larsen trap bait.

[biglongdarren]

gonna set a larsen trap up for the first time,but havent a call bird,whats the best bait to entice them in with?
Darren

 

[madasafish]

Peanuts and raisins.

 

[theeggman]

We use either bread or a cracked egg. Seems to work for us.

 

[For want of a better word]

http://www.gwct.org.uk/documents/larsen_use_guidelines_2008lr.pdf

egg shells alone seemed to bring them in!

Used these when I lived on Surrey / Sussex border to catch magpies.. supposedly killing pheasant

I would take them to the Ashdown forrest and release them !

Horrifies me that nearly all the pheasants reared for the simple pleasure of man to murder are reared on grain containing growth hormone, and are not fit for human consumption... sorry for rant ​

 

[biglongdarren]

i have it set up with three hen eggs sitting in some straw shaped like a nest and one of the eggs is broke and emptied out just showing the lovely white of the shell inside,hopefully that will catch there eye.
Darren

 

[thurrock bees]

I would take them to the Ashdown f...Ratcatcher will know more tho. i maybe wrong

 

[For want of a better word]

I believe as they are classed as a pest, you cannot release them. Ratcatcher will know more tho. i maybe wrong

I believe the law may have been changed, but catch and release was a common practise in the 70s... as much as it is with some beekeeperers now ( to quote Mr Finnman!)​

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I believe as they are classed as a pest, you cannot release them. Ratcatcher will know more tho. i maybe wrong

it's illegal to release them after capture - you have to kill them - also, if you have more than one bird in the trap (call bird or whatever) you cannot kill one in front of the others - you must take the condemned bird out of sight of the resr in case you upset them

 

[theeggman]

You could try suet from your butcher.

If you're going to release them WHY catch them?
They take eggs from songbirds nests, so when we catch them and end of story.
We used to keep 10,000 free range laying hens (commercially) and had to fight against corvids and raptors.
The worst were buzzards, they would 'hunt' in a pack and drive a chicken against a fence and then pitch in and leave us with the bones."PROTECTED"??
Down here in Devon we are awash with buzzards, we get 5-8 flying over the valley daily.
Sorry for the rant BUT!!!

Tim

 

[For want of a better word]

Magpie..... Buzzardpie,,, recipes welcome!

... just do not eat pheasants!

 

[PBee]

Game and Wildlife Trust guidelines on using Larsen traps below. If it's the songbird/small mammal population you are interested in protecting then feral cats are worth attention. Rabbit cage traps are effective.

 

[poshpikey]

Any local gamekeeper should be able to help out?

 

[biglongdarren]

still waiting on a magpie to go in,i have a few contacts made so should have a call bird shortly.
Thanks Darren.

 

[biglongdarren]

went up this morning to find i had caught my first magpie after 3 weeks of nothing,
the cursed thing was only just dead though!!!
at least it works,
Darren

 

[dn170221]

Darren,
What was your plan when you caught one?
Dave

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Darren,
What was your plan when you caught one?
Dave

The usual form is to keep the first one caught - put it in the other side of the trap and use it as a call bird for others - some would say it's better to have a bird caught in a different area as your call bird - as the birds local to your trap will then try to chase it away as it's a stranger (thus getting caught in the trap). Some people have kept the same call bird for years, becoming almost a 'pet'

 

[biglongdarren]

i was planning on giving it to a friend who also has a larsen trap with nothing in it dave.
Darren

 

[Gyp]

I find an opened up rabbit works well. If you don't have a gun look out for one road kill.

 

[theeggman]

Around here we have a network and exchange trapped birds for use as calls a valley or two away. It seems to work quite well.
Tim

 

[straightman21]

Regulations:

went up this morning to find i had caught my first magpie after 3 weeks of nothing,
the cursed thing was only just dead though!!!
at least it works,
Darren

1. Check your trap every day (at intervals of no more than 24 hours in England). 2. Provide adequate food, water, shelter and a perch