Chip

Population of Magpies seems to have trebled in last few years . Things are a pain in the neck. Theyre very noisy aleays fighting and have now killed the chicks that were nesting in my back garden.

I want then dead, but how do I get rid of them.

Chip.

S.B.

12 bore....

Chip

You got one?

Chip.

S.B.

No sorry just a sugestion.

Chip

Dont think the neighbours would be to happy anyway.

Chip.

LanciaChris

Not sure if this translates to magpies, but when we had starlings nesting in our loft we shot one of them (air pistol) and hung it up as an example to the rest. Interestingly it worked.

Little Miss WRX

I was hoping that kind of technique would work for spiders. A small sized specimen of the Huntsman variety (these can get quite big, but are, I am reassured....harmless) dead nearby the house. IT was placed near to the porch to try to discourage more spiders form forming a habitat nearby.

This hasn't worked and has resulted in me having more nightmares than usual as I had to pass it every time I went in or out of the house.

It soon went.

richs2891

You need to a magpie trap. They work by having a calling bird (from a different area)as magpies are territorial (SP?)in a cage. In the other half of the cage are two spring loaded traps and when the other magpies go to see the bird and try and peck it to death and lands on the posts the trap door closes and catches the bird. Can also attrack them with food such as cat / dog food or fat.
Recently had this problem at my house and caught 5 magpies this way, Then I had the nest shot away.
Have a word with your local friendly farmer and they will probably have a trap and might lend it to you.

Richard

unclebuck

rsarjantson - that is certainly what they do 'in the countryside'. Magpies are not tolerated, fullstop.

Of course in the politically correct suburbs I think you might find this practise would be frowned upon In fact I'm sure I saw a news story about some woman being prosecuted for killing magpies. How typical.

The cat had one last year. That shut them up for a while

UB

Toonman1

I like Magpies...

Brendan Hughes

I believe they legally qualify as vermin, so you can take them out with head shots with a standard legal air rifle (see earlier threads). Same as woodpigeon, grey squirrels, etc.

richs2891

Unclebuck, You are correct that is one of the many advantages of living in the countryside !.
As to it would be frown upon in our politically correct suburbs, then yes it probably would but as Brendan pointed out they are classed as vermin, yet the chances of killing them with a standard air rifle would be very small as they have a incrediable tough head, and being the politicaly correct suburbs you would probably get arrested for discharging an air weapon with so many feet of a house / road etc.
But if you rang the local council to complian I imagine if you managed to convince them they where a problem, then they would trap them !

Richard

AJbaseBloke

Little Miss WRX - you hate spiders and you went to Oz?

Get someone to check your car for the buggers from now on - their fav trick is getting up behind the sun visors, and giving you a wake up call They may be harmless when it comes to bites, but they are not good for your heart (maybe they only like Holdens for that though ).

Hope you don't meet one of the local black widows either, they are shockers!!

NiteskyR

my rifle kills em.

P1Fanatic

That aint no normal air pistol then as most are well under 6ft/lbs which aint enough to kill a magpie. In fact the pellet would probably bounce of it

Seriously though a decent air rifle will easily do the job. Your only problem is getting them in range as they are crafty little *******. Yes you can shoot them without a licence as they are vermin. Be wary of shooting laws though, no pellet must leave your property and your not supposed to shoot within 50ft of a public highway.

Simon.

Alas

If you cant get a gun
-- Get a horse
las

Little Miss WRX

Yeah, I know, I never knew how much I really hated myself.
My sanity has always been of a questionable level anyhow.
I now have an extra level of extreme and irrational paranoia......how I managed that I will never know, but anything that moves is automatically translated into 8 legs as the signal transfers from my eyes to my pseudo mind. (I won't say brain...I don't like lying and I lost my mind a while ago....).

I have already met a local Sydney Funnel Web (dead), Redback (live), Golden Orb (live and still fookin' there [img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img] ), Huntsman (dead) and several unidentified suspicious looking live small 'uns.

I used to suffer from low blood pressure......for some reason it is normal to high now.

DanTheMan

an old hunting trick that works, this gets the vermin in range....

get a half empty matchbox and shake it, its a known maggie call and they are very inquisitive and will come for a close look, then squeeze the trigger

Many Humbug Returns

hate the things...........

the farmers use LARSEN traps.

I use an air rifle but as someone pointed out earlier they are crafty and very elusive as soon as you raise your barrel they seem to sense something is up and **** off. only got one in the last year.

steve G MAN

22 air rifle all the way lol

Figment

Jenny Hanley did well with Magpie

zoog

what about that git with the perm?

chiark

The mad old lady three doors up from us puts dog food out for the *******.

Seems to be fightin' season for magpies at the moment.

'orrible things. In the same group as "eddie irvine", but he's not quite as annoying to me personally

Toonman1

Highly intelligent birds, that are difficult to get rid of. Shooting certainly doesn't work, unless you get the lot, as the remainder still hang around the area, but are more cautious. I still like them - much misunderstood.