Now that I have your attention--certain birds are harmful to humans and human owned livestock. Some carry diseases in addition to just kinda "movin in" on a barn or outbuildin. I think I hate starlings the most but---sparrows are up purty close to the top too. These scoundrels run off my songbirds that I feed and love watchin. I get tired of shoot'm. I'ts expensive and sometimes hard wark. I'm not that patient to stand, hid waitin for the "ole Joe" [starlings] to show up within range of my old Ithica 12ga. pump. I got to thinkin again [dangerous time] there should be a better and easier way. I took a 10ft. joint of 3/4" pvc and put a T on one end. In that T I put 2 joints each 18" long. With a 12/wg romax-stuck one end in the end of one 18" pipe. Ran it to the other ind and done the same while threadin the rest of it down inside the 10ft joint. Taped it on the very ends of the 18" piece and stripped the insulation off all three wires on top. By running the black [hot] wire through a push button switch and then through a BIG Capacitor, from a big a/c, and then to a plugin. When an undesireable bird sets on that dude--push the button. With a small capacitor, they will just shake a little. Too much pain for'm then. With a BIG capacitor they donn't suffer any. It's instantous. This is similar to the "bug zappers" you see settin in pioples yards in the country. Now, I suppose I'll get flamed for postin this but in the country is a whole lot different than the cities and elsewhere. Life is tough our here at times and if something is takin money from you-then you have to deal with it. Somethings are not a "walk in the park". Matt. 24:44

-- hoot (hoot@pcinetwork.com), September 01, 2000

Answers

Years ago my 1/2 blind grand dad wired an electro magnet to a broom handel. He built a bird feeder about 12" wide ans 24" long, then mounted his "Bird whapper" on the end of the feeder. When the blue Jays would come around and scare off his song birds, Grandma who would see the birds out her kitchen window would call to grand dad "PA your jays are out there." Grand dad would go to the back dook and cup his hand to his eyes and look out the best he could, then throw the switch. WHAP!!! the broom handel (mounted to swing across the top of the feeder) Would swing across the top of the feed sending the Blue Jays into orbit. Graand dad died in 1983, we still have the "Bird Whapper"

-- Grant Eversoll (thegrange@earthlink.net), September 02, 2000.

I did virtually the same thing to keep squirrels out of the bird feeder. When I would see a squirrel in the feeder I would plug it into household current. Sooner or later the squirrel would touch both the hot and ground wire. Some did several sumersalts on the way down, but it didn't seem to hurt them.

-- Ken S. in TN (scharabo@aol.com), September 02, 2000.

P.S. You can buy birdshot for a .22. A lot cheaper than the 12 guage.

-- Ken S. in TN (scharabo@aol.com), September 02, 2000.

I have mousetraps hanging in my tomatoe plants and rat traps just after I plant my bean section, mousetraps for bird and rattraps for squirrels. Never killed any but scared them off pretty good. Need to do it regurlarly because they come back. Ada

-- Aagje Franken (Backyard@AOL.com), September 02, 2000.

if you shoot at em enough, in the same clothing,, you can rig up a scarecrow that looks like you, it should keep em away,, say that trick in "birds and blooms"

-- Stan (sopal@net-port.com), September 03, 2000.

Shooting at them starlings can get very expensive all winter long. Soon as the snow lays on the ground they invade my chicken yard. Twelve gage does wonderful on them,You only get one shot then they are gone for a few minutes then they are back. Best I do is roughly 12 or 14 with with one shot. Best I ever done is 18 with one shot,but it does get expensive so I will try zaping them come winter. Joe (Hope the bird lovers would take them and feed them)

-- Mary Welshko (marwel@microserve.net), September 03, 2000.

would this be any different than opening a restaurant and then shooting customers if they couldnt sing and if its so hard in the country how can you afford feeding w/birds shouldnt that money go towards feeding family and or livestock

-- matt (shoothoot@pcinetwork.com), September 05, 2000.

I have plenty of bird crap all over my equipment, and if anyone doesn't like the idee of shooting or zapping them, just think of this: When I was in the Navy, in Maryland, we had pigeons spreading lice all over the aircraft in the hangars, the envyrnmentalpatients tried noisemakers, nets, scarythingys, all kinds of pussyfied ways to chase out those pigeons. We even had open season some nights, and would move all the planes out and shoot with .410's at em. The best solution, however, was when the falconer was brought in, and his kick- butt aviator would knock them down and chew their brains out of the back of their little heads. Now THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT !!! I am going to try the pvc zapper, but I intend to add a touchswitch and put mine on automatic. If it's in my pole shed, 20 feet off the ground, it aint supposed to be there. Oh, I suppose I will keep an eye on it, so's noone IMPORTANT gets hurt....

-- Dan Conine (dconine@dotnet.com), September 08, 2000.

for starlings you let them get used to you and you can hang around pretty close.(it takes a while)But you take a bait cast net and when they are sitting there you throw it up and catch the flock. it works wouners!

-- ross (theamazingross@juno.com), April 03, 2001.