Magpie decoy and air rifle wanted to borrow

Hey team,
If not appropriate let me know and I'll post in the buy sell section.
My parents have an aggressive magpie problem.
They do live on a 5 acre block but due to being in a somewhat residential area the neighbours have asked that we use an air rifle instead of my go to rimfire 22 or 17hmr.
I have no use for an air rifle but was wondering if anyone North Canterbury or Christchurch based had one I could borrow for a few weeks ?
Also I think a magpie decoy wouldn't hurt if anyone has one laying around.
Thanks in advance
Dannyb

no decoy but have a ruger airhawk 177 you can borrow

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Originally Posted by gonetropo

no decoy but have a ruger airhawk 177 you can borrow

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Thanks I'll be in touch

@dannyb i will try to see if i have any pellets

nope. no pellets to be found sorry.
airgun is ok for birds and is scoped

Another gun you need to get have a play with a pcp i think you'll be impressed

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Originally Posted by northdude

Another gun you need to get have a play with a pcp i think you'll be impressed

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not within the current constraints due to orders by the minister for war and finance (aka: her who must be obeyed)
otherwise a forced buy back may be on the cards :oh noes:

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Originally Posted by berg243

download a magpie distress call and put a speaker or player by the decoy and even better see if you can borrow a hawk decoy as well.

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do this already when shooting them on farms, just don't have a decoy, if it comes to it I'll shoot one and set it up on a bit of fencing wire as a decoy.
will post pics of success....or failure when I get into them

Picked up a PCP last weekend. Best thing I ever bought. Only had a chance to use it around home at the moment, but fuck me, those mynahs are dropping like flies. they thought they were safe at 50mtrs(can't wait to try at longer ranges, guy I got it off shot rabbits at 60-70mtrs) Chooks are delighted. Can't recommend them enough, great for keeping skills tuned.

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Originally Posted by Daithi

Picked up a PCP last weekend. Best thing I ever bought. Only had a chance to use it around home at the moment, but fuck me, those mynahs are dropping like flies. they thought they were safe at 50mtrs(can't wait to try at longer ranges, guy I got it off shot rabbits at 60-70mtrs) Chooks are delighted. Can't recommend them enough, great for keeping skills tuned.

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no doubt, this is a job I would normally assign to my newly acquired 17hmr or my silenced .22 however not possible due to location unfortunately.
I don't shoot in built up/confined areas often enough to justify a PCP as 99.8% of my shooting is on open farmland

I think I have a decoy, I use to have one. Will have to have a look in the shed.

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Originally Posted by stug

I think I have a decoy, I use to have one. Will have to have a look in the shed.

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thanks Stu that'd be great :thumbsup:

Sorry, couldn't see it. Must have chucked it at some point.

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Originally Posted by stug

Sorry, couldn't see it. Must have chucked it at some point.

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no worries mate I'll just shoot one and set it up as a decoy if one doesn't turn up, but thanks for the offer

The decoys are pretty cheap and h&f. I have one but am not even on the same island. I understand if you don't want to shop there.

find the nest....mark its location...ring neighbours...go out at night and put single round of .12ga preferably something like a magnum#2 through bottom of nest...you will get Mum Dad and the eggs in one go....saves a lot of mucking around and a single shot at night when its expected isnt a big deal.

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Originally Posted by Micky Duck

find the nest....mark its location...ring neighbours...go out at night and put single round of .12ga preferably something like a magnum#2 through bottom of nest...you will get Mum Dad and the eggs in one go....saves a lot of mucking around and a single shot at night when its expected isnt a big deal.

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already spoke to neigbours they are not happy with the use of firearms and as it is a residential area I kinda have to respect that, but have conceded to the use of an air rifle, yup totally agree 12g through the nest would be much easier.

Get an old black sock and shape and paint it.

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Originally Posted by Gapped axe

Get an old black sock and shape and paint it.

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not a half bad Idea I have heaps of these and very large feet....ideal :D

The dead Maggie with a wire down its gob and out the bum works well. Maggies are all slightly different in their markings so a Maggie or better two brought in from a different Maggie territory drives them mad. I keep them in the freezer till needed. Stake them on the lawn in a position where you can shoot from an upstairs window or open door - sit well back from the door. Shot five at one sitting just down the road from you this way for a friend at Bennets corner.

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Originally Posted by Moa Hunter

The dead Maggie with a wire down its gob and out the bum works well. Maggies are all slightly different in their markings so a Maggie or better two brought in from a different Maggie territory drives them mad. I keep them in the freezer till needed. Stake them on the lawn in a position where you can shoot from an upstairs window or open door - sit well back from the door. Shot five at one sitting just down the road from you this way for a friend at Bennets corner.

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I'm gonna have to set up some kind of hide/blind, shooting them with an air rifle range aint gonna be on my side, they're fairly aggressive so hopefully with a decoy or 2 out that should get em going, there's bloody heaps around at the moment, counted 10 on a paddock on depot rd this morning on way to work

Put your decoy out, but don't shoot the first one, that's the scout, let him investigate and leave, others will come in when they think is safe. Get a game caller with remote, then all hell lets loose. You need a decoy, or magpie from diff territory, one the don't know

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Originally Posted by Maca49

Put your decoy out, but don't shoot the first one, that's the scout, let him investigate and leave, others will come in when they think is safe. Get a game caller with remote, then all hell lets loose. You need a decoy, or magpie from diff territory, one the don't know

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With a break barrel air rife, it's gonna be slow going and may take a couple weeks. As I understand if you shoot and wound one so it carries on a bit thst sends the others into a bit of a frenzy, I have experienced this when shooting them with the rimfire.

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Originally Posted by dannyb

I'm gonna have to set up some kind of hide/blind, shooting them with an air rifle range aint gonna be on my side, they're fairly aggressive so hopefully with a decoy or 2 out that should get em going, there's bloody heaps around at the moment, counted 10 on a paddock on depot rd this morning on way to work

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No that's not the right approach, they will spot the hide. Tell the home owner that you have it on good authority that the shooter should be in the house in a natural repose. The best way to look non-threatening is for the shooter to be provided with a plate of Pikelets, bowl of whipped cream, a dish of jam and a pot of tea. As magpies are attracted to shiny things a good quality bone china cup and tea pot such as Royal Albert is preferable and improves success.

I have these I never used them so know comment. 223 and shotgun sorted the ones I came in contact with.
KH

nice, I need to get busy, picked up an air rifle today from @gonetropo I'm at the range tomorrow doing a bot of load development then hopefully smashing magpies later in the day

Hey @dannyb check out some of the earlier posts in the pest thread. If you have access to a cage possom trap bait it with a bit of mutton fat once you get one you will get heaps.

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Originally Posted by Daithi

Picked up a PCP last weekend. Best thing I ever bought. Only had a chance to use it around home at the moment, but fuck me, those mynahs are dropping like flies. they thought they were safe at 50mtrs(can't wait to try at longer ranges, guy I got it off shot rabbits at 60-70mtrs) Chooks are delighted. Can't recommend them enough, great for keeping skills tuned.

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Which PCP did you get @Daithi ?

@Mintie the Air Arms S410

If you can get the distress tape it is well worth it, you won't know which one to shoot first. They to get weary quick especially when using a shottie.

I have the distress call, just waiting for a warm day when I can take best advantage of it.

personally Id just use my sub 22 and nod when the neighbours tell me I should use a slug gun.

if you can get them to to feed on the treated grain alphaclorilose from your local Reagional council that or the alpaclorilose paste you spread on bread and feed it to them. that will do the trick just make sure its the magpies eating it, I use it on the sparrows that nest in my shed. no poison licence required

a carefully aimed shot with a good back drop out of your subsonic 22 is hard to beat, basically any air rifle that is suited for knocking them down because it takes quite a bit will be loud as heck to get the energy to do the business

years back, i had a bsa meteor 22 slug gun. figured out that a mall rifle primer was the same caliber and used to glue them to the tips of the slugs.
effects amazing at low ranges
p.s rats stink when exploded !

I used to leave them alone to chase the hawks away from the Pheasants on a 30 acre rural block - but eventually I realised they were also chasing the Kereru - so I geared up to kill them - Dundee’s custom magpie trap, the .22, a new magpie trap with mirrors, magpie decoy and a new .17 - they soon realised I was after them and flew in all directions when we turned up at the front gate - I never got any in the magpie traps but I shot a few - don’t underestimate their cunning! Good luck