should i shoot magpies? [Archive] - Alberta Outdoorsmen Forum

crunchiespg

03-13-2008, 03:38 PM

No reason to shoot them, however they do make nice taxidermy specimens

ok, if there is no local specific reason why i should then i will leave them. they arent doing me any harm (other than eating my bird seed i put out!)

i only shot them in the UK because the population needed managing as they were causing problems for some song bird numbers...

Bushmaster

03-13-2008, 03:40 PM

I shoot them here in my yard cause they are always up to something....digging in the garbage , eating the cat's food, crapping all over everuything etc. And there seems to be a never ending supply of them !! :D

Okotokian

03-13-2008, 03:46 PM

I would think having scavengers around would be a good thing. I'm not sure what harm they do. I'm not saying they do no harm, I'm saying I don't know.

nekred

03-13-2008, 03:52 PM

skanks18

03-13-2008, 03:55 PM

i was always told they are bad birds and they go after pheasant and partridge eggs, and i would rather have a bunch more of them around.

crunchiespg

03-13-2008, 04:02 PM

I think they are overpopulated in some areas, and i dislike them as they like to pick the eyes and feet of newborn livestock!...

Good luck with shooting them they get smart very fast!....

But if they are nor overpopulated and don't have to worry about live stock... live and let live!....besides something has to clean up the gophers!...

well we have a group (or should i say murder) of about 15 that come most days..

i think ill let them be at the moment, they arent likely to bother our horses or dogs...

calgarychef

03-13-2008, 04:26 PM

I used to shoot every damn magpie I found. Then I started thinking-if this was an exotic species that we imported would they sell for thousands of dollars like parrots do? They are a beautiful color close up, intelligent as all get up and they can even be taught to "talk" I leave them alone now.

ex811

03-13-2008, 04:30 PM

crunch...some of the same reasons why you shoot them in the UK are valid here...they eat eggs/young of songbirds and upland birds.

Piker

03-13-2008, 04:46 PM

Gunner22a

03-13-2008, 04:53 PM

More than likely I am wrong about this but are they classed as a song bird? If so shooting them is somewhat illegal I believe. Don't get me wrong, I have no love of them but best check before on gets in too deep.

Bushmaster

03-13-2008, 05:19 PM

Page 59 of the regs.....

All birds are protected except the following: Starlings, Crows, Pigeons, House (English) Sparrows, Magpies, Blackbirds, Common Grackles, Brown-headed Cowbirds, Ravens (hunted on private land by residents) and any other birds for which an open season has been declared by the regulations as indicated in this summary.

Gunner22a

03-13-2008, 05:23 PM

"Im probably wrong"

TreeGuy

03-13-2008, 07:34 PM

CaberTosser

03-14-2008, 12:46 AM

I hate the buggers, they often wake me at ungodly hours in the summer from right outside my window. To show them my appreciation, I leave them a bowl of cat food in my back yard, and when they came to feast from it, I again show them my appreciation with my .177. Sometimes when you drop one on the spot, his buddy will come and caw at him while bouncing about. Then you can plug his buddy. If death isn't instant and they move too much for a 2nd shot, a large fishing net helps to contain them for other quick & humane disposal methods. When I bother trying, I'll make it quieter by a factor of 3-5 Magpies a day. Don't sit in wait for them, just be ready, as they tend to audibly announce their arrival near food. As they approach the food they remain quiet and cautious; if it seems the area is safe more move in and feed, then the noise escalates. I just keep an open ear and a loaded .177 while running about the house or sitting at the computer.

acedave3

03-14-2008, 02:28 AM

I heard of a guy who wrapped rat poison pellets into tight little balls of fresh white bread and left a few larger pieces of bread as an attractor to get them in! Tsk tsk

Rusty P. Bucket

03-14-2008, 05:41 AM

We used shoot them - right here in the city too!

They used to drive my buddy nuts because they would sit outside his bedroom window and gak at the top of their lungs and wake up the neighbourhood. So he went down to P&D and bought one of those olypmic grade sniper pellet rifles, put a scope on it, and went to work.

Everyday after work he went home to relax on the deck with a beer and a BBQ with the rifle handy, and he started potting them whenever they came too close. It was a hoot, even I killed a few of them.

Kids get the death penalty for shooting air guns inside the city limits and I suppose we should have gotten it too if we had been caught at it. The jig was up when a well-meaning elderly neighbour saw a dead magpie and called the authorities, thinking that the birds were dying from the dreaded West Nile disease. The gun was hastily put away and all the finger prints were wiped off.

I think I may take some time off this year to return to my youthful days of potting gophers with the .22. I suppose I should take that fancy 223 that I spent thousands of dollars on...but some of life's better pleasures are best kept simple.
:D

Andrzej

03-14-2008, 06:47 AM

In Poland we had to shoot them to protect Hungarian partridge, hare and pheasant population. As a member of hunting association I needed 20 points a year and magpie was good for 1 point.
Some members did not have time or luck then they had to pay for every point. Two feet presented to secretary were good for 1 point. Farrow cats and dogs were worth 5 points.
Reducing predators was part of management as high numbers of birds and game attracted foreign hunters and money generated were use to run association.
We were building feeding stations for Huns and they were fed all winter so in spring reducing predators was a must and not matter of ethics...

Good method to reduce magpie numbers is to get out and mark tree location where they start to nest. Then when they nesting we would wait for rainy day...you just go there with shotgun and buckshot and blow them from below.

In rural Canada they are nuisance around livestock so they get poisoned and shot like gophers.

I don't hunt them here but would shoot them without hesitation..

Andrew

shootermcgavin

03-14-2008, 06:53 AM

don't poison them..... if they are actually causing you grief you can trap them if your in the city or also shoot them if you can...

I shoot them when I am out gopher hunting when I can.... the ones around my favorite fields are very smart and know who I am and what I want to do to them!

The magpies around my house in Calgary know about me as well... I sometimes try to sneak in the back yard while they harass my dog and try to eat the scraps off the dog bones....

I swear they can read my mind! If is so much as think about shooting them they fly away. but if i just think about shooting gophers they just watch... and as soon as i think about them they are gone.

knight hunter

03-14-2008, 08:51 AM

They also take the baby birds right out of the nests.

nekred

03-14-2008, 09:11 AM

To make a magpie trap I use page wire and you wrap it onto a cone shape and open on the top. with about a 12" hole

Put a couple of dead gophers in the cage. the magpies drop in but are not able to get out because they cannot fly straight up!.....

Then get a pair of gloves and go wring their necks....

One magpie gets in and squawks intil it attracts more and more. Eventually you can have 5 or 6 in there!..... but always leave on live one in there to squawk and attract more!....

Got rid of about 60 in 3 days with that method in Strathmore.....

Okotokian

03-14-2008, 10:42 AM

They also take the baby birds right out of the nests.

That's part of nature, get over it. LOL just kidding... well sort of. I really don't see the need to shoot them because they prey on other birds I care just as little about. That's just a fact of life. One isn't more valuable than the other. I'd be more inclined to blast them if they were keeping me awake on a continual basis or harassing my dog in his yard I guess. But to just always kill them in an attempt to change the local species balance... I dunno.... But then I've been thinking about coyote hunting, inspired by a couple of them chasing my dog recently... I'm so CONFUSED!!!! LOL

nekred

03-14-2008, 10:52 AM

ABDUKNUT

03-14-2008, 10:53 AM

It's up to you- they are legal targets in Alberta, and as you pointed out in some areas people are encouraged to kill them. There might even be some benefit to thinning them out in areas with marginal populations of upland birds. I used to shoot a lot of crows, over decoys and an e-caller when I lived in Ontario... I wish we had crows up here and were allowed to hunt them this way, because it's a ton of fun and excellent shooting practice in the winter. Like magpies, crows are intelligent, social and numerous and I never felt bad pulling the trigger on one...
I say kill 'em!

I have a few old, dated, books on wingshooting and hunting upland birds, that specifically mention killing 'any owls, hawks or ravens' encountered when hunting gamebirds, as this practice used to be legal and assured less predation on the more favoured gamebirds. Of course illegal now, at one time this was the norm.

TundraBuck

03-14-2008, 11:31 AM

I shoot the buggers when I can. Why just yesterday morning I woke up and saw one on the fencepost 200 yards off my back porch. All the bush was behind him, I got the 308, loaded it, and got a rest. Looks like I still have my shooting skills from hunting season! First shot, he hit the ground. I had a grin, plus it woke up my boys so I didn't have to wake them up for school!

Okotokian

03-14-2008, 12:40 PM

So you will take a life if you lose sleep!....But if some other creature is losing their life you will stand by and watch!....

Man you are one cold heartless individual! :tongue2:

You will shoot coyotes if they eat your dog..... but are not coyotes the natural species.... Your dogs are introduced!....So shooting magpies to upset the "natural" balance.... but you can upset the natural balance by introducing dogs and killing coyotes!...

your justifications for taking or preserving life are ay out of whack....:sick:

I have to question your ethics.... OH Crap... just turned this into another ethics post!...:D :evilgrin: :wave:

Nek, I've never shot a magpie OR a coyote. I've never shot anything I haven't eaten, if you don't count a small number gophers as a kid. The point I was trying to make is that I can see a difference between shooting a particular animal that is a nuisance, and shooting every one I ever come across regardless of what they are doing. Shooting all the magpies you can to save more baby sparrows just doesn't make a whole lot of sense, if that is your true justification. That is the post I was responding to.

They coyote reference was just an example of how my own thinking can be hypocritical if I don't really think about it. Been considering it. That's why I said "CONFUSED". I was knocking myself, but glad you helped me out with the personal whack LOL ;)

nekred

03-14-2008, 01:58 PM

Being very tongue in cheek in last post... thus all the smileys....and it is always fun twisting your tail in good humour... hope we don't get another warning for this!....

It was in fun!.....

To each their own...

I guess I can shoot twice as many since you aren't keeping up on your end!....:D ...

nekred

03-14-2008, 02:00 PM

ever noticed that a magpie looks like a backward flying Canada goose!...

BlueNorther

03-14-2008, 03:21 PM

I used to shoot em,but not anymore.I find them to be intelligent birds and enjoy watching their antics,same as crows and ravens.They're natures clean up crew.I've had magpies waiting in the trees within minutes after killing game waiting for me to leave so they can dig into the gutpile.

thumper

03-14-2008, 11:13 PM

Magpies love to harass house-cats, and I'm not very fond of cats.
So they're welcome around my place!

Koshel

03-14-2008, 11:16 PM

I've never hesitated to shoot them. I've seen them raid several duck nests that had nested close to the house, and one spring one magpie killed 5 "several day old chicks" and carried them over a 4 foot high chicken fence. Wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen the bastard do it with the 5th one.

A friend told me a short while ago that magpies were introduced here from Europe. I've been meaning to check an Audobon or other type bird book on this...anyone know if this is true? I always thought they were a native species...

TreeGuy

03-14-2008, 11:37 PM

This should work on the Magpies if they are bugging ya.......:evilgrin:

'Back Home', every Monday was garbage day, and the crows knew it. Therefore, I grew up with a .22 propped up in the corner by the upstairs toilet.

Thus, my Dad would take potshots at the crows every Monday morning while having his ritual AM 'constitutional! We NEVER missed the bus on Mondays!:lol:

When he occasionally got one (126 yards), it got hung up on the corner post 15' from the end of the drive. As long as it was there, the garbage was NEVER touched!

Dad always said that he was going to do the dame thing with my sister's firts boyfriend!:lol: He should have!:mad:

Tree

winged1

03-15-2008, 12:00 AM

A few years back I witnessed these intelligent birds at work. As I was driving a city street, several magpies flushed a flock of sparrows into my path, and sure enough I hit one. Before I realized what was happening, a magpie swooped in and picked up the sparrow.

All the power to them.

LuckySeven

03-15-2008, 12:25 AM

We had some out at my Ma & Pa's farm a few years ago that took to pecking holes in the backs of their cattle ( dining on the fat !! ) Wasn't long before the whole works of them were doing it. Took me about 2 months to off the Clan. All it takes is for one bird to learn this and it starts all over again.
The old Brno proved it's worth during those cold winter months...they are smart though, as I could never snipe from the same place twice !!!

Jamie

03-15-2008, 01:02 AM

ive been shooting some gophers on our fields and found pretty soon magpies are eating the dead ones..

back in the UK we were positively encouraged to shoot magpies as they are classed as vermin. is it the same here?

Shoot em all... Till you get sick of it. I dont shoot them anymore..
They are a pretty bird.. But very noisy and annoying.
I think its like most random shooting.
PS dont tell anyone.. but I used to shoot Porkys as well. (SHHHHH)

Jamie

Koshel

03-15-2008, 11:22 AM

When the magpies start getting real skittish from being shot out the window or swinging the door open, I found that sitting in the car with the window down in the direction they are coming from works awesome...

Bushmaster

03-15-2008, 11:25 AM

And don't forget, magpies are usually the first thing to come and look when using a coyote call.

honda450

03-15-2008, 11:26 AM

Yeah I blast them.

birdbrain

11-12-2010, 05:29 PM

Shoot them all as they eat any birds eggs they can find from sparrows to robins to grouse and whatever. They are a menace to all other birds and I do what it takes to elimate them. AS you cna see I hate them.

Hate is a strong word for a bird. Magpies are native birds and are one of the two most intelligent birds in the world. They clean up man's garbage and our roadkill. They are very family oriented and are known to have strong relationships with other magpies. They mourn the loss of a member of their tribe(flock) and are sometimes vengeful. They are part of the same family as the bluejay who are as noisey and will raid other birds nests as well. We may not like some of the things they do in our backyards but they are doing them in order to survive and survivors they are.

KegRiver

11-12-2010, 08:35 PM

Hey Chrunchy!

Unless you are a dedicated and talented sniper, your efforts will probably NOT put much a dent in their populations. In fact, it just seems to make 'em smarter. It's been months since the sillyness of the attached thread, but they will come nowhere near my yard anymore!:lol:

Both Mrs Tree and I support popping the odd magpie whenever you can. Good luck!

http://www.outdoorsmenforum.ca/showthread.php?t=8921

Tree

Treeguy, The missus and I just spent fifteen minutes reading that thread and laughing till our sides hurt. You really ought to publish that, with the participants permission of course. That is pure gold!!!

I'm really starting to like this place!!

gor

11-12-2010, 08:44 PM

just read an ol pcs in this weeks brooks bulletin, republished from sixties. county of newell had prize for most birds in year. top prize was 640 pair of legs. second 580 and tenth was around 400. ps we still have lots.

greylynx

11-12-2010, 08:47 PM

Magpies carry a lot of disease that could infect poultry of every kind.

They will not be eliminated if you pop them.

WayneChristie

11-12-2010, 08:59 PM

Magpies are awesome birds. Used to eat the bugs off bison til we killed all the bison. My neighbors husky hated them, and they knew to the exact inch how long his chain was, and they would steal the dogs food and sit just out of reach of the dog and eat it. One day I went over and undid the dogs collar before they fed him, and I am sure that magpie had a look of surprise on its face when the dog as usual lunged at it and the collar came off. Didnt last very long tho , and didnt see another one try the same trick ever. They are a relative of the mynah bird and can be taught to speak quite a few words. Had one that used to ride on the handlebars of my bike when I was a kid, until one day I had to hit the brakes and it fell into my front spokes.

greylynx

11-12-2010, 09:07 PM

To make those magpies talk there was the story that you had to split the magpie's tongue. Is there any truth to that old wives tale?

gor

11-12-2010, 09:10 PM

have been told by old guys tongue must be cut.

duffy4

11-12-2010, 10:01 PM

I don't mind magpies.

Did you ever hear Ian Tyon's song "Magpie"? He sings..."you put a roof on your house and you like to eat meat just like me..." or something like that.

I like the magpies down here in Australia. I have a mum and its chick coming to our back yard to get handouts.

Here is the mum taking a bit of meat off my toe.

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b174/duffy4/105_6312.jpg

They are pretty aggressive around their nest if they have young. They will dive bomb you and actually hit you in the head.

horsetrader

11-12-2010, 10:02 PM

To make those magpies talk there was the story that you had to split the magpie's tongue. Is there any truth to that old wives tale?
The church also started a rumour that the tongue of a Magpie contained a drop of blood from the devil. From this, it was theorized that if you cut the tongue of a Magpie to let out this drop then it would be capable of human speech. Who knows how many Magpies were mutilated as a result of this thoughtless fairytale the church created. The Magpie was associated with prophecy in the following rhyme (which has many variants)…

blackpheasant

11-12-2010, 10:11 PM

Magpie = Rat with wings.....kill at will

mudbug

11-12-2010, 11:37 PM

To make those magpies talk there was the story that you had to split the magpie's tongue. Is there any truth to that old wives tale?

You don't need to cut the tongue, no truth to it at all. They can learn to speak and imitate sounds quite well, they are very smart and can develop a large vocabulary.
As for the other question, :character0110:

bwcweld

11-12-2010, 11:46 PM

shoot em if you can

Christofficer

11-13-2010, 03:29 AM

Magpies are great. I won't shoot or kill any animal unless it's for food or jeopardizing my life or my family. It's a waste of ammunition, and a waste of life. Just my opinion....

blackpheasant

11-13-2010, 05:02 AM

The nieghborhood that I live in was always known for having several species of songbirds and there was always hundreds of robins that nested here, about 5 years ago for some reason the magpies moved in and it is now rare to see any other bird type here, very sad really, not many people around here thinkin this is a great bird....

dgl1948

11-13-2010, 06:15 AM

They can be hard on livestock. They will sit on a cattlebeast and peck on the warble fly larva under the skin. When they get the larva out they willstart to feed on the opened flesh of the livestock. The rest of the family will join and dine on the living beast as well. They will not let an open wound heal. They are a very smart bird. It does not take them long to follow sonbirds, upland game and waterdowl to a nest and destroy it. Shoot away, you will not get many as they learn real fast.

Jimboy

11-13-2010, 07:26 AM

Shootum

maxpower2506

11-13-2010, 10:43 AM

What's the POINT! Personally, if I aint gonna eat it, or it aint gonna eat ME, live and let live!

guywiththemule

11-13-2010, 07:07 PM

They don`t sound very pleasant in the early morning to most people and they are not extremely pretty birds to look at , unlike most songbirds are(robins,blue birds,red wing black birds,orioles,humming birds etc.,etc.) BUT they are prolific, very intelligent, and adaptable and do their job very well. And here is the question; Would any of you people from the towns and cities of Alberta throw rocks at your garbage men ,street cleaners,etc.? I guess it just depends on what you consider to be normal and essential to a healthy environment that you live in ...:thinking-006:

CaberTosser

11-14-2010, 04:36 PM

Personally I can't wait until Calgary has distributed all of the black carts for garbage pick up. I'm theorizing that it will result in a significant hit to the food available for the flying *****holes, and their population will drop as a result. The buggers are way too noisy, and they do have a negative effect on the populations of birds that are actually pleasant to have around. I'd much rather have crows performing their scavenging duties cleaning up road kill squirrels and such; at least they don't squak in perpetuity.

Nester

11-14-2010, 04:43 PM

I shoot them to make sure my rifle is sighted in; safely of course :)

Lone_Wolf

11-14-2010, 04:50 PM

They are very intelligent, but do create some issues with livestock from pecking animals backs, to pecking the eyes and soft hoof tissue off of young animals. I have never gotten one, but I am sure when they are around the barn yard more this winter I'll whack a few.