[Carla]

Just looked at some pics of Larsen traps and they look quite kind, but how would you kill the magpie once it's caught?
I know magpies are horrible birds, they ate my baby bluetits a couple of years ago, I'm just a sad old hippy that cant stand to kill a fly, let alone an intelligent bird 

[8doubles]

Just looked at some pics of Larsen traps and they look quite kind, but how would you kill the magpie once it's caught?
I know magpies are horrible birds, they ate my baby bluetits a couple of years ago, I'm just a sad old hippy that cant stand to kill a fly, let alone an intelligent bird 

I would not say they are horrible , just magpies being magpies. If the numbers are kept down it does give the songbird numbers a chance to recover especially after a hard winter like we recently had.

[kevinp]

There's lots around here as well, it's nothing to see six or seven in a group. The keeper here uses larson traps but they have been tampered with a lot recently and the birds released, your call bird should ideally come from somewhere else rather than your local area so I have been told.

But as Spana said if you do set one up realise what you have to do to the caught bird and do it correctly, if you can't do it don't set up a trap.

[Spana]

OH culls Magpies with the dispatcher we use for the poultry.

I dont like killing things either but the less fuss made when you do have to the better.

We had a real blitz  about 5 years ago and it made quite a difference.  They are still about just not in the huge number that they were then.

One year I tried feeding them hoping that they then wouldn't take the little birds eggs and babies and my duck eggs.  But they just raised more bigger and stronger young themselves.

[doubledug]

there is a book called trap making step by step by John Bryan. For game keepers and small holders ISBN 978-0-9558535-0-0, all the traps you will ever need. Also a companion website www.fourteenacre.co.uk