Starling Decoy? Will this work?

Jump to latest Follow Reply
B

Brian_D_Smith

Member
Jan 12, 2020
39
0
Illinois
I bought a couple feathered crow decoys and tried to paint them up a bit with stuff I had laying around. Glued them to a piece of wood with a nail through it to stick in the ground so the wind wont blow them over. Prototype #1 for testing, hoping they will entice the starlings to land. I see them flying tree top to tree top around my area but they don't land in my yard even though I have many feeders and lots of other birds around. What do you think of them? Think they will work? I used sharpie paint marker for the white spots and brushed acrylic paint on the feet and beak because thats all I had and didn't feel like buying anything else. If they work I might buy some more and try to make them look a bit nicer with an airbrush or some model paint just for fun. 

1581047959_15110266885e3ce097e3b4e3.19773868_IMG_8294.jpg


Edit: Here is my second one that is going to be put on the a perch, while the other on the ground near the feeder.

1581133207_6940653525e3e2d97d89d34.61955082_IMG_8309.jpg


1581133217_11538543255e3e2da1c4ee99.06643112_IMG_8308.jpg

edit edit : So I had a dadgum fox attack one of my decoys, he ripped the wings out of it lol. I then took the advice of one of the commenters and cut the tail feathers. I also made plastic corrugated board cut outs of starling silhouettes and stuck them in a tree. I had about 6 starlings show up today but they didn’t stick around long. I think these are all working, I’m going to let them get comfortable for a while before I start whacking them. 



1581440608_10253478335e42de603f4877.72438196_E8603DF2-F41F-4E4E-8344-6FCB781A96B5.jpeg
1581440609_20851643775e42de61767d34.45457000_7376C343-E597-49FA-B94B-9408728F5EDD.jpeg
1581440610_15199315455e42de62dfa448.46062690_EF471EC2-85EB-4F29-AF92-F0CE1220E63C.jpeg





 
I’d shoot it
1f602.svg


I too need to attract those. They roost during the day in a neighbors tree about 100 yards away from my yard. But they never come close enough for me to shoot them. 


 I got started in this hobby because sparrows decided to nest in my yard. Prlly shot over 100 last year just in my yard alone. Now they are all gone for the most part and I’m left with nothing to shoot at. 😩

Glad I’m not the only one who thinks about attracting pests lol. I figure it’s doing a good deed attracting them to a place where I can kill them rather than have them fly around and kill our native birds. I’m also going to try and get some permissions on other properties this year so hopefully I can really do some damage to em.
Click to expand...


 
Upvote 0
The decoy look good, like a giant starling. As far as decoys placement goes, some birds don't mind landing on the ground and other's do. That being said, do you ever see them having landed on the ground by your feeders with the other birds? It may be that you aren't seeing starlings around the ground by the feeding birds because they don't like to land on the ground because they aren't used to taking flight from the ground. Coaxing them to do so with a decoy bait bird may work, but the better approach may be to use the bait bird slightly elevated on a roost. That way the other starlings see it as natural and will land easily on the stand and be unwary while you take aim.
 
Upvote 0
The decoy look good, like a giant starling. As far as decoys placement goes, some birds don't mind landing on the ground and other's do. That being said, do you ever see them having landed on the ground by your feeders with the other birds? It may be that you aren't seeing starlings around the ground by the feeding birds because they don't like to land on the ground because they aren't used to taking flight from the ground. Coaxing them to do so with a decoy bait bird may work, but the better approach may be to use the bait bird slightly elevated on a roost. That way the other starlings see it as natural and will land easily on the stand and be unwary while you take aim.
Click to expand...

I have an empty lot behind my house, nothing but grass and weeds that gets mowed shortish. I have seen them land on the ground out there near my ground feeder and one came to the feeder but they all left immediately. I shoot and observe from inside so there is no way they see me. I can see them flying around during the day flying from tree top to tree top. Probably a flock of about 50 or so. But they never land here or feed. Sometimes just land in the tree tops near my place.. I have multiple feeders, one suet feeder in a tree. One ground feeder with cracked corn and sunflower seed. Tube feeder with the same, and a hanging tray feeder with sun and safflower. I’m planning on building a large post mounted fly through feeder with a roof, I feel that will be the best to attract all the birds. I also think the birds are sketched out in my area because of the birds of prey. I started attracting birds and all the hawks and what not have followed. Not complaining I love seeing those, just wish I had more pests to shoot lol 
 
Upvote 0
Starlings are always at my suet cakes. Unfortunately I can't shoot them because the cakes are hanging and a miss or pass thru would damage property. They are smart birds and like crows have look outs to warn of danger. I've read of airguners placing dry cat food and cheese puff balls to attract them. I've tried both. The cat food brought in raccoons, and the cheese balls brought in crows.
 
Upvote 0
You got to keep up with the baiting, I have switched to chicken scratch feed that I get for 50 LBS for 10 bucks at Tractor supply, I switch to whole corn some times to change it up.

The wild bird feed is like 28 bucks for 25 LBS , Just gets to expensive , 

The squarrels even like the Chicken scratch , But there on the no shoot list as just not enough of them around yet.

Mike
 
Upvote 0
Starlings are always at my suet cakes. Unfortunately I can't shoot them because the cakes are hanging and a miss or pass thru would damage property. They are smart birds and like crows have look outs to warn of danger. I've read of airguners placing dry cat food and cheese puff balls to attract them. I've tried both. The cat food brought in raccoons, and the cheese balls brought in crows.
Click to expand...

Cheese balls like Cheetos? Or like actual cheese? I saw one lone starling at the suet one day but didn’t stay long. I think I will put another one of those out 
 
Upvote 0
You got to keep up with the baiting, I have switched to chicken scratch feed that I get for 50 LBS for 10 bucks at Tractor supply, I switch to whole corn some times to change it up.

The wild bird feed is like 28 bucks for 25 LBS , Just gets to expensive , 

The squarrels even like the Chicken scratch , But there on the no shoot list as just not enough of them around yet.

Mike
Click to expand...

I buy cracked corn and sunflower in bulk and mix them. The sunflower is for native cardinals and corn was for sparrows. It is cheap here at farm and fleet on sale for $7 for 50lbs at times. I’ve had a look over at the chicken feed, what do you put the chicken feed in like what kind of feeder are the starlings coming to?
 
Upvote 0
Nice decoy Brian. I wonder if having a group might be better. They may feel safer if they see a group. Starlings are very smart for sure. In the spring they come to check all cavities for nesting and I always get a few at the flicker boxes. I’m thinking about putting up more boxes in the spring just to lure them in. This could also be the perfect excuse/reason to buy a long range .177 and a high magnification scope so you can reach them! 😂 
 
Upvote 0
They roost during the day in a neighbors tree about 100 yards away from my yard.

But they never come close enough for me to shoot them. 
Click to expand...



I feel your pain! 😟 

But Dave has already unwrapped this incredible blessing in disguise for you!



This could also be the perfect [...] reason to buy a long range .177 and a high magnification scope so you can reach them!
Click to expand...



What are you waiting for?!

Airgun fate has decided. All you need to do now is follow its lead:



(1) Get online.

(2) Ask your forum enablers for recommendations for a 100 yard pesting gun.

(3) Make a comparison table of your fav's to narrow it down.

(4) And click the Put-in-Cart button...!

It's so simple!!! 😄 🤣



Happy shopping,

Matthias


 
Upvote 0
Last spring before the tree's got leaf's I shot a starling that got hung up in the tree, about every starling that flew by and spotted that dead 1 swung in for a look at ther buddy and I was ready for them! Long story short I gathered the dead and froze some, later when I needed a decoy out came the fishing pole and I would cast 1 up in that tree!!! It worked to decoy some in!!! Call me crazy but it wrks for me!!! I was a bird taxidermist for a lot of yrs so have'n birds in a freezer is just part of being a hunter...
 
Upvote 0
I too have had this problem, I live on 10 acres just out of town and we have litterally thousands of starlings getting around at first I could get at them with my 177 springer at around 30 to 40 yards.

But that increased to 100 or so and I can't use a 22 just too many small farm's.

So I purchased a my first PCP a hatsan airmax .22 and it really shoots well with the new FX slugs and once I learned the trajectory I have accounted for many more.

But my tip is try using your phone with starling mating/ nesting calls played through a Bluetooth speaker!

I get random birds popping up in the tree tops well within range but combined with your decoys and food... Could be a real winner but yes a good quality PCP is needed 
 
Upvote 0
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom
Back
Home
Forums
Resources
Menu