Pheasant problem

[foxy]

We are lucky enough to have pheasants visiting our garden several times a day. Unfortunately one has taken a liking to our cars and has caused severe damage to the paintwork by sitting on them. My car now needs both wings re-spraying and my other halfs new and expensive sporty BMW is going the same way. He is less than pleased and has a man with a gun on his way in the near future.

This goes against the grain with me as I love the pheasants but we can't live with the damage they are doing. They (it) have even been seen pecking our tyres!!

I have asked my OTH for a stay of execution whilst I try and find an alernative. I am thinking of ringing the RSPB to see if they know anyone locally who could trap it and relocate it.

Any other ideas?

We are near Macclesfield if anyone wants a pheasant!!

[Mr Mag00]

1 for the pot, they are an alien anyway and no use to man nor beast, unless u own a shoot

[Jez]

We love the amount of pheasants that come to our garden to feed they do peck though, but i don't like the fact because someones influx is a cause to kill any thing that isn't english. They didn't fly in and are'nt in general causing so much damage generally! It's obviously costing you but yer they are game birds but not often offered on most menus for platter. Some birds get treated differently to others don't they. Song birds are a meal in france for instance and chiefs like dunking them in a hot batter there feathers flake off quickly in the hot batter ready to eat. I'd suggest a sanctuary to rescue them or capture them yourself and then set them free, some way from where you live! A fishing net is ideal or a box with seed and a piece of string you can pull once there in. All the best

[Mr Mag00]

i was kinda kiddin' as there is an element of anti alien species flying around at the moment. but on a serious note there are reports that pheasant rearing in woodland is impacting on woodland invertebrates, esp moth and butterfly numbers.

[foxy]

Well you had me fooled Mr Mag00!

Have just emailed the RSPB for advice. Not sure it's legal to just shoot them anyway. It's a shame as it's a lovely bird.

[Jez]

There is a bird shooting season if thats your game. We seem to have a over abuntant variety in our garden from pheasant, squirrel, duck, turkey, tree creeper, wood pecker- none i'd fire at unless so needed!

[jj-harrishawker]

i believe its perfectly legal to shoot them whilst in season, but id ring its neck they taste quite good

[aeshna5]

Originally Posted by jj-harrishawker

i believe its perfectly legal to shoot them whilst in season, but id ring its neck they taste quite good

Out of season at present! I believe season starts on Oct 1st for these birds, not that I'd ever want to shoot one!

[jj-harrishawker]

ye your right and dont worry i dont shoot them, i hunt them with the hawks

[epops]

id shoot it we had one near us that used to attack people,dogs anything at all really it was amusing but it didnt half hurt when its spurs caught you.

[foxy]

I guess shoot it seems to be the consensus so far! Before we resort to that, any ideas on how to trap and relocate it or how to find a man who can?

[epops]

Originally Posted by foxy

I guess shoot it seems to be the consensus so far! Before we resort to that, any ideas on how to trap and relocate it or how to find a man who can?

the box proped up with a stick and lenght of string will work bait it with raisins and if you can soak them in aniseed its irrisistable to pheasants(a poachers trick to lure pheasants) so i've been told it does work

[Gill Catton]

sheesh why is all the advice shoot it, shoot it, kill it, when foxy initially stated that they didn't want to kill it if possible!!!

what about a plastic owl on the roof of your car or a tarpaulin cover? Chances are it will probably move on by the autumn (or come a cropper to someone's gun).... Hope this helps

[Kayleigh]

Originally Posted by aeshna5

Out of season at present! I believe season starts on Oct 1st for these birds, not that I'd ever want to shoot one!

I don't think shooting them in housing estate is socially acceptable any way.

[aeshna5]

Originally Posted by Kayleigh

I don't think shooting them in housing estate is socially acceptable any way.

I wasn't advocating shooting the bird, but pointing out it wouldn't be legal at moment.

Agree with your comment!

[foxy]

Originally Posted by Kayleigh

I don't think shooting them in housing estate is socially acceptable any way.

I'm sure that wouldn't be but we live in the middle of 1000's acres of moorland, hence why we get the pheasants visiting. It's my fault that they visit so often as I put wild bird seed out for the finches etc. The pheasants and mallards visit daily to pick up the fallen seed.

Gill, thanks, I actually love the pheasants. They are my favourite birds so wanted to try and save its life.

I emailed the RSPB for advice and I'm sure they won't mind me quoting:


"I'm not sure what to suggest as a definitive solution but a simple scarecrow deterrent in the form of carrier bags tied to garden stakes should work. The behaviour is connected to the breeding season and is triggered by the bird attacking its own reflection albeit, this is unusual so late in the year"

Interesting about the reflection. Sounds plausible but personally I just think it likes to sit on something high up so it can survey it's territory. If it was attacking it's reflection thedamage to the car would probably be on the doors,not on the tops of the wings and bonnet.

Anyway my OTH is at the end of his tether with it and told me he was coming home with a borrowed gun today. I am concerned that he will not kill it outright but that more likely he will wound it and it will flutter off and spend hours or days dying a painful death.

So thanks for the scarecrow and trapping advice but I have managed to find a local pro who is coming this afternoon to 'remove' it. I am hoping he is going to trap it but fear the worst. Will let you know!

[Kayleigh]

Originally Posted by aeshna5

I wasn't advocating shooting the bird, but pointing out it wouldn't be legal at moment.

Agree with your comment!

The comment was in general not aimed at you aeshna as a lot of people have mentioned about shooting it.

Sorry foxy didn't know you lived in the wilderness. Wow sounds idyllic, apart from the pheasants. Don't agree about the reflection theory though trust the rspca. You may have got better responce from the RSPB.

[foxy]

Originally Posted by Kayleigh

Sorry foxy didn't know you lived in the wilderness. Wow sounds idyllic, apart from the pheasants....You may have got better response from the RSPB.

Yes it's a fantastic place and we are lucky to live here. Fantastic apart from the fact that there are regular car crashes outside our house as people like to use the road as a racetrack. So bad in fact that I can't walk my dog without fear of being run over and I've had to move my horse to a livery yard as it's too dangerous for him now.

This is the reality of the idyllic countryside!!

Getting back to the bird, we now have three traps set waiting for him. Hopefully he will find his way in eventually bit I may have to free a few curious ducks, hares and cats before we catch him .

[Hobjob]

"I'm not sure what to suggest as a definitive solution but a simple scarecrow deterrent in the form of carrier bags tied to garden stakes should work. The behaviour is connected to the breeding season and is triggered by the bird attacking its own reflection albeit, this is unusual so late in the year"

Thats easy then.

Either don't wash you lovely smart cars, or clear the garage
and use that for its porper purpose

In my case its dirty cars ..................

[foxy]

Quick update. Unfortunately Mr Pheasant has met his maker. We paid a man to trap him and take him away :-(.

The good news is that about a week after he left, a mother, father and 5 baby pheasants moved in. Let's hope they don't take a liking to sitting on our cars!!

[sailingcsi]

May I suggest:

Stovepipe Bird Trap. The stovepipe game bird trap is so simple.
Of course, I've used it on the grouse, and found that a 4-inch pipe works for them. My guess for quail would be the 2- or 3-inch pipe.
Materials needed:
1.(1) 6-inch diameter, 24-inch long stove pipe
2.piece of chicken wire, about 12-inches square
3.some duct tape
That's it. You take the chicken wire, form it around one end of the pipe, and duct tape the overlay nice and tight around the pipe. Place a trail of corn going into the pipe, and a pile or cob in the back. This has to be the easiest trap to make, and man does it work! Be careful when you pull the pheasants out. They are a feisty bird, and you had better have a good hold on them. Otherwise, they will fly off.

[Lance Morgan]

Originally Posted by sailingcsi

May I suggest:

Stovepipe Bird Trap. The stovepipe game bird trap is so simple.
Of course, I've used it on the grouse, and found that a 4-inch pipe works for them. My guess for quail would be the 2- or 3-inch pipe.
Materials needed:
1.(1) 6-inch diameter, 24-inch long stove pipe
2.piece of chicken wire, about 12-inches square
3.some duct tape
That's it. You take the chicken wire, form it around one end of the pipe, and duct tape the overlay nice and tight around the pipe. Place a trail of corn going into the pipe, and a pile or cob in the back. This has to be the easiest trap to make, and man does it work! Be careful when you pull the pheasants out. They are a feisty bird, and you had better have a good hold on them. Otherwise, they will fly off.

Interesting post sailingcsi
How does this work? Does the bird just enter the pipe to eat and then get stuck because it can't reverse out?

[sailingcsi]

In furtherance to my last....

This is the most humane trap in existence that doesn't cost a bundle... I made one for $7.25 CDN (including the cracked corn)...

By leading a trail of cracked corn into the pipe and putting a small mound inside the pipe, this will lead a bird into the trap....once you establish a feeding area, birds will come....hopefully a pheasant!

Why does it work? Ever see a bird walk backwards? If a bird can't spread its wings it won't move... hence the reason this trap works so well...

If you can't afford such extravagance in a trap, I suggest a 16 to 24 inch deep hole, 6 inches in diameter... fill the bottom with cracked corn (don't forget a leading trail)....a pheasant will attempt to get at the corn, what it doesn't realize is that it can't readily escape!!!

Then there is my old ojibwe favourite taught to me by my grandfathers, cut a piece of bark or hardy material like rawhide shape into a 4 or 5 inch long cone, put 4 tablespoons of processed pine sap and some seeds inside, you'll hopefully catch the bird you're after...once the bird gets its head inside the cone and gets into that seed, the sap will stick to its feathers... if it can't see it won't move... trust me!!! this is too damn funny walking on a pheasant with a birch bark cone on its head!!! Dunce cap of the wild you say? Good Times for sure!!!