Magpie Hunting

stevoman

ok. so i dont have a caller or any decoys and im not really a fan of driving from field to field taking shots at them from the side of the road, so has anyone got any good tips or techniques for shooting these little pests. any advice is welcome!!!!

Vegeta

get an empty case for camera film. The little black plastic things with the pop off lid.

cut open cartridge and insert some of the shot into the container.

Shake.

One cheap magpie caller.



Dead quarry or any meat always attracts them.

stevoman

honestly vegeta does that work well. just the pellets in the case and thats it? i guess you could use a empty kinder egg thing aswell (not being smart). have youy used that technique much?

Clare gunner

Can do it with a box of matches as well,belive it or not.Add or subtract matches untill the tone is just right.Best is over decoys tho.

stevoman

if i used three greycrows and some bait say a few eggs and a fake pheasent nest would that be enough?

Vegeta

stevoman wrote:

if i used three greycrows and some bait say a few eggs and a fake pheasent nest would that be enough?

yeah try it with the match box technique/ lead balls in plastic container

And yes it does work, on a budget its quite convincing

stevoman

i'l give it a go this evening and see ghow i get on. whats the best way to get them. hide 1 fields down and they should follow?

Vegeta

well stay close to the decoys and psuedo nest but be very well covered and call away.

I have had them land in the tree above my head.

J.R.

Shooting magpies

---

If you want to shoot lots of magpies (and this applies to greycrows too) you need to find the wood they roost in at evening time. Greycrow and magpies will not roost together and use seperate woods.

Most of the magpies in a locality will roost in the same wood at night and you could have hundreds approaching as dusk approaches.

You will need to be well hidden and camouflaged with no movement in the wood about 45 minutes before sunset. They will approach as soon as dusk arrives (you will know the time as you will hear the blackbirds making a racket singing their last tune of the day!!!!)

As they come in you can pick them off with a shotgun. They don't seem to mind the bang..one group leave and a few minutes later more arrive.

You will need to scout the woods in your area before dusk in order to find these roosting areas...greycrows prefer the centre of big expanses of wood but the magpies prefer the flimsy growth at the end of woods. You may find both in the same wood if it is large enough ... greycrows in the centre and magpies at either end.

Very large bags can be had over a few nights using this method if a number of shooters are in the woods.....literally hundreds!!!!!!!
_______________________
Personally, I have never had great success with the matchbox trick..I now use a Lockvogel call which is brilliant.
_______________________
If using the artifical nest method don't forget to bring clingfilm for the egg yolk as described in a previous post.


Quote:
Originally Posted by J.R.
Here is a method I have succesfully used with magpies and greycrows at this time of the year (nesting season) - I'm sure it will also work with rooks and jackdaws.

ARTIFICAL PHEASANTS NEST

Select an area near a hedge with a suitable backdrop where you wish to fire shots.

Place some clingfilm on the ground - roughly about a foot by a foot. Get some grass and shape it into the shape of a nest. Don't make the sides of the nest too high - about 2 inches. Place one or two small hens eggs in the 'nest' and break an egg in the nest, placing the shell and yoke in centre where it's clearly visible. (the clingfilm stops the egg from seeping into the ground so this decoy nest should look realistic for a few hours).

A magpie / crow call also helps. Magpies get very exicited with this set-up, and after checking out surroundings, will land in the nest to feast. If sides of nest are too high it can make shot more difficult.

The beauty of this method, especially when using a .22LR, is that you can pace / rangefind the distance to your hide that your sights are set at and take shots without any hold over / under.

Magpies / greycrows will often fly up and down hedge prior to landing so it's imperative that good camo is used with hat / gloves / facemask etc. A well built hide is also neccessary with a roof to outwit these crafty hunters. The least bit of movement or item out of place will frighten them off.

If crows / magpies notice nest and begin to call and get excited but turn and fly off then something is alerting them to the 'trap'. Check the set-up thoroughly - problem can be as simple as cigarete smoke or a reflection from glasses / gun barrel / scope lens etc.