Bait Testing

[Mebits]

OK, things were pretty dead on the starling front yesterday, so here's what I did:

I bought some cracked corn and put that down in a few piles in the bait zone.
I put out bread and old tortillas.
I put some of the dispersed suet back into the bait zone
and
I put out about 1/4 bag of cat food.

I'll add some sunflower seed to get a few dove "decoys" in there too.

Let's see if I can get more than a sporadic visitor or if they're totally into the bugs in the grass.

I'll give a report.

BTW, I'm also putting out corn to try to bring in some sparrows. Those little buggers are smart, too.

This whole thing started last winter with me wanting to stop the little buggers from nesting in the brick in the vacant house directly adjacent our walk (we're urban "homesteaders"). They were destroying the brick/mortar on a historic building and pooping all over our walk. So, I broke out the Ben/Sher 177 pumper and shot them from 11 feet away from 2nd and 3rd story windows. I got about 8, but the last pair were impossible. They'd bolt at ANY movement inside or even at the door 3 stories below.

Note, there are dozens of sparrows around the block. After those first birds were shot, they stayed away from the house next door, save for one cagey male.

Last summer, they were coming in on all the feeders, including, AMAZINGLY, the thistle feeder. I could pretty easily pick them off of them thanks to the contrast, but out in the mulched garden, they were darned near invisible in low light. At distance, I couldn't hit many with iron sights. I manged to take a couple at 20 yard right off the feeder, but I also put a hole in it too.

That was when I decided that I needed a scope, but by the time I got a mount on the pumper and bought a good scope, I'd be at about where I would be with with a BC combo, which is what led me here. But I digress.

We still have lots of sparrows around, but only one on the wall and probably the same one in the garden, occasionally. NONE of the others have been coming in for sunflower seed or even suet or bread. I'm hoping that the corn will bring the last bunch in. Any ideas on sparrow luring I'm all eyes.


M

[Mebits]

The corn is bringing in grackles (four so far), which is giving at least one very wary starling courage to come in. So far, that's it, but I think that grackles will make dandy decoys.

So far, so good. No sparrows yet.

[Mebits]

I was right. I've had the small flock come in a few times today. I got one shot off at a jittery bird while I was on the phone. I think I hit him, but I really should have passed until I was done with the call. :O

It looks like the key is to bring in other birds (as decoys or to make them jealous) and give the starlings irresistible choices and lots of them.

M

[wicki67]

Hey Mebits,

Not sure if this will help in your endeavors; but, here goes with my experience.....
I have a four station feeder in my backyard - 1 suet hanger, 2 mixed seed feeders and a shelf. I've been keeping the stations full everyday now and taking starlings every chance I get. Usually keep the shelf stocked with cat food (amazing how much they love this stuff), bread and table scraps...  I've been doing this now for nearly 3 years and I've come to find that the starling flock gets really wary after being shot over so much. Sometimes we just need to give them a bit of breathing room. I hate to do this; cause I think the only GOOD starling is a dead one, but, sometimes its just gotta be. Sparrows are just as wary and can pick up on their kind getting "offed" when they come to the feeders even quicker than the starlings. I've left the dead ones out; hoping to lure any in, and usually a stray will come in, look over the dead one; wondering why it's not moving.... then high-tail it out of there, fast like. You may just need to give them a break.... sorry to say....

Wicki67

[Mebits]

Oh, they are wary, and they are gun shy, too. Amusingly, the doves keep feeding even as I shoot birds 24" from them.

I was successful bringing in the flock several times to day. They're wary, but I can still squeeze off a shot or two at them during the day. You're probably right that I need to let them come in for something like 3 weeks unmolested, but I'm going to try to push this.

Today, I managed to hit two. I had one fly off and one Zombie bird. No kidding. I hit him a bit right and blew his wing up badly. I took another shot at about 25 yds, and flipped him upside down. I go back to work, and take a break and I see that he's sitting up! I take a shot at him, and I can't tell if I missed him again as he's staggering badly. He stops and I take what I hope is just a superfluous mercy shot. Bang! He goes stiff and his tail spreads and quivers and he's head down. OK, that's a lot of lead for one starling. I sit down for a minute and then see some more starlings come in again so I go to the window carefully and notice that the STARLING IS SITTING UP AGAIN. I've hit him at least three times. He's bloody high and low, both sides of his body. He's had more than enough time to bleed out, but there he is, sitting up! I shamefully load up and carefully sight in on his head. I'm going to shoot until he is dead, then I'm going to cut his head off and drive a toothpick through his heart!

Seriously, I managed to put a pellet in his fuse box on the first try, but that was just incredible. One tough bird. I haven't had one like that in a while. I suspect it's because they're moving so much and are so wary, but still. If it's going to be this way, I'm just going to plan on 2 quick shots, hoping to get him while he's still stunned and before he can run.

[wicki67]

<...then I'm going to cut his head off and drive a toothpick through his heart!..>
I am so glad I wasn't drinking anything when I read this......Still chuckling over it......

Sounds like you had a tough bird there...Man-o-man.....

Yeah, mine were coming in regularly every day, then after losing a few of their brothers each time they came in to feed, they started slacking off..... I haven't seen any of the local flocks in the area for the last few days. I do think the other thread on here about them changing their feeding habits has a big part do with not seeing as much of them as well.... Oh well, gonna try to hit as hard and as often as I can.....hope you plan on doing the same.....

Wicki67

[jake]

soubds like a plan lol let us know how it works

[Mebits]

I'm with you, Bruthah!

"In every generation there is a chosen one. He or She alone will stand against the starlings, the demons and the forces of darkness. He or She is the Slayer."

[Mebits]

It works, at least for now. Lots of food for all birds. Cat food, suet, bread, corn and sunflower seed in the kill zone.

We got the flock to come in at least 4 times and perhaps a couple more as I was out for a while. There were also some singles and doubles all during the day. With all that food, I was amazed but they were fighting over it.

M