How To Catch Wild Pigeons

[bb560m]

Real sick of paying $3/bird when I see these dumb things all over the place. How does one go about catching them?

Thanks!

[topher40]

Do a search on here, there are TONS of threads on how to trap or catch pigeons. A real wealth of info!

[fuzznut]

Boy does this question bring back some fun memories!
Many many many years ago we would get a gang together around 9 pm, all had long nets,flashlights, some bird boxes, and of course a case or two of beer. We would head out to a local bridge that we knew had pigeons roosting under it.

Then around midnight, when there was little to no traffic we would head to the bridge, shine the lights up into the rafters and start snagging birds as they flew. It was crazy, but effective. One night a policeman stopped to find out what the heck we were doing... once he found out, he just told us to be careful and left.

Today... I wouldn't try it! We would be arrested for some kind of animal cruelty. Ahhhh, the good old days!
Fuzz

[Gertie]

I bought a pigeon trap and bait it with bird seed and frozen corn and put it in a spot that I know the pigeons roost. I usually set it up just after dark and by the time I go check it in the morning I usually have 2-3 birds (generally the exact same ones). I've only been taking the birds a couple miles away and they seem to be homing right back to the roost so it's working alright and I've been doing it for a couple months. I'm really looking forward to moving soon and building a loft but in the interim, what I've been doing has been a pretty good deal.

[bb560m]

I should add I'm in a metro area - I could probably go at night under a freeway. I called the local police and department of wildlife and they said it's fine.

[DonF]

I should add I'm in a metro area - I could probably go at night under a freeway. I called the local police and department of wildlife and they said it's fine.

Don't br to sure of that. A friend and I caught them in a park in downtown Portland years ago! Metro areas usually hace old deserted buildings around too, great place to catch them. Old house's nobody has lived in for years often have a lot in them too. Check it durning the day and find out how they are coming and going. Go in at night, block theyr exit, turn on your flashlight and go around picking them up. If there's much light, take a long handle net and net them. When you net them, always bring the net from behind them. Put it in fvront and most of them will dodge the net.

[Dirtysailor]

Fuzznut we are still using that method and laughing all the way.

[bb560m]

Fuzznut we are still using that method and laughing all the way.

What type of net do you use?

[gotpointers]

I. Bought a toprail for chainlink fence, the type that has a flared end and a slighty crimped opposite end. Cut it in half so i can reverse the ends and make it a breakdown 24 ft handle that transports in 12 ft sections. I use just a cheap large fishing net duct taped after i insert the net handle into the toprail end. Battery powered rechargeable spotlight works best to blind em.

[C.painter]

Like others said. But a nice high powered head lamp works best, hands free then!

[JIM K]

i use pigeon trap and box to keep them for a day or 2.then train with them witin 2 miles of where i caught them,they fly right to same spot,wait a week and recatch same ones again.

NO FEEDING OR BUILDING A PIGEON COUP ETC. you dont want to train your young dog more than say 1 time a week or 2 on pigeons.

[Redfishkilla]

I haven't tried this but I know it will work. Go to a place where some old lady has feed and tamed up pretty good. Stand there and feed em with a big cast net, like the ones used for catching bait fish, and chunk it over those suckers. You could even stand behind a piling of a bridge at an overpass. The key would be to put the feed in a small spot to get em bunched up and be good with your cast net. If you wanted to get real crazy about it you could use a scare crow to get them used to feeding next to a person. I bet they’d learn quickly about the net though.

[Hattrick]

$3 a bird man you got it made $5 around here is cheap its more like $6-7 and chuckers $8 and up.

[codym]

Has anyone ever tried getting them drunk? Ive heard that if you soak popcorn in some kind of alcohol then feed it to the birds they will get buzzed and fall asleep, then you can go pick them up. Don't know if it would work or if it was just a bunch of bs but it sounds like an entertaining weekend if it does!