Sparrowtraps.net Trap Issues – Unlucky…..

[dpurdue]

What type of door does Kage-all trap have?
Is it just a funnel door?
I couldn’t tell from the picture
What bait are you having the most luck with?
Hosp are starting to nest here in KC

[tamsea]

I must not have seen the right photo of the trap online because it didn’t look like a repeating trap. I’ll look again.

Tammy

[Countrygirl]

How is it going? trapping here so far this season (and its early and cold up here…) but so far I’ve caught two males with my trustee van-ert – tried using one as a decoy but the temps dropped and there was no point. in the past… my secret was always the DECOY.

[tamsea]

How cold did it get? The decoys last quite awhile if you cover them at night. Aren’t you up north somewhere? Canada? I’m trying to remember.

Tammy

[Scot]

I’m catching tons of sparrows in my DRST using white millet. Unfortunately, they are Song Sparrows or American Tree Sparrows, so I’m constantly releasing what I catch. Any thoughts?

I trapped and killed a male HOSP with a van-ert after he trapped, mutilated and killed a male Blue Bird in the nest box last week.

[Carol – Mid-Mo.]

Scott, seems like this year is particularly bad with HOSP killing our blues. Sorry that happened to you. Glad you got that HOSP – was the bluebird just scouting, or was there nest/eggs involved? We don’t want to forget to put up the sparrow spooker after 1st egg has been laid. That is one thing I am pretty faithful about. That VanErt trap is invaluable as far as I am concerned. I have deployed several HOSP this season with it and believe I will be ready to set it again today, since I am seeing a lot of activity with a pair at one of my boxes in particular. P.S. I do not have much luck with the repeating trap, however, as like you I catch everything except HOSP.

[tamsea]

Scot, did you put that House sparrow that you killed in your DRST as a decoy? That’s what you need to do. I’ve had my trap out for a week and caught nothing. Yesterday I trapped one with my VAn Ert and put him in the DRST and before dark I had another male in there. HOSP draws HOSP. I was only catching natives before this. So use your Van Ert to catch a decoy for the other trap. Even if you have to get another cheap box to use for that purpose.

Tammy

[dpurdue]

Have you considered using a two hole box ?
I would hate to see it happen again
Darrell in KC

[Scot]

Carol, the male was just scouting. No nest or eggs. I have a sparrow spooker and will deploy it as soon as I get my first egg.

Tammy, that is a great idea, thank you. The male HOSP I caught with my van ert was destroyed and disposed of. The next one I catch will be used as a decoy. Unfortunately, my days of using the van ert are coming to an end, as a pair of TRES has climed that box that the HOSP was trying to use. I’d hate to catch a TRES and scare them away from nesting there.

Darrell, my boxes only have one hole. I had no idea there were boxes with two holes. That seems like an amzingly simple solution to them being trapped and killed like that. I may try that next year if I can find that type of box at my local store. Do you have success with blues and TRES using boxes with multiple holes?

Thanks all for your input.

Scot
SE PA

[dpurdue]

I am just now getting the hosp under control so I haven’t had any nesting blues lately-but I did see a pair scouting last week and the hosp immediately trapped him or her in the box-no harm done but I didn’t want to take a chance so I just drilled another hole on the side of the box
You don’t have to buy a new box
Some good info on two -holers at
sialis.org
Good Luck
Darrell in KC

[dogsandbirds]

If you really want a 2-Hole Mansion, Fred has a plan you can download. http://nestboxbuilder.com/nestbox-plans-for-bluebirds.html

Gin
Atlanta, GA

[Author]

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