Starling V-Trap

[wroeske22]

Just got this V trap built and put in place, currently have cat food and cracked corn placed in it as bait. I'm wondering if anyone on the forum has any experience with these traps, and if so, what are some tips and tricks on baiting and dispatching the starlings.

[Thomabear]

I don't have any experience with V Traps but to dispatch the birds quickly I use a 22 cal pellet rifle for the un-trapped ones and either for the trapped ones. To euthanize them I use a 1 gallon plastic ice cream bucket and cut a flap in the lid just big enough to slip a bird through by cutting three sides of the square. Pushing down the flap with the bird makes it easy to load them up and you can hold the flap to keep them from escaping. I've fitted a dozen or so in there before with a little room for more. I then give a couple of burst of John Deere 80% either (only 80% I could find) then close the flap placing a piece of board or something to hold the flap down. The birds go to sleep in about 10-15 seconds then take their permanent nap after a couple minutes. This method is very humane and pain free.

Please let us know how that trap works out.

[C.C.Martins]

It looks great, I too have no experience with it. But like most traps if positioned where they congregate it should work great. Maybe bait the area around it too, help them realize its a good food source.
Hope you get a ton with that.

[flyin-lowe]

Looks like you did a good job on the trap. I looked into building one several years ago but just don't have the time to watch the trap and dispatch the starlings and sort out the native birds. We have a huge starling population so it is easier to rely on SREH for me. I could probably trap thousands a year which would be great for all the other native birds but I just don't have the time.

I spoke with Andy Troyer about the trap a few years ago as I was wanting to build one about 1/2 size. He said they experimented with different sizes when they were designing the trap and the size in his plans was the most effective. The smaller the trap the more timid the starlings were around it.

[xprtbrdr]

We have a V-Trap which my husband built and looks to be of similar size as the one in your photos. We use it every year. I can give you a few suggestions as to what seems to work for us. But before I do I would like to let you know that we don't catch very many starlings in this trap...I think it might need to be a larger size. For Starlings we have had great success using a Tipping Can Nest Box Trap mounted on our shed. In any case about a week before we set this trap out we set out a ground feeder in the location where the trap will be. This allows the birds to become acclimated to feeding from the feeder. After a week the V-Trap is set up and the ground feeder is situated in the center of the V so they can see the feed. We capture quite a few bluejays, cardinals, red winged blackbirds, and lots of cowbirds. In order to easily and harmlessly remove our "good" birds we use a short handled butterfly net to remove them. They learn pretty quickly not to go for the feed again once they have been captured. HOSP and Starlings, etc. are caught with the butterfly net as well... and dispatched with a hammer. Good luck!

[starling shooter]

Keep starlings alive. Clip flight feathers off one wing. Give tgem somethimg dry and warm to go into at night. Have feed and water.

If you trap in nestbox trap- put them in v trap with one wing flight feathers trimmed. They will attract more. Good luck.