crow cruelty trap

cresshead101 · #1 (**permalink**) 10-07-2007, 02:15 PM

a while back when we were up in the borders we discovered an extremely strange thing

.It was a huge domed cage baited with a dead rabbit.inside the cage were around 8 crows.Our friends with us at the time told us it was owned by the farmer,who then came and shot the crows.once the crows were in the funnel at the top of the trap,they could not get out,a bit like a huge lobster trap.i thought it was horrible,it's obviously not goind to put a dent in the crow population,and seemed like something the farmer did for sport,not for any practical use.is this legal?and what are your views on traps like these used to kill animals,even if they are classed as"vermin"?

Dogghound · #2 (**permalink**) 10-07-2007, 02:23 PM

The farmers obviously a total joke by the sounds of it, the borders is an area dominated by pasture land which isnt anything crows damage, they dont do that much harm to arable farms as it is. If he does it for sport he must be a useless shot if he needs them in a cage to kill them. It is legal as far as i know though.

Gill Catton · #3 (**permalink**) 10-07-2007, 02:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dogghound

The farmers obviously a total joke by the sounds of it, the borders is an area dominated by pasture land which isnt anything crows damage, they dont do that much harm to arable farms as it is. If he does it for sport he must be a useless shot if he needs them in a cage to kill them. It is legal as far as i know though.

Not strictly true crows and ravens will peck out the eyes and tongues of new lambs while they are still alive plus they happily take gamebird chicks which can put a significant dent in any income from organised shoots - something which you may not approve of anyway but which provide an incentive for farmers to keep habitat suitable for gamebirds where many many other species may benefit - though perhaps not crows.

This sounds like a fairly standard way in which they are caught and it means that they can be humanely dispatched - less change a of a duff wounding shot. Provided they have food, water and shelter and aren't in the trap too long I'm not sure there are many better ways for crow control. Apologies for anyone I upset, just my opinion...

cresshead101 · #4 (**permalink**) 10-07-2007, 02:55 PM

Gill,i guess you have a point,but it just made me so angry to see the crows kept like that at the time.there was fresh water,but the trap was pretty crowded, and some crows were stuggling to escape.if it is legal like dogghound says though,then i suppose there'not much i can do

..any more views on traps like these?dogghound,are you sure they 're legal?

demicav · #5 (**permalink**) 10-07-2007, 02:55 PM

Probably another emotive subject. I don't really agree with trapping and killing any wildlife, I definately don't agree with shooting birds for sport. I'm also a big fan of Crows, they're very intelligent and amusing. This said though I don't know the farmers reasons behind it, maybe he's had trouble with them in the past and is trying to keep the population down. I would find it to be more cruel if they were just shot at, say in a tree and some were simply injured and left to die a slow death. Wouldn't it be great though if nature was left to sort out population control ?

Gill Catton · #6 (**permalink**) 10-07-2007, 03:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cresshead101

Gill,i guess you have a point,but it just made me so angry to see the crows kept like that at the time.there was fresh water,but the trap was pretty crowded, and some crows were stuggling to escape.if it is legal like dogghound says though,then i suppose there'not much i can do

..any more views on traps like these?dogghound,are you sure they 're legal?

There's absolutely no doubt whatsoever that its a sad thing, it would break my heart too but there are lots of things in life that are ugly and I struggle every time I see it, but I can understand why its done...

they are legal I believe so long as the caught birds and any decoy or bait bird have the food water and shelter....

cresshead101 · #7 (**permalink**) 10-07-2007, 03:24 PM

seems like everything was legal, i suppose if the crows were going to be killed the best way would be to die humanely with as little stress as possible.there was water and shelter,and the cage was fairly clean.if there was no other kinder way then i suppose its ok, but is it really effective ? there are a lot of crows out there....i still think it is not right to trap or kill animals if it is not going to make a significant difference in the problem they are causing in the first place.

Gill Catton · #8 (**permalink**) 10-07-2007, 03:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cresshead101

seems like everything was legal, i suppose if the crows were going to be killed the best way would be to die humanely with as little stress as possible.there was water and shelter,and the cage was fairly clean.if there was no other kinder way then i suppose its ok, but is it really effective ? there are a lot of crows out there....i still think it is not right to trap or kill animals if it is not going to make a significant difference in the problem they are causing in the first place.

I think as a sustained method along with nest destruction which is also not a happy thing probably is effective over a smaller area.

I will point out here that this sort of control is ONLY legal if the terms of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 general licence can be met.

cresshead101 · #9 (**permalink**) 10-07-2007, 03:44 PM

i am not one for legal stuff,so if anyone could look into this i would be grateful,i can describe it in greater detail .of course .as this was a while back,i am not sure what the situation with the trap is now... in the borders huge flocks of crows can be seen all the time, and farmers all feel and act differently about it.some trap the crows and others are more relaxed.perhaps if there was some kind of crow control scheme in place it would be more effective,is this the case?

stripee · #10 (**permalink**) 10-07-2007, 04:01 PM

Having looked after several rescued crows, carrion, rooks, and a jackdaw over the years, I find the thought of them in a trap unpleasant. They are, as has been said, intelligent and sociable. The large rookeries are disappearing, and the crowd of jackdaws I used to see at dusk wheeling around are no longer there. Here there are the banger things that go off periodically to scare off birds. Sad for the lambs and chicks, although they are mostly not long for this world.

I think I would have been tempted to let them out of the trap, legal or not....