Air Arms Owners Club

Hi all
Some of my permissions have had a massive increase in the magpie populations probably due to all the young ones about, and while i have helped a few into the next world they are very clever and even sitting in a hide i can not help as many as i would like.
Have any of you guys ever used decoys for shooting magpies and if so what was the set up. I have been told to use a little owl decoy?.
Kevin

Who remembers Poguemahone's Owl decoy ???

I have found that owl decoys only work in the nesting season when magpies have eggs or young as they are very terratorial. If they believe the owl is a threat to their young they will squawk at it from the safety of a nearby tree. At other times attract their attention with food like a a dead rabbit or bird slit open with its entrails exposed.

whatever method you use can only be used once because they soon catch on to danger. A good tip is to set up one you have shot as a decoy over some food, see Hunters Vermin on youtube on how to make a cradle to set up a shot magpie into a decoy. I have found the plastic decoys and even the flocked ones useless for attracting them, infact they frighten them away. Also in nesting time a fake nest laid out with some chicken eggs in it can be irresistable and they will land to get an easy free meal, but it only works once so you have to be ready and very well concealed to take the shot. Hope that helps and good luck.

Recently shot a crow off a fence post and while it was flapping about a magpie appeared from nowhere and was unfortunate enough to land on the same post.
I put a woodie on the deck and propped the 2 birds on nearby fence posts.
Got 6 magpies, which all looked like youngsters.
Crows passed close but wouldn't land. Could of had them if I had a shotgun with me.

Excellent! very satisfying, that's a lot less nest robbers. You can't beat shot birds set up as decoys.

An update to this thread
This afternoon the permission owner and myself bought fish and chips and while sitting together eating he said to me we should wrap the left overs up and place them outside to see if the crows or magpies were interested.??
Upshot of this was we placed a ripped open packett of chips about 20yards from his kitchen window near the trees. It took about 3 minutes for the 1st crow to appear. After about 10minutes the crows were having a right go at the packaging and the 1st magpie appeared, which was duly helped into the next world. All in all I got 3 magpies in about 45 minutes from his kitchen window.
Never thought of using rubbish to attract them and will try it in other places.
Kevin

Rabbit guts work ....



Bird tables work too ...

Looks like the second one has been on the ale!