For those that use feral pigeons

[Chukar Chaser]

I have been catching quite a few pigeons lately at a farm nearby. I just started trying to use them this weekend and am having problems. How do you get the pigeons to stay on the ground? I am tucking the birds head under the wing and spinning it about 25 times before I put it down. It seems like it is going to stay, but when I come back with the dog about 5 minutes later, the bird is gone. Any suggestions?

[ymepointer]

Well that is the thing about feral pigeons, they are tough as a boot and leave as soon as they regain there wits about them... I used release traps with the ones I used but you could try toe bury them in some deeper cover. I also remember Paul long used to use a sled type of trap that was basically a piece of light plywood with a hole in the middle and runners on the bottom. it had a chicken wire dome over the hole and a string attached to it. the trainer places the bird on the ground covers with the sled and it sort of sits there looking out the top until you pull the sled over the bird. pulling the sled over the bird distrubs it enough that it flys imediately away. You could also use a manual tip up trap like those sold a LCS if you don't have a remote releaser or you could use a pigeon pole setup.

[Benny]

Hey Chuk, I was thinking about trapping down here in Corvallis after reading a post by Ymepointer. Did you locate the source first or did you just start baiting a trap and waiting? Also, did you leave the wire-bob door open for a couple days or just start trapping the first day?

Sorry for the hijack

[Brittguy]

Sounds like you should have no problems. When you place them on the ground are you laying them on the side that has the head under the wing? I feel that helps.

[R-Middleton]

If you put their head under the wing on the ground side and pull their feet straight out for a second with the body pressed to the ground until the feet stay straight, they will stay for a little while, but a release trap is the best and most reliable. Much less chance of the dog catching the pigeon.

Ray Middleton

[Don]

If you put their head under the wing on the ground side and pull their feet straight out for a second with the body pressed to the ground until the feet stay straight, they will stay for a little while, but a release trap is the best and most reliable. Much less chance of the dog catching the pigeon.

Ray Middleton

That and I cover them with a bit of grass or maybe some type of very small bush that push's down just a bit. To get them to come around on their own I dizzy them and throw them into some type of cover. Done well they usually stay down long enough to get the dog back out and onto them.

[RayGubernat]

A longtime poster on another board uses a baby sock(to which a string is tied) over the pigeon's head. a quick spin and put the bird into a piece of cover. A pull on the string and the pigeon is gone.

Never tried it myself, but he has said on several occasions that it works well to keep the pigeon on the ground.

Might be worth a try if you don't have remote launchers.

RayG

[GsPJustin]

Couple of thoughts...

One, 5 minutes is a long time for a planted bird, even a pen raised, much less a tough wild bird.

Another, try dizzying the bird before you tuck the head. It usually works a bit better.

[Higgins]

Here is a video of how we use the Higgins Remote Releasers. They work well at keeping a bird in the area till you get back with the dog. Nice, natural flushes too. Sometimes I'll put four quail in them. Boy, that gets the dogs attention!

http://s83.photobucket.com/albums/j316/ ... easer2.flv

Brad Higgins
Higgins Gundogs

[Chukar Chaser]

Thanks for the replies. I have one remote launcher, but have been trying to put out three or four birds total. I will try a few of the methods listed and see if they work. If not, I'll stick with the launcher.

[Greg Jennings]

Leave the head out when you shake it up. Shake up the bird till its head is lolling around. THEN put the head under a wing and plant the bird with the wing with the head under it down.

If you can't get the bird dizzy just shaking them up, use a motion like a fast-pitch softball pitcher. Windmill them till they're drunk, then put them down as described above. Be more careful with this, though and only do it if you can't get them to sit down just shaking them.

[owen]

If you are running broke dogs try a tube sock. I cut the toe open on an old tube sock, push the bird in the toe end. (Don't let his head poke out the elastic end or he will struggle til he worms out). I give the toe end a jerk and he pops out and flys. He was never dizzied so he will fly well. I can carry sevral of these already loaded with birds in my game bag and drop them as I go. Cheap bird launcher.

[dog dr]

i tie a peice of cardboard (about 8" x 8" or so) to a leg with a peice of twine or shoe lace, etc, and then either plant them or give them a good toss. they can fly well, but just not very far (50 yards or so, usually). sometimes if you get a real good flyer, you just need to make your peice of cardboard bigger. i have heard others use a peice of rubber hose, or a big washer, anything to slow them down. what i like about it for a dog is that if the dog is steady, or you have it on a check cord, the bird can fly off a ways down the feild and then go down, and you can go find him again. some people dont like this method because they will occasionally fly far enough to get into a tree, or get tangled in the tree, but i never had one that i couldnt get out of the tree. check out http://www.thecheckcord.com for a good discussion of this method. go down to the bottom of the page and click on "playing the pigeon wildcard".

[Rick Hall]

A longtime poster on another board uses a baby sock(to which a string is tied) over the pigeon's head. a quick spin and put the bird into a piece of cover. A pull on the string and the pigeon is gone.

Never tried it myself, but he has said on several occasions that it works well to keep the pigeon on the ground.

Might be worth a try if you don't have remote launchers.

RayG

Tuck the string and flagging into the sock, and you can carry a half dozen such "launchers" in your pocket.

[Benny]

I love it!

[donnie_19]

Just make sure your young dog is on a cc so he can't jump in.

[GsPJustin]

Question about the carded birds.

Has anyone experienced a time where the dog was confused by the cardboard? I know I would look at it pretty funny if I say a bird with a sheet of cardboard strapped to its leg. Looking for a way to keep my new pigeons catchable until there roosted. Oh, and is it both legs or just one?

[bwjohn]

I do not know if the cardboard bothers dogs, but it is a common practice to put things on the legs of the birds, so they can not fly as far or away. I have also seen people use small pieces of a garden water hose.

Brandon

[Rick Hall]

Question about the carded birds.

Has anyone experienced a time where the dog was confused by the cardboard? I know I would look at it pretty funny if I say a bird with a sheet of cardboard strapped to its leg. Looking for a way to keep my new pigeons catchable until there roosted. Oh, and is it both legs or just one?

Back when we were in the same boat you are, I didn't find my dogs bothered by the cardboard but, rather, using it as a sight cue to where the birds were. Switching to lengths of garden hose helped with that, but didn't solve the problem common to both of birds so encumbered coming up lame. Presumably from pulling on their drags and having them snag on cover.

What helped with that was rigging cheap elastic sunglasses keeper straps (don't know if they've a better name) into shackles with slip knots on its ends: one to be snugged down on each of a bird's legs to divide and cushion any shocks.

But, in any event, you'll be so sick of fooling with drags and trying to match them to each bird's particular strength and disposition that you'll feel like using homers that do so, instead, is like being released from your own shackles...

[dog dr]

neither of my dogs seemed to have any problems with the cardboard. i didnt seem to have any lameness issues with the birds either, but i may not have used mine as much as some. i will admit that i have homers now!

[GsPJustin]

I have racing homers now, but they are laying pairs that I bought, and would like to get some use out of them now rather then the alternative of waiting 4-7 months for the babies to be old enough to use. For some reason I don't like the hose, seems to clumsy. I was thinking of tying on a 20ft piece of string or something in addition to the cardboard for easier retrieval. However Id really like the birds not to get caught TO close to the dogs.

[Sandy Meador]

That baby sock w/a string is about the coolest thing I have seen in yrs.!!!! Gotta try that.

I trap pigeons for a small Town that I train near. I've got access to several roof tops in the downtown area where I bait and trap them. I've got a small coop at my house where I keep 12 - 15 that home. But when I get too many, I just band them and then let them fly back into Town. And they get recaught. They get really used to the cycle, and I've caught over 700 (different) in the last 10 yrs.!!!

[Rick Hall]

Use dark colored socks.

[wems2371]

My husband made these off of an idea that someone else posted on GDF, and they work great. I originally had the garden hose hobbles, but was looking for a less visible way...and something that I could put on the birds right at the coop and still have it fit easily in my bird bag. I believe the orginal poster had mentioned 2 oz sinkers. For the 3 big homers I was using, that let them get farther out than I wanted, so I believe I have a total of 3 oz sinkers on these. The toggles orginally came off my LCS garden hose hobbles, but I also snagged a few off of old lawn chair bags, and you can buy lightweight cording just about anywhere. We could probably shorten up the string and it'd probably be better for the bird to separate the weights for both legs...although I haven't had a lame bird from them. Nice thing is that you can plant the bird on foot, or if you have nice cover (no nearby trees)--you can just throw the bird up and work wherever it lands and not have to worry about cardboard or hose being visible. Even though I have established homers and launchers, I still mix these hobbled birds in every now and then to help break it up for my dog that likes to track hand plantings. Denise

[Benny]

Very nice. We have a place in Corvallis that is a fabric store specializing in outdoor gear. They have all the strings, snaps, cords, sliders and buckles you could dream of. I'll have to see if I can copy this

[ymepointer]

Hey Chuk, I was thinking about trapping down here in Corvallis after reading a post by Ymepointer. Did you locate the source first or did you just start baiting a trap and waiting? Also, did you leave the wire-bob door open for a couple days or just start trapping the first day?

Sorry for the hijack

Hey Benny,
I found the birds roosting area and then put the trap as close as possible. find a bridge over the Willamette and see if you can get it on a support piling. My honey hole was in Eugene, and it was kinda hard gettin out to but it was worth it for a consistent supply of pigeons. Definately flip the trap over and feed for a week or so to releave the birds natural fear of the trap, then flip that sucker over and you will have full traps ever after.

[Benny]

Hey Benny,
I found the birds roosting area and then put the trap as close as possible. find a bridge over the Willamette and see if you can get it on a support piling. My honey hole was in Eugene, and it was kinda hard gettin out to but it was worth it for a consistent supply of pigeons. Definately flip the trap over and feed for a week or so to releave the birds natural fear of the trap, then flip that sucker over and you will have full traps ever after.

Hey Yme, what did you end up using for bait? I heard whole kernel corn, but didn't know if I had to get cobs and cut 'em up or if I could cheat with bird seed or something.

[Sandy Meador]

Hey Benny -

Use whole corn - bird seed, millet, etc... attracts small birds (starlings here) and they are a pain. I just bought a 50 lb. bag of corn, $7 and change at Southern States.

[ymepointer]

Yep whole kernal or chicken scratch is what I remember using, Pigeons are not too picky.