I need to learn how to trap starlings

[mostinterestingmanintheworld]

Anybody point me in the right direction for a good starling trap?

Joel

[castiron]

Victor rat trap with a couple grains of corn glued to trigger. Scatter a few grains of loose corn around. I don't have any idea if this will work but it sounds good. Sorry wish I could help.

[Bob Jameson]

how big is your problem as that will determine the type and size of trap needed to hold x number of birds.

[mostinterestingmanintheworld]

I have 50 or so that are getting in the wife's grain and shitting all over everything.

Joel

[FWS]

CZ 452 in .17 HMR with a 3-9 Leupold on it.

And an 870 Rem. in .410 with 1/2oz. of #9's.

[Stanley]

fws said:

CZ 452 in .17 HMR with a 3-9 Leupold on it.

And an 870 Rem. in .410 with 1/2oz. of #9's.

Or, 870 in 20 -12 ga. with a dove load. 7 shot. And have several friends come over with there guns also.

Come spring, we just stop feeding the birds, they go away. Wasn't there a politcail thread about a ,'birdfeeder"

[Bob Jameson]

For the cost of a trap I would suggest shooting also with that many if that is an option. Harrassment is a good tool if you are able to discharge a firearm where you live and you have the time to do the deed.A good air rifle will give a fella some good entertainment or you can assign the job to your grandson and buy him a new rifle with a good scope.That have those new Viper Gamo shot shell rifles that are deadly at 30-35' and lots of fun to use it.

[trappnman]

Rochester once had zillions of starlings - and they tried the big booms around the night- it did disperse them, but where did they go?

[mostinterestingmanintheworld]

I took my air rifle out there yesterday but my wifes GD dogs heard me open the door and scared them all off.

Some people have hunting dogs, she has anti-hunting dogs.

Joel

[lynxcat]

[kevinupp]

Put a feeder out and shoot with extreme prejudice.


Had a Coopers hawk that just loved when I went on a starling "hunt".

It would sit up in a tree and wait for the air rifle to crack. Sometimes it would take one that was flying away. A lot of times it would take the one on the ground that I just shot.

[gcs]

Shooting them over feed will work over time, more fun too.
A couple of hints;

Birds have a very good capacity to learn, they'll figure out what your doing pretty quick, then it's like trying to lure a cagey Black Duck into the spread,lol

Shoot singles, not when there's a bunch around.
Give them a day or two rest before another shooting session
Keep feeding them.

You all may think I'm nuts, but after a day of thinning E.Sparrows, those things grow a PhD education.

For mass slaughter, you can try vodka soaked grain.

[mostinterestingmanintheworld]

Vodka soaked grain? Really? I might do that if it works.

Joel

[FWS]

Vodka soaked grain?

Problem is that it's non selective.

Better to be a sniper.

[mostinterestingmanintheworld]

Gotta shoot the dogs first if I'm going to snipe. Let's see Dogs,Starlings, Starlings, Dogs, hmmm.....

Joel

[FWS]

You've just got the wrong dogs Joel.

Mine would be willing accomplices, the old one would probably sit looking out the window watching for starlings and alert me when he thought a good shot presented itself.

The younger one sitting by the rifle so he wouldn't miss anything.

[orcatdog]

Joel,
I made a wire box, kinda like a quail or sparrow trap. On one side I cut a small hole and then use screen to make a "funnel" tapering down to a pretty small hole (maybe 2 1/2 to 3 inches)going into the trap. Those damn starlings can squeeze through a two inch whole I swear.
Anyway, I put in bird feed or corn in the middle. They squeeze through the whole to get to the feed. Then I run out there with an old sock or newspaper and plug the whole. Some may get out, but most get all confused and have a hard time squeezing back into the funnel screen.
My dad even tried one, same design, but put a flap door like a muskrat coloney trap. They push through and the door flops behind them. It worked as well.
You know what I mean, I'm sure. Just a thought.

[sliprig]

Joel, check this out. Very interesting site. tons of info, including starling trapping.

www.americanartifacts.com/smma/per/tip.htm

[mostinterestingmanintheworld]

Thanks you guys I have some good ideas to work on. I'm a better trapper than a hunter so the traps intrigue me. Have to admit the vodka soaked grain does to.

Joel

[wmeyer]

Joel check this site out, the starling trap in the pdf is what Del
Kramer used while working for APHIS
icwdm.org/handbook/index.asp#bird

Wayne