Hosp Count

C.C.Martins · Mon Apr 07, 2025 1:24 pm

Hahahaha! 2-fers! Great, thats just great, the van ert is a wonderful trap. You are really whacking them back. Trap in ernest now, they are looking for homes.
There are some gotta ways, every season. Don't think you will be losing many, your doing great!

Thomas Maddox · Mon Apr 07, 2025 7:01 pm

Nice! I've had 4 escapees this year, but I shot 2 more today! My count was 20, but one Escaped, but got 2 more today, so 21 total!

C.C.Martins · Mon Apr 07, 2025 7:17 pm

Thomas,
What are your favorite trapping strategies during off season and winter?
My second favorite is having a sparrow in the ground trap and catch as many fledges with millet as I can mop up.
My all time favorite is positioning the ground trap so I can cover and shoot them off of it.
Then I hang a feeder up in winter and shoot all the sparrows that come by.

Thomas Maddox · Tue Apr 08, 2025 11:00 am

CC, I really have only gotten into unaliving HOSPS for about the last 3 years. I haven't done much in the off season really. I think I'll start this year. I have definitely increased the efforts as time passes. My favorite is sharing pellets with them, but can't get close enough usually. I need to get a small blind. My next favorite is the St1 trap baited with other HOSPS. Yesterday, at my MILs, she had a cavity with HOSP eggs. I placed the smaller entrance hole on and baited with the sticky rat paper. They managed to flip 3 different pieces over and avoided getting caught. I just put my Sparrow-0-door in their. It seems to be effective, but the trigger mechanism is soo sensitive. I think the wind blowing the house around often triggers it. We'll see!

C.C.Martins · Tue Apr 08, 2025 11:47 am

Off season is a good time to get them. Should give it a try, the ST1 and the ground trap together are deadly. You will find the season a tad quieter.

A blind is like a good scope sir, you need one. It doesn't need to be enclosed like a traditional hunting blind. Mine is in a corner under our back overhang. I can cover the gourds and house, if they bothered to look all they would see is the top of my head and a scope.

Take a file to the spare o door arm and shave just a bit off the arm holding the door up, angle it so it will hold the door up but won't trip with the wind. Could also tighten the drop arm nut just a hair. May help, dunno. They are notoriously false tripping.

Thomas Maddox · Wed Apr 09, 2025 7:55 am

Thanks for the tips CC! I'll give it a go. I did catch a male HOSP in the Sparrow-0-door trap yesterday. Happy hunting!

Thomas Maddox · Sun Apr 13, 2025 3:25 pm

Got my first Starling of the year at my MILs house. It had a nest with eggs. Easy to catch at that point.

SE Wisc hopefull · Sun Apr 13, 2025 9:20 pm

Great thread. Last year I took out 43 HOSPs - mostly traps and a few lucky shots. Best luck was trapping one in nest box trap and moving it alive to repeating trap. Then I could catch 6 or more a day.

This year caught 4. Good news is I haven’t seen anymore, so maybe last years hard work is paying off.

Thomas Maddox · Mon Apr 14, 2025 6:54 am

SE Wisc hopefull wrote: ↑
Sun Apr 13, 2025 9:20 pm
Great thread. Last year I took out 43 HOSPs - mostly traps and a few lucky shots. Best luck was trapping one in nest box trap and moving it alive to repeating trap. Then I could catch 6 or more a day.

This year caught 4. Good news is I haven’t seen anymore, so maybe last years hard work is paying off.

I'm hoping for the same! I've read where many have reported results as yours. Keep up the great work!