Ways to attract starlings?

F

FlipFlap

New member
Hi all.

I'm looking at getting a Gamo Whisper for some fun around the house. I have my computer desk setup in front of a window that looks out over the entire back yard. I was thinking about sitting there at my desk and taking out Starlings with the air rifle.

Only thing I can't really find is many ways to bring them into the yard. I know I've seem more than usual in the yard right after I mow the grass... I assume they are eating the bugs it stirs up.

I've also seen some people mention using bread or a Foxpro (which I don't have yet but are planning to aquire) ... any other methods out there?

Will they come in for bird seed if I spread it around the grass?

Any ideas are much appreciated.

-FlipFlap
 
Whelp. Just got some cracked corn and some black oil sunflower seeds... spread them around in the grass... we'll see what that brings in tomorrow.

Going to grab a dozen of those decoys also... I'm sure that will help out.

Thanks.

-FlipFlap
 
I use to kill a ton of them with bread I would pick up from the discount table. Break it up in pieces and spread it around in your range and have fun.
 
I may pick up some of those starlings if dad wants to try to clean up the starlings at my grandma's house. Thanks for the link
 
I just wash my truck and park it in the yard. Works every time. Starlings seem to come from every direction to crap on a freshly washed vehicle.
 
Starlings really hate birds of prey, they'll drive them out of their nesting areas by "dive bombing" them. You might try an owl decoy in a tree and see if that works.
If you have bare ground they'll come in to eat grass seed, but I doubt spreading that around in the grass will work, since they won't be able to see it.
Once you kill a couple, they get educated and they'll avoid the area for quite a while. I was never able to put much of a dent in the population when I was young, and believe me, I tried. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
 
Turn a sprinkler on in your yard on a hot day and all kinds of birds will show up.And they can't resist coming back to play in the water even after you put a hole in a buddy of theirs.Just leave the ones you shoot out in the yard and call them decoys and the cats will clean them up for you later on. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif
 
Whelp .. went ahead and got the Gamo Whisper today. Far more quite than I ever expected. Kids were playing bball not 30 yards away and they never even heard it go off. Inside the room it had noise... but only the spring really.

So far not a huge fan of the PBA stuff ... but it's ok.

The scope on it is much better than I was lead to believe per the many reviews that I read.

So.. they really starting coming in after I put some bread out there.

Today's totals.


10 - Grackels
1 - Starling
3 - House Sparrows

Not a bad day... had a great time.

Thanks for helping with ideas to get them in.

-FlipFlap
 
You might try my 'last supper' routine, if you really want to clean up on those starlings, and avoid educating the ones you aren't shooting. Put out a shallow cardboard box...an inch or so deep, put in the bread, and shoot them from about 30 yds. with a shotgun and #9 shot. You can get a dozen or more sometimes. Just make sure your pattern covers the entire area. Works great on English sparrows too.
 
Well.. another day.. some more fun. got a few more grackles yesterday... and my roommate got in on the mix as he saw how much fun it was.

yesterday for lunch we went down to one of the local gun stores and he got himself a Gamo Whisper.

Oddly I've only seen one Starling... but I see them all over the neighborhood... Tons of Grackles though.

All in all it's a good time.

Need to get some of those starling decoys from the link above... see if that will bring them in.

Oh .. I'd love to use the shotgun on them.. but kind of hard to do in the backyard in a residential area /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

I'll update.

Here are the totals.

2 Days.

17 - Grackles
1 - Starling
5 - House Sparrows
 
If you really want to get serious trap a few starling and the rest will return.
The best attractants are fresh fruit, dog food, and french fries.
We have killed thousands with air rifles. The state game dept killed the most of any state in the US here in the valley. They killed 650,000 using dog food and french fries as lure.
 
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