternoon.* He was pretty proud of himself*.


i trust that emotion didnt last to long stug :Grin: 
were the chooks the misses??

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## stug

Yep, he had got the lot and arranged them in his kennel run area. Wife was pretty understanding, he was used for game bird hunting and is her dog.

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## 7mmwsm

> Stuffed cat in the garden? Get a jack Russell and let it loose. I'd lend you my wirehair, he cleaned up all our chickens one afternoon. He was pretty proud of himself.


Shit that's a great idea. Get a dog and chase the pukes. I think someone mentioned that about three pages ago.
Or a new wife that doesn't complain about shooting pukes could solve the problem.

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## gsp follower

> Yep, he had got the lot and arranged them in his kennel run area. Wife was pretty understanding, he was used for game bird hunting and is her dog.


if it had been you dog stug would she have been so cool about it :Grin: 
did you rearrange his backside with a dead chook?
you could have tried the old wives tales of tieing round his neck till it rotted. :Yaeh Am Not Durnk: 
 but most  aggravating smartarse dogs ive known would have just ripped it off and eaten it anyway :Grin: 



> Too many friends with pacemakers or heart problems... or just plain scared of erictrickery... it did cross my mind...



T.A.S.E.R.

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## 7mmwsm

> if it had been you dog stug would she have been so cool about it
> did you rearrange his backside with a dead chook?
> you could have tried the old wives tales of tieing round his neck till it rotted.
>  but most  aggravating smartarse dogs ive known would have just ripped it off and eaten it anyway
> 
> 
> 
> T.A.S.E.R.


My huntaway pup (14 months) did that on friday. It caught a peacock and was having a good old feed when I got there. Gave it a "stern talking to" and then tied what was left of the peacock through her collar and tied her up. Came back half an hour later to find she had eaten the rest of it.

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## gonetropo

if closer i would lend you my dog (bull terrier cross dogo argentina). given a bit of training he would sort them out as he is amazing on rabbits. absolutely shreds them.
then again he also shredded my mountain bike, tyres off the rims, even managed to chew into an alloy frame !

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## kotuku

> if closer i would lend you my dog (bull terrier cross dogo argentina). given a bit of training he would sort them out as he is amazing on rabbits. absolutely shreds them.
> then again he also shredded my mountain bike, tyres off the rims, even managed to chew into an alloy frame !


 :Psmiley:  :Zomg: get many burglars at your place "come enjoy our new batch of burgloburgers from our hot doggy supplier -freshly chewed human from between his buns!! :Thumbsup: 
 come and get em!!

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## Sideshow

Don't laugh too hard at that kotuku had an old mate in Joburg that was sick of getting burgled.
So got him selve two rottys. Got them trained up by the attack dog training centre that they have there.
Went away on holiday, cut a small hole in the neighbouring fence so that his good neighbors could feed them through this so that they did not have to enter the property. All good for the first few days......then the dogs would not eat :Wtfsmilie: 
So neighbour calls the training centre (mate was out of cell phone coverage in Mozambique and had left instructions to not enter the property if there was a problem but call TC).
Guy from the centre comes around, enters through side gate. Dogs bound up and meet him. He told the owner latter that they looked very healthy and could not see why they had not eaten?
Goes round the back of house and finds the back door open. Looks into the kitchen see one very scared looking dude sitting up on top of the fridge :Zomg:  second dude was under the table.....only half of him was left :Sick:  :O O: oh so that's why dogs where not hungry  :XD: 
Had very glossy coats though.
Yarns said it made picking up there poo very interesting  :Wink:

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## Sideshow

Still dose not solve this problem though, don't think and electric fence would work sorry. We have one around our phesant pen to keep the foxes out and the birds don't get shocked.
What about a sprinkler hooked up to a motion sensor!

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## 7mmwsm

> Don't laugh too hard at that kotuku had an old mate in Joburg that was sick of getting burgled.
> So got him selve two rottys. Got them trained up by the attack dog training centre that they have there.
> Went away on holiday, cut a small hole in the neighbouring fence so that his good neighbors could feed them through this so that they did not have to enter the property. All good for the first few days......then the dogs would not eat
> So neighbour calls the training centre (mate was out of cell phone coverage in Mozambique and had left instructions to not enter the property if there was a problem but call TC).
> Guy from the centre comes around, enters through side gate. Dogs bound up and meet him. He told the owner latter that they looked very healthy and could not see why they had not eaten?
> Goes round the back of house and finds the back door open. Looks into the kitchen see one very scared looking dude sitting up on top of the fridge second dude was under the table.....only half of him was leftoh so that's why dogs where not hungry 
> Had very glossy coats though.
> Yarns said it made picking up there poo very interesting


I might be a sick bastard, but I enjoy stories like that. 
Bet the dude on the fridge has a career change after that.

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## tiroatedson

> Don't laugh too hard at that kotuku had an old mate in Joburg that was sick of getting burgled.
> So got him selve two rottys. Got them trained up by the attack dog training centre that they have there.
> Went away on holiday, cut a small hole in the neighbouring fence so that his good neighbors could feed them through this so that they did not have to enter the property. All good for the first few days......then the dogs would not eat
> So neighbour calls the training centre (mate was out of cell phone coverage in Mozambique and had left instructions to not enter the property if there was a problem but call TC).
> Guy from the centre comes around, enters through side gate. Dogs bound up and meet him. He told the owner latter that they looked very healthy and could not see why they had not eaten?
> Goes round the back of house and finds the back door open. Looks into the kitchen see one very scared looking dude sitting up on top of the fridge second dude was under the table.....only half of him was leftoh so that's why dogs where not hungry 
> Had very glossy coats though.
> Yarns said it made picking up there poo very interesting


....sooo the dogs had had a gutsfull of the dudes on the tables mate by then .....


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## Sideshow

Nar he was for latter Ron :Thumbsup:

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