Jump to content

Bird Zappers


Recommended Posts

Corinna killed her second bird today. She jumped and caught it in mid air at least 4 ft off the ground. The first time was this summer and it was just a baby black bird learning to fly so pretty easy, but this was an adult dove.

 

I know she is just doing what she is programmed to do but it's pretty disturbing for me. At least she killed both of them in one bite so they didn't suffer but still.

 

Anyone else have a bird zapper? and anyone with suggestions on ways to help prevent this from happening again, like a bell around her collar or something like that.

Hobbes-Ricard Hatch09/23/99-12/21/09 Always loved, never forgotten. Wally TNJ Boy Howdy, GLS Genuinerisk Corinna

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Mine zapped two field mice and two gopher snakes in the first three weeks and then never again. Never even tried again. I felt sad for the snakes, but not for the mice... and figured, well, it's just what hunters do. Tracker also was DETERMINED to get down every gopher hole in the universe, but eventually lost interest in that, too. Maybe it'll fade with Corinna, too! A bell might be worth a try, though I've heard that people have tried this with their outdoor cats and it didn't do a thing.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don't mind it at all, it's just what they do. Summer has also taken a bird from the air. I'm hoping she'll catch a big fat rabbit in the back yard AND that I can get to her in time to collect it... so hubby can prep it and roast it!

SummerGreytalkSignatureResized-1.jpg

Lisa B.

My beautiful Summer - to her forever home May 1, 2010 Summer

Certified therapy dog team with St. John Ambulance

Link to comment
Share on other sites

George caught a big fat robin once, but he let it go before killing it. It lost a bunch of tail feather but ran off!

 

I don't know that you need to do anything. Circle of life and all...


Hamish-siggy1.jpg

Susan,  Hamish,  Mister Bigglesworth and Nikita Stanislav. Missing Ming, George, and Buck

Link to comment
Share on other sites

George caught a big fat robin once, but he let it go before killing it. It lost a bunch of tail feather but ran off!

 

I don't know that you need to do anything. Circle of life and all...

 

I understand the circle of life but she's not eating them just killing them. She is a well feed dog and doesn't need to kill anything for survival. I realize she is a hunter by nature and I don't want to take that away from her, I just want to give the prey a better chance. It really does upset me seeing her kill an innocent animal, I can't even imagine how hard it would be to see her kill a rabbit.

Hobbes-Ricard Hatch09/23/99-12/21/09 Always loved, never forgotten. Wally TNJ Boy Howdy, GLS Genuinerisk Corinna

Link to comment
Share on other sites

emily used to catch doves in our yard, the only clue i had was a circle of feathers( :eek )- it looked like a satanic ritual

 

felix caught his first bird at 9 weeks. i was trying to figure out what kind of toy he was running around w/ a grayish brown thing w/ a red end- he ate the head

 

the annie attack: plucks them clean and leaves me bodies scattered around the yard. she also zapped on while being boarded, a red ecluctus parrot :unsure

 

i am waiting to find a dead squirrel, but we seem to have some pretty clever and nible squirrels they still are jumping from tree to tree! ;)

Edited by cleptogrey
Link to comment
Share on other sites

One word - muzzle.

 

I have two that love to catch birds. Dude did catch a couple in the air last summer. I can't figure out if Toni is chasing them off her property or just likes running after them. She hasn't caught any, but her hope springs eternal.

Chris - Mom to: Felicity (DeLand), and Andi (Braska Pandora)

52592535884_69debcd9b4.jpgsiggy by Chris Harper, on Flickr

Angels: Libby (Everlast), Dorie (Dog Gone Holly), Dude (TNJ VooDoo), Copper (Kid's Copper), Cash (GSI Payncash), Toni (LPH Cry Baby), Whiskey (KT's Phys Ed), Atom, Lilly

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Rhett was our bird zapper. I'd open the back door into the yard and before I could even blink, he'd catch a bird, kill it and then come and drop it at my feet as if he was giving me a gift. He did this twice, then we moved the bird feeder out of the fenced in yard. That fence did provide Rhett and Scarlett with ample opportunity to catch rabbits (and get tape worms :repuke ). Dixie is a skilled mouse hunter. They are just driving her nuts with all their tunnels under the snow in the yard.

 

Annette

Annette, mom to Banjo (AJN Spider Man) & Casey (kitty), wife to Roy. Mom to bridgekids: Wheat (GH), Icabod (GH), Scarlett (Cab's Peg Bundy), Rhett (Kiowa Day Juice), Dixie (Pazzo Dixie), Pogo/Gleason (Rambunctious), and Miriam (Miriam of Ruckus) and Spooky, Taffy, Garfield, & Lefty (kitties)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

One word - muzzle.

 

I have two that love to catch birds. Dude did catch a couple in the air last summer. I can't figure out if Toni is chasing them off her property or just likes running after them. She hasn't caught any, but her hope springs eternal.

 

Duh, I'm dense. A muzzle didn't even cross my mind. Such a simple solution. Thanks : )

Hobbes-Ricard Hatch09/23/99-12/21/09 Always loved, never forgotten. Wally TNJ Boy Howdy, GLS Genuinerisk Corinna

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm not enthusiastic about the "play with the prey" thing but, from what I hear, the greys don't do that. A reasonably quick kill is fine. Greytluck, I'm not sure why you're so upset about it. People, even when there are bylaws about it, let their cats out and they kill lots of things. As do all the animals in the wild. I guess Corinna is just seeing it as a really fun thing to do, since she's not eating them.

SummerGreytalkSignatureResized-1.jpg

Lisa B.

My beautiful Summer - to her forever home May 1, 2010 Summer

Certified therapy dog team with St. John Ambulance

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm not enthusiastic about the "play with the prey" thing but, from what I hear, the greys don't do that. A reasonably quick kill is fine. Greytluck, I'm not sure why you're so upset about it. People, even when there are bylaws about it, let their cats out and they kill lots of things. As do all the animals in the wild. I guess Corinna is just seeing it as a really fun thing to do, since she's not eating them.

 

I realize it's fun for Corinna but that's not the point. I'm not in any way upset with her, she is doing what she was breed to do. I just hate seeing animals die needlessly as I'm quite fond of most wild life.

 

I have 3 cats and this is a huge reason they are strictly indoor cats. I cant control what other people do. I'm going to muzzle the pups and hopefully I wont need to clean up any more dead birds.

Hobbes-Ricard Hatch09/23/99-12/21/09 Always loved, never forgotten. Wally TNJ Boy Howdy, GLS Genuinerisk Corinna

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I wouldn't muzzle them outside just because of a couple of birds. IMHO, that seems like over-reacting. If it was a bird every time she goes out, that would be something to consider. But you said this is only the 2nd time and in how long?

SummerGreytalkSignatureResized-1.jpg

Lisa B.

My beautiful Summer - to her forever home May 1, 2010 Summer

Certified therapy dog team with St. John Ambulance

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I wouldn't muzzle them outside just because of a couple of birds. IMHO, that seems like over-reacting. If it was a bird every time she goes out, that would be something to consider. But you said this is only the 2nd time and in how long?

 

 

Lets just agree to disagree on this one : )

Hobbes-Ricard Hatch09/23/99-12/21/09 Always loved, never forgotten. Wally TNJ Boy Howdy, GLS Genuinerisk Corinna

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I adopted a 10 year old Mama dog and the first walk we went on she just "reached out" and picked the bird from the air. She didn't even pull on the leash! I was so astonished I couldn't even react. After a couple days enjoying the yard she quickly decided that the wild flower garden in the back of the yard was a snack bar killing three birds in three days. I went out and cut down all the flowers and planted ornamental grass outside the fence for the birds. I didn't get mad at her, she was just doing what her instinct told her to do. I just decided it wasn't fair to the birds to give them a "sanctuary" only for my girl to eat them. One robin and two doves. :(

june

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Do you have a beautiful, flower and shrub and tree filled back yard? That will certainly be attractive to the birds. Certain things are more attractive to birds and perhaps you can remove those if you have any?

 

Edit: If I wanted to reduce my backyard birds, my "attractant" is the 11' cedar hedges down both sides. They are filled with birds all year round.

Edited by OwnedBySummer

SummerGreytalkSignatureResized-1.jpg

Lisa B.

My beautiful Summer - to her forever home May 1, 2010 Summer

Certified therapy dog team with St. John Ambulance

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest 4dogscrazy

ugh I feel your pain....at least five rabbits, three birds and one vole stomped to death :( Mine have learned to hunt together to corner the rabbits in a part of the fence they can't get out. The last one they played tug of war with it while it was still alive. Had to wake my husband up to get the shovel (when it stopped running, they lost interest). It was a blood bath. So....

 

muzzled always (although as I said they will also stomp on prey)

very many large lights added to light up the yard at night (it looks like a prison yard) lol

no bird feeders, much to my dismay

clear the yard, every single time before they go out. very annoying but it works

 

Not much you can do about the fly by birdies, just pray it's quick and painless. I hate it too...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

ugh I feel your pain....at least five rabbits, three birds and one vole stomped to death :( Mine have learned to hunt together to corner the rabbits in a part of the fence they can't get out. The last one they played tug of war with it while it was still alive. Had to wake my husband up to get the shovel (when it stopped running, they lost interest). It was a blood bath. So....

 

muzzled always (although as I said they will also stomp on prey)

very many large lights added to light up the yard at night (it looks like a prison yard) lol

no bird feeders, much to my dismay

clear the yard, every single time before they go out. very annoying but it works

 

Not much you can do about the fly by birdies, just pray it's quick and painless. I hate it too...

 

A cat almost lost it's life to Corinna a few months ago, it's only saving grace was that Wally has zero prey drive. He literally looked at the cat then his ball and went for the ball. If the two of them had been on it, there would have been no chance.

Hobbes-Ricard Hatch09/23/99-12/21/09 Always loved, never forgotten. Wally TNJ Boy Howdy, GLS Genuinerisk Corinna

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest KennelMom

Oh yes. We have a couple bird zappers. The most proficient, by far, is Scout...which is suprising because she's blind in one eye. I wouldn't think she had the depth perception to leap up and take them out of the air- but she does! We've had to dispatch a few, but the dogs are usually pretty good at making the kill. It's sad, but that's nature at work. In the spring, all the little birds who aren't good at getting away end up not making it very long. Same with rabbits, squirrels and other small critters in our back yard.

 

I also wouldn't muzzle just to protect birds. They're wild animals...if they can be caught by a dog, odds are they'll be caught by another predator. Nature will always cull the weak.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest zombrie

Mira wants to be a bird zapper, but she isn't quick enough :P When I first brought her home, she and Caesar attacked a baby bird that fell out of it's nest with it's mother yelling at them from above. They didn't kill it (immediately at least) I brought them back inside and went out to check out the baby bird and it was gone, nowhere to be found :unsure

Edited by zombrie
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest WhenIGiveIn

One word of advice about the muzzles solution... I acutally avoid muzzles if I dont have fosters or boarding dogs (just my dogs all get a long fine) because when they wear a muzzle it doesnt stop them from hunting it stops them from being proficient hunters and then I have half dead and broken critters in my yard. My crew acutally caught a rabbit while muzzles but because they couldnt just snap its neck like normal, they ended up pounding it with their muzzles till it died. MUCH worse than just letting them hunt.

 

Isis Also still catches birds with a muzzle on. Its a little harder and sometimes they just end up with a broken with (and then the same fate as the bunny above) Its way nicer to just let it be.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest Shermanator

Back East where I am originally from, the area in which I lived had a huge bird problem- they were EVERYWHERE, and a lot of them. They'd poop everywhere, all over the house, the sidewalk, your car and do a lot of damage. At dusk was the worst time, and we'd all go out with something that make a lot of noise to scare them off. (Some neighbors used pots and pans, another used an air horn! :blink: ) Anyway, after several weeks, the huge group of birds stopped congrgating in that area - due to all the noise. And, a lot of farms would use bird cannons to keep the birds from destroying their crops. (Bird cannons are cannons that make a lot of noise to scare birds off.)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

One word of advice about the muzzles solution... I acutally avoid muzzles if I dont have fosters or boarding dogs (just my dogs all get a long fine) because when they wear a muzzle it doesnt stop them from hunting it stops them from being proficient hunters and then I have half dead and broken critters in my yard. My crew acutally caught a rabbit while muzzles but because they couldnt just snap its neck like normal, they ended up pounding it with their muzzles till it died. MUCH worse than just letting them hunt.

 

Isis Also still catches birds with a muzzle on. Its a little harder and sometimes they just end up with a broken with (and then the same fate as the bunny above) Its way nicer to just let it be.

 

Ewww. Yup, I'd rather the quick kill.

SummerGreytalkSignatureResized-1.jpg

Lisa B.

My beautiful Summer - to her forever home May 1, 2010 Summer

Certified therapy dog team with St. John Ambulance

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...