Magpie trapping - advice pls

Fellas.

As you will have seen, I shoot a lot of magpies. Couple of hundred a summer, starting at nesting / mating time. Use the Bluetooth speaker / distress calls. Have been able to keep the valley reasonably free of magpies for a good while now.

This summer I want to trap more. Due to land use changes we're going to have stock in amongst the areas I normally shoot, plus there will be long periods when I'm away.

What's the prevailing opinion on trap type? I've just spoken to the helpful people at Maintrac, and they tell me they sell more side opening traps than top opening "Larsen" traps, which is opposite to what I was expecting. The thought being that the birds more readily walk in to the trap than fly in.

Larsens seem to be very popular in Southland, side opening traps in Waikato.

The two options are:

https://www.maintracgroup.com/collec...ap-rectangular

https://www.maintracgroup.com/collec...al-trap-2-pack

If you're trapping, what d'ya reckon?

Cheers

Made a walk in one and caught hawks all the time so I've gone back too a larsen type.

A few years back my mate was having issues with magpies, so set possum traps on top of 16 posts down the fenceline out from his house. Caught the first one and it flapped around. Its mates came to check it out but couldnt land on that post so landed on the next. Rinse and repeat. Had 16 magpies in 16 traps, watched it out of his lounge window.

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Originally Posted by Husky1600#2

A few years back my mate was having issues with magpies, so set possum traps on top of 16 posts down the fenceline out from his house. Caught the first one and it flapped around. Its mates came to check it out but couldnt land on that post so landed on the next. Rinse and repeat. Had 16 magpies in 16 traps, watched it out of his lounge window.

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Wow, wait for the wowser to start crying.
We used to catch a heap that way too. Not the sort of thing you would want to do on a road fence these days.

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Originally Posted by Flyblown

Fellas.

As you will have seen, I shoot a lot of magpies. Couple of hundred a summer, starting at nesting / mating time. Use the Bluetooth speaker / distress calls. Have been able to keep the valley reasonably free of magpies for a good while now.

This summer I want to trap more. Due to land use changes we're going to have stock in amongst the areas I normally shoot, plus there will be long periods when I'm away.

What's the prevailing opinion on trap type? I've just spoken to the helpful people at Maintrac, and they tell me they sell more side opening traps than top opening "Larsen" traps, which is opposite to what I was expecting. The thought being that the birds more readily walk in to the trap than fly in.

Larsens seem to be very popular in Southland, side opening traps in Waikato.

The two options are:

https://www.maintracgroup.com/collec...ap-rectangular

https://www.maintracgroup.com/collec...al-trap-2-pack

If you're trapping, what d'ya reckon?

Cheers

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Where did you get the distress recording from? I would like to try this one.

@SL600 PM me your email and I'll add you to the google drive so you can download them.

PM Mintie. He is a magpie whisperer.

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Originally Posted by TeRei

PM Mintie. He is a magpie whisperer.

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Ta, will do.

I'll message you tomorrow @Flyblown i'm about to hit the hay. If you look on the early pages of " What pesties thread" you should find the trap design in there. Mutton fat is good bait as it doesn't get fly blown lol. Once you catch one in a live capture trap remove it and put in a possom cage trap as a live decoy next to your live capture trap.. Replace decoy every second day with a new livey once you have terminated the old decoy.. Good luck.

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Originally Posted by Husky1600#2

A few years back my mate was having issues with magpies, so set possum traps on top of 16 posts down the fenceline out from his house. Caught the first one and it flapped around. Its mates came to check it out but couldnt land on that post so landed on the next. Rinse and repeat. Had 16 magpies in 16 traps, watched it out of his lounge window.

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Might have to try that. A certain time of year...?


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Originally Posted by tiroahunta

Might have to try that. A certain time of year...?


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From memory he didnt even use bait, just sat and waited for the first to land on a post, and the rest just followed to see what all the fuss was about. judging by the amount of magpies around our place at present i would think now is as good a time as any. And dont nail or screw the traps to the post, just the chain, so they flap about a bit.

I've got a spare magpie decoy on offer...it works very well! PM me.

page 45 on pest thread a few pics of this magpie trap,they walk in and trip the v which drops the trap for live capture.
Attachment 232471

mutton fat works a treat.
Attachment 232656

@Dundee I made a magpie trap to your design for my mum a couple of days ago, and it caught its first maggy yesterday afternoon. The captive is now in a possum cage trap alongside. Very pleased, cleaver trigger system