Trapped sparrows what do u do with them?

chickadee · Thu Mar 06, 2014 1:55 pm

Was reading the paper for my new trap. It said near by rescue centers may take your sparrows to feed to their hawks. What a cool idea. Don't think I have any around me. But what does anyone else do with them? I throw mine out in the field buzzards and hawks get them.

KathyF · Thu Mar 06, 2014 2:14 pm

That's why I prefer trapping and breaking their necks (versus shooting or spraying Ether into a bag to kill them). You can recycle them by throwing them out in the field for the scavengers to eat (coyotes & whatever).

Courtney-NC · Thu Mar 06, 2014 3:53 pm

I sent a raptor rehabilitation center in my state an email once a couple of years back, asking them if they wanted my trapped S&S. They said no, because they didn't know what they (the S&S) had been eating or where they had been and their birds were on a strict diet.

So now I just do a cervical dislocation and toss them in the back woods for the neighborhood raccoon.

Archer · Thu Mar 06, 2014 4:03 pm

I toss them to the side, by the next morning they are gone. I suspect the neighbours cats are well fed. Last year I noticed the box I place over the trap for night was sagging a lot. I suspect the cats are sitting on the box at night waiting for the next free meal. This year I will set up my trail camera and see what's really out there at night. Considering the above, I should likely find a different place to leave the sparrows as they are attracting predators close to my martin house.

pmlover · Thu Mar 06, 2014 4:19 pm

crows loves then and vultures

~Ray~Gingerich · Thu Mar 06, 2014 4:34 pm

At my place they all go in the trash bin where they belong

Steve Kroenke · Thu Mar 06, 2014 4:44 pm

I break their necks and throw them away.

Steve

KathyF · Thu Mar 06, 2014 4:56 pm

Archer wrote:I toss them to the side, by the next morning they are gone. I suspect the neighbours cats are well fed. Last year I noticed the box I place over the trap for night was sagging a lot. I suspect the cats are sitting on the box at night waiting for the next free meal. This year I will set up my trail camera and see what's really out there at night. Considering the above, I should likely find a different place to leave the sparrows as they are attracting predators close to my martin house.

Archer, I had the same problem last year. I setup a trail camera and it was a raccoon! So, I started putting them inside our shop at night.

DornCounty · Thu Mar 06, 2014 4:57 pm

I throw mine in the trash so I don't attract other things that may want to kill my martins.

phldave · Thu Mar 06, 2014 5:18 pm

Sore subject with the wife. But I whack um in the back of the head, bag um and trash um so the wife won't see um. Maybe someday when I have martins the wife will understand.

TammyBears · Thu Mar 06, 2014 6:24 pm

phldave...your wife is lucky. My husband will shoot them, but he won't "dispose" of the live ones I catch in the traps, that's my job.
Just placed traps in my trio today and caught one within the hour. And basically, I did what you do.
Was only my second time to do it, but the hosp have been everywhere. I couldn't take it anymore.
Then I put in my mind what a HOSP did my little chickadees nesting last year...enough said.

chickadee · Thu Mar 06, 2014 6:33 pm

Tammy, I understand what you are saying. My husband will shoot them but they drive me crazy till he gets her to do it. And I just think of that bluebird they killed in a box.......then I put them in a bag start my car and hold the bag up to the pipe. Then in seconds they are dead. And I have 500 more to catch.

Dave Duit · Thu Mar 06, 2014 8:49 pm

I throw them in the lake and the snapping turtles make it a quick meal.

jr 2 · Thu Mar 06, 2014 9:57 pm

I just caught 2 more male hs today with my spar-a-door traps in my 2 trio that I have up;that makes 3hs[ all males so far this year];; going too try and get my other 2 trio up tomorrow with traps if the weather is ok;i let mine fly out into plastic bag and squece therir neck a little and I give them a polite burial !!!!!!!!!!!;jr2

John Miller · Fri Mar 07, 2014 5:43 am

Whatever I do I try not to speak with disdain about it or hints of sarcasm. If I have any, I keep it to myself because I manage colonies on public properties, and speak here in a public forum. Not a saint, and I go about sparrow control methodically when I can, But sparrows are birds, neither evil or good, and we brought them here, and we so manipulated the land that martins are now dependent on us.

John Miller

EGunterTX · Fri Mar 07, 2014 7:26 am

I dig a hole & bury 'em.
Hate to leave them out to draw predators that can't tell a HOSP from a martin, bluebird or wren.
Besides, that gives them their first chance to do something worthwhile-- enrich the soil.

ChrisM · Sat Mar 08, 2014 3:30 pm

One can always freeze them and use 'em for fish bait.

Chris M
NE Kansas

chickadee · Sat Mar 08, 2014 5:24 pm

hope that's a joke. next someone is going to say they taste just like chicken.lol

Bulldog1 · Sat Mar 08, 2014 6:00 pm

John Miller wrote:Whatever I do I try not to speak with disdain about it or hints of sarcasm. If I have any, I keep it to myself because I manage colonies on public properties, and speak here in a public forum. Not a saint, and I go about sparrow control methodically when I can, But sparrows are birds, neither evil or good, and we brought them here, and we so manipulated the land that martins are now dependent on us.

John Miller

John, I agree with you. I personally use starter fluid(ether) to take them out. HOSPs are pests, but they are just doing what HOSPs do as wild birds. Just really surprised I have caught over 2 dozen birds in my repeating trap so far this year and no HOSPs yet.

Siberman · Sat Mar 08, 2014 7:19 pm

I put them in a plastic grocery sack , slam them against a hard surface , then bury them in the garden .