GTA

General Discussion To Gateway To Airguns => Hunting Gate => : Furseeker February 01, 2010, 04:45:10 PM

: Starling decoy
: Furseeker February 01, 2010, 04:45:10 PM
A few weeks ago I posted about a local taxidermist who contacted me and asked if I could provide him with 20 to 30 starlings. He mentioned he was doing a few competition mounts and wanted to use some starlings. I filled his order in two weekends and he stopped by a few days later to get his birds. He mentioned that he would mount 2 of them for me to use as decoys as payment. Well he just contacted me to get my address so he could send the birds back to me. I told him that I would take some of his lesser quality birds because they were just going to be used as decoys. But from the picture he sent me it looks like a pretty good mount. Take a look and tell me what you guys think. I'll have to find some way to identify these decoys so I don't accidently shoot one of them. I may ask for a mounted Erasian Collered Dove for trade on the next group of birds.
: RE: Starling decoy
: JimH February 01, 2010, 05:57:25 PM
That looks pretty darn good to me. Will a starling be attracted by a decoy?
: Re: Starling decoy
: kiwi February 01, 2010, 06:23:19 PM
let us know how they work.?
My starlings have moved 200m down
 the street since I started whacking them...
: Re: Starling decoy
: shadow February 02, 2010, 12:52:04 AM
That's got to work for getting em to come in, look's great. Know don't forget which one's are the Decoy's and shoot a stuffed bird hehe. :o  :) Ed
: RE: Starling decoy
: airiscool February 02, 2010, 12:56:43 AM
Great job.

But, all I'd get to show up is that darned Coopers Hawk !!! :0

Paul
: Re: Starling decoy
: longislandhunter February 02, 2010, 12:57:51 AM
That mount is great.... that'll work for sure.  Starlings are a "flocking" species and a decoy is a very effective tool for hunting them.  A couple of years back I made my own starling decoy rig using fake birds I bought in a craft store.  I mounted about a dozen and 1/2 birds on a light wooden frame that I can set up easily.  I only used it a couple of times but it brought in starlings every time.   I'm gonna have to get it out of the basement and start using it again...  

My rig is crude compared to using birds of that quality,,,, that's gonna work fantastic for ya...   :)

Jeff
: Re: Starling decoy
: dk1677 February 02, 2010, 01:35:24 AM
He did a great looking job!
: Re: Starling decoy
: Mebits February 02, 2010, 08:03:31 AM
I'm going to be curious how this plays out. I'm also thinking I might want to get some decoys too. I didn't see a single starling out back today.  Not one. Tons of other birds. Tons of suet and bread.

Of course, it's warmer, so they're likely working a field for insects.  Still, I'm thinking that we need some decoys.
: Re: Starling decoy
: jake February 02, 2010, 01:09:07 PM
wow, he did a great job! hopefully it works!
: Re: Starling decoy
: 1377x February 02, 2010, 09:19:27 PM
thats some nice work
tie a yellow rubber band around its leg so you know which one not to shoot
: Re: Starling decoy
: gamo2hammerli February 02, 2010, 09:31:54 PM
Wow....that guy did a great job making that Starling decoy.  It's going to bring in some live Starlings for sure.
: Re: Starling decoy
: snookman February 02, 2010, 11:28:47 PM
Those decoys should work great. The taxidermist is truly an artist. I wonder if you could post his name and contact info. with his permission. Some of your GTA brothers might send him some work. Good hunting, snookman
: Re: Starling decoy
: Wade.S February 07, 2010, 04:58:40 PM
Wow that looks great. I would like to hear back on how the decoys work for you. I went out shooting these starlings with 2 friends today and shot 134 of them. I wonder how I could do with several of these.
: Re: Starling decoy
: Furseeker February 07, 2010, 05:10:56 PM
That's alot of starlings Wade. I'm currently working on the guys next order of 25 birds, we are trading work, I give him dead starlings and he mounts birds for me. Not a bad deal if you ask me. I'm going to hav him to a crow for me next.
: Re: Starling decoy
: gamo2hammerli February 08, 2010, 09:43:21 AM
I didn`t notice the first time.....but saw it now. I think that bird was receiving accupunture with those pins on his back.
: Re: Starling decoy
: Wade.S February 08, 2010, 02:47:22 PM
That's a  very sweet deal you have going.
: Re: Starling decoy
: Furseeker February 08, 2010, 02:55:18 PM
I think so too. He just called me tonight, said he would be up my way on Wednesday and will drop off the 2 decoys. I'll post some pictures when I get them. I think I'm going to have him do Dove for me next, then maybe a crow.