crows legal issue's

[Loki_762]

Seth,
I also live on Whidbey, and despite being surrounded by tree huggers, I dispatch any and all invasive species that wander into my yard with a pair of EXTREMELY quiet pellet guns. I also take out crows any chance I get. I have found that with crows, you take out 2 or 3, and the rest get wise fast and stay away. If you need help, just shoot me a PM and we can talk. By the way, I'm in Freeland. Where are you at?
Chris

[seth30]

Chris,

Im outside of OH   I am borrowing Hillbill's airgun at the moment, and there are 10 less starlings, and a rat.  The starlings now fly away at the sight of me, and the crows well I havent seen once since I started dropping there the other birds. 

Seth

[Loki_762]

Atta boy - knock 'em dead!  I live on the edge of a greenbelt, and if I don't do my part to control starlings, house sparrows, cowbirds and crows, then I never see any of the native birds at the feeders.  We have finches, juncos, towhees, flickers, thrushes, song sparrows, hummingbirds - you name it, we've got them living around here.  If I don't keep the invasives controlled, we never see the other ones.  It seems like it's been a banner year for cowbirds and starlings around here - in the last month, I have probably taken close to two dozen combined.  Probably 2/3rds of them have been in the last 10 days.  I've also drilled a couple of rats that have been up in the trees.  Definitely honing my shooting skills, though!
Chris

[seth30]

Your right on that.  My backyard in the previous years was filled with many song birds and all 24 of my birdhouses were filled.  Now they all stand empty, and rats climb the tree in broad daylight to get at the suet feeder.    The crows have probaly been the worst but most noticable due to there size and sound compared to the others.

[Loki_762]

If you're having problems with rats, lots of guys lure them out with chunky peanut butter to a good shooting spot and then just drill 'em.  It's supposed to be like catnip for rats - just brings them running.  The ones around here have a den at the base of a tree with a feeder in it, so I keep an eye on the feeder just before dark.  They aren't bold enough to come out during the day - they've lost too many buddies to the cat.  But at dusk I can see them cruising the branches, and I plug them every chance I get.  A couple of years ago one ended up getting into the crawlspace below our house, and we could hear him running around in the wall.  Since then, they're "shoot on sight."  Even my wife, who tends to be okay leaving critters alone if they aren't directly bothering us, gives a green light for rat shooting.  I need to do a little research on night hunting these little buggers so I can be rid of them for good.  They seem to be getting wise about dusk being a bad time to be hanging around in the trees.

[seth30]

Chirs,

I have a million candle light powered spotlight, I bet that would freeze them.  I will try the peanut butter.  My tree borders the property line and my slob neighbors back yard which is just one huge black berry bush.  The rats are coming in and out of that.  I will put a big batch of it on the tree and give it a shot

Seth

[Loki_762]

Good luck!  Let us know how it works!

[MadHatter]

One way I have found to keep starlings away is shoot a few them hang them upside down in the trees and such.  We used to get them in our shop and I would kill a few, hang them from the rafter and gone would be the starling problem for a while.  I have found that they need to be upside down though as if you hang them from the neck they will attack the corpse.  Nice thing is that they don't really rot, they just kind of mummify and will last quite a long time (sounds morbid I know).  You end up kind of looking funny with dead birds hanging around your property, but it definitely keeps them away.  I stopped doing it because I just shoot them all now.  I think this spring I am up to about 30 or so and haven't even made a dent in the population around my house. If there is one bird I cannot stand its starlings... Second is kill deer...

[seth30]

so far 35 starlings

[Loki_762]

Nice work!  Any of the native birds coming back yet?

[seth30]

Yes but as soon as they get a good groove going on the suet feeder the starlings or crows will hassle them.   

[Kowsrule30]

Crows got two rows of my corn and two tomato plants are gone now..... Last year I was at war with rabbits.... This year is those damned birds...... I've got 6 with the bb/pellet guns..... Starting to get pissed..... Today I'm packing my 410 Contender while I work on the car with a box of shells on the roof....       

[Elk whack master]

Two words.... FRENCH FRIES AND POISION. Its not your fault the crows were bullies and ate your lunch and the poision you were gonna put out for the rats.

[Loki_762]

If you need help shootin' em, I'm only a PM away!