Thread: Magpie's

Hey All

The olds have a bit of a issue with Magpies and to a lesser extent cats. Mum rears Muscovy Ducks and chooks on a 5 acre block. Cats loove ducklings and the maggies bomb the sht out of the chooks. They dont seem to bother the ducks.
I have the cats under control but the magpies i am struggling with.
Doesn't seem to matter how sneaky I am cant get within 100-150m of them.

If it wasnt for the 5 houses in near proximity and a busy highway i would deal to them with the 6.5 or 7mm.

Suggestions

Magpie trap


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Hide your rifle when your looking for them, sharp eyed little buggers

Use a magpie call to attract them. Use something sparkling to attract them. Although this will sound cruel, deliberately wound one and the others will stay to attack it making them easier targets. Oh and as 223nut says, hide your rifle. They are smart little fucks and learn well. A silenced .22 should be all you need and if you kill enough of them they won't come back to the place for years.

You can buy a magpie decoy from h&f and I have tried them in conjunction with an egg on the ground given that they attack nests. The biggest thing is to realise that they are territorial so once you have worked out where their spot in the paddock is just push them off and hide nearby. They will be back shortly.

If the are sitting in a paddock then a drive by shooting with one bloke out the passenger window while the other one drives can work. They normally don't fly until the vehicle stops so get the driver to come to a slow stop and shoot it just before the vehicle stops.

The distress call has been hit and miss for me but when used in conjunction with decoys and the right spot they do come in.

Calling bird or decoy can be good as is the distress tape used along with a decoy or dead one. I believe they can count, ie 2 people go out, one hides in a blind the other goes back they dont come in, do the same with 3 and they will. I found a shotgun best, a full semi might get 3 or 4 if you were lucky then they would be wary for a week or so. With a silenced 22 one was generally all as the falling out of the tree or thrashing around on the ground set them off, mind you they did come back quickly.

all you need to do is to clip one on the wing or body so it flaps around on the ground and all the other magpies in the area will come down to look and probably attack it. then just pop them off one at a time. Works for me every time. tho you need to act fast because they become gun shy very quick so you will only get one crak at them.

Trap them and when you catch one put that in a cage as a live decoy next to the trap,A possum cage trap works.

Originally Posted by Nunga

all you need to do is to clip one on the wing or body so it flaps around on the ground and all the other magpies in the area will come down to look and probably attack it. then just pop them off one at a time. Works for me every time. tho you need to act fast because they become gun shy very quick so you will only get one crak at them.

I was going to suggest that but I didn't think the SPCA would approve (because it's not a cat doing the killing) so Dundee's method is probably best...

Dundee posted a yearly tally a while back I believe, good number if I recall but they just keep coming!

I'm curious as to why he magpies attack an injured one? Is it the same as cows bullying a sick cow or stomping a downed one to death?

those trip traps work well. you don't need a pie in one side just bait it with dog roll. I found that removing the birds away from the trap before killing seemed to keep the birds less scared of the trap. Great job for the kids if you have any.

Originally Posted by Dundee

Trap them and when you catch one put that in a cage as a live decoy next to the trap,A possum cage trap works.
Attachment 52774

Wouldn't want to catch the same one over and over...

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go back to the spa bomber

I shot one with my benelli at my in laws- 78 paces with 3" 36grm falcon 2's(I'm 6foot). 2 shots and a metre or so of leed ! Lol couldn't believe my flipping eyes!.

They do learn bloody quickly though!