Starlings

[Andrew]

I've set up a repeating trap attached to my fence for starlings. It's an older design that has a false floor in it. Starlings like to toy with me, as they are able to enter and exit with green leaves for nesting material so long as they don't pass the fulcrum point; after that, they fall through and travel down the pipe to my cage.

Now, I've dispatched only about five or six of these birds over the past two weeks. The first one, I tried to break it's neck; dammit if the thing allowed me to twist it's neck a full 360 degrees without issue. More alarming was my attempt in haste to over correct (a little over enthusiastically) until I heard that satisfying *snap*.

I took the next three and, holding them by the feet, knocked the back of their heads against a pole. Fairly instant death.

Now, the last one, I tried to perfect the neck breaking technique and it didn't die! This was awful...even if it is a starling.

Any advice; I've set up a v-trap which I intend to move beyond my property (as it is a fairly unsightly structure) and may need to kill large numbers of these things.

[Louise Chambers]

Using cervical dislocation on a starling is not as simple as it is on a house sparrow - you could shoot the starlings after trapping them, or try this method:

http://www.purplemartin.org/forumarchiv ... Humane.htm

[Emil Pampell-Tx]

I mash their skull with my thumb and forefinger, they go limp, no blood

[Joez]

Receiving my trap today. Have not done anything hands on, only shooting...

[Andrew]

Heard coyotes going bananas this morning. Now I'm concerned about leaving my v-trap up as it can potentially catch 10's of birds...

[Don Strickland]

Andrew,
I sent you a PM.
Don

[Don Strickland]

Andrew,
I sent you a PM.
Don

[Don Strickland]

Andrew,
I sent you a PM.
Don

[Don Strickland]

:grin:
I didn't send three of them though.....Something causing my computer to creep.
Don