HOW TO CATCH A PIGEON: 6 BEST WAYS TO CATCH BIRDS

Pigeons belong to the traditional inhabitants of densely populated urbanized areas. We meet with them almost every day, but only not many people decide to have this bird as a pet.

Today, there are many varieties of these birds, but a truly tame bird becomes a truly exclusive pet.

However, for this it should first be caught from the wild conditions, which is not always a fairly simple task. In this article we will get acquainted with the most effective ways to safely catch wild pigeons, as well as consider the main features of keeping them in captivity.

The nature and characteristics of the bird

Pigeons belong to one of the most peaceful and calm creatures among all the feathered inhabitants of our planet, which is why they have been tamed by man for various household needs since ancient times.

In the wild, pigeons prefer to lead the herd way of life, gathering at the same time in numerous flocks, numbering several dozen individuals. This helps them to defend themselves from all sorts of predators, as well as to more successfully obtain food.

Did you know? Pigeons are one of the most common creatures on our planet. These birds successfully live on all continents, with the exception of Antarctica.

These birds have a highly developed family instinct. Inside the flock, birds are often divided into pairs that exist throughout life. They have a well-developed parental instinct, so their offspring are under the care of parents to complete independence, and in case of danger a peace-loving pigeon can easily rush to anyone who tries to harm the young. Many professional ornithologists also distinguish pigeons with enormous gullibility to humans.

Find out where you can see pigeons chicks, what diseases you can get from pigeons, how to find out the sex of a pigeon, what is the life expectancy of pigeons in the wild and at home.

But, despite the fact that they willingly take food from a person directly from their hands and easily come into direct contact, the birds are always very careful - at the slightest danger they instantly fly to the safest place, and most inexperienced hunters of the city bird often remain with than.

How to catch a pigeon: fishing methods

It's no secret that almost every city dweller thought about possible ways of catching pigeons. The reasons for this can be a lot - from trying to help wounded individuals to the banal catching of an annoying creature on their own balcony. But often all attempts at catching birds suffer defeat, since many of us do not have the necessary hunting skills. Next, we consider the main ways to safely catch these urban dwellers.

Did you know? In the 17th century in Britain, pigeon excrement was used in the military industry. Of them made a variety of explosives like gunpowder.

Hands

Catching pigeons with bare hands is one of the most effective and low-cost ways to acquire a long-awaited bird. The main thing with this - be sure to stock up on unlimited time, patience and a small bag of food for birds (all kinds of seeds or grain to choose from). In addition, you should not rely on luck in fishing, so you must first practice agility, otherwise you will not see any birds in your cage.

So, to catch a pigeon with your bare hands, you need:

Find a small flock of birds and get close to it as close as possible.
Smoothly, without sudden movements, you need to pour out a small amount of food around you to collect the maximum number of hungry individuals. Save on the stern is not worth it, birds must show confidence in you.
After feeding, you need to take a small amount of seeds in a palm, sit down and gently stretch it to hungry birds.
Important! The grip should be sharp, strong, but with minimal squeezing of the bird's body, otherwise there is a high probability of causing harm to it.
As soon as several individuals begin to peck at the same time food from the palm, you need to dramatically reach for one of them and grab the body.

Video: how to catch doves with your hands

In box or box

A durable box or box is one of the convenient devices with which they have been catching feathered prey for more than a decade. This is one of the easiest and most humane ways to catch a pigeon, but it often requires a lot of time and moral stamina.

Explore the views of the most popular meat and lively pigeons.

To prepare the trap from the box, you will need:

box or box of appropriate sizes;
wooden stick with a length of 15-20 cm;
strong fishing line or kapron thread;
a small hill of feed (grain or sunflower seeds).

To catch a pigeon using a trap out of the box is necessary like this:

It should get close to the pigeon flock.
Close to the birds, a box should be placed on the soil in such a way that its bottom is on top and the upper part fits snugly to the soil surface.
Next to the wooden stick you need to attach one of the edges of the line or nylon thread.
After that, you need to raise one of the sides of the box so that the opposite remains close to the ground, and fix the structure with a wooden stick.
In the resulting trap, be sure to pour a small amount of feed for the bait, and then retire to the maximum distance.
After one of the pigeons is interested in the bait and is inside the trap, you need to sharply pull the stick out. The long-awaited bird is caught.

On loop

The basic principle of loop fishing is almost the same as hunting for birds using a trap out of the box, but it still has dramatic differences. To catch a bird with a loop, you need a thick fishing line and a small pile of food (as bait), as well as a lot of patience.

Read more about how to properly and safely discourage pigeons from the balcony.

The process consists of the following steps:

First you need to find a pigeon flock and get close to it.
At one edge of the line you need to tie a simple self-tightening loop and carefully install it on the ground.
Place a handful of bait food in the center of the loop, and then move as far as possible from the trap.
When the pigeon is both limbs in the center of the loop, you need to sharply pull the opposite edge of the fishing line so that the loop is firmly tied around one of the limbs of the bird.
The animals caught in the loop should be carefully pulled up to themselves, released and moved to the cage for subsequent transportation.

Dove noose

On the windowsill

The appearance of pigeons on the windowsills of city houses today is a daily affair. In search of food, these birds often fly close to a person’s dwelling, especially in the cold season. Catching a bird straight from the window sill is not easy, but possible.

To do this:

Pour a small amount of food on the window ebb, on the window sill and the floor of the room.
Next, you need to open the window and wait for the moment when the bird is carried away by food at low tide, and then wander into the room.
When the pigeon is in the room, you need to sharply close the window. At the same time, care should be taken to ensure that other windows and doors are tightly closed, otherwise it will not be easy to catch him.
After the living creature is isolated indoors, you can begin to catch it directly with your hands or with the help of various auxiliary objects.

Fishing net

Catching pigeons with a fishing net is often used for mass fishing of birds, but if necessary, this method can also isolate an individual. Such a hunt requires a sufficiently high level of dexterity, so it is carried out in pairs.

Important! Catching poultry with fishing nets requires fairly serious dexterity and synchronous movement, therefore, before hunting, partners must be thoroughly trained for several days.

Catching birds with a fishing net consists of the following steps:

Sneak as close as possible to the pigeon pack.
On the territory of the mass settlement of birds, you need to gently spread out the net and sprinkle a small amount of feed over it (seeds or grain to choose from).
Next, each of the partners must lay low on one of the edges of the grid and wait for the moment the appearance of living creatures.
When the pigeons are inside the trap, you should synchronously close the edges of the grid and sharply tighten them.
Caught pigeons gently pull out of the nets and placed in cages for further transportation.

Feather trap scheme using fishing nets

Catching sleeping pigeons

Catching sleeping birds is one of the easiest and fastest ways. But in order for the hunt to be truly successful, the method requires careful preparation, it is carried out in several stages:

At the very beginning, it is necessary to identify the places of mass overnight flocks of birds. It can be dense thickets, garret rooms and other secluded places.
Next you need to choose the best weather for fishing, best of all, if it is a warm, dry and cloudless night.
In the optimal time, you need to quietly and without fuss get to the place where the flocks spend the night, and then with bare hands or with the help of a fishing net to catch the necessary number of individuals and their subsequent transfer into separate cells.

Features of keeping pigeons in captivity

After you managed to get the long-awaited pigeon, you need to take care of the appropriate conditions for its maintenance. Despite the fact that these birds are unpretentious to the living conditions, the care of the bird must be approached with special scrupulousness.

A pigeon withdrawn from natural conditions for quite a long period feels strong stress and craving for freedom, therefore, in order for it not to die soon, it is necessary to create for it an optimal microclimate.

It will be useful for you to read about how to build a dovecote.

The main features of keeping pigeons in captivity:

Place of content. By nature, both wild and domestic pigeon species are rather shy creatures that carry heavy noises, so the bird cage should be kept in the most quiet corner, away from harsh noises and other irritants.In a private house it is best to keep birds in the attic with a small viewing window.
The size of the cell. For keeping pigeons, large and spacious cages are used, providing the bird with a space of at least 0.5-1 square meters. At the same time, it is necessary to take care of an additional place for the pet to walk outside the cage, otherwise it can seriously get sick.
Temperature mode. These birds belong to rather stable creatures that tolerate sudden changes in temperature, so they can feel well with fluctuations from -30 ° C to +30 ° C. However, the most optimal temperature for a pigeon is the average daily optimum of +20 ° C. At lower temperatures in conditions of reduced activity, the bird can freeze the paws, well, and excessive heat adversely affects the functioning of its respiratory system.
Water bowl and feeder. Each cell must be provided with a drinking water with clean drinking water and a feeding trough with fresh food. Water and feed should be changed daily, otherwise stagnation of old food and water can cause a variety of infections.
We recommend to read about how to make a feeder for pigeons, as well as how to properly feed pigeons and pigeons.
Feeding. They feed the bird three times a day. In the summer, barley, oats, and other oilseeds are used for this, in winter, wheat or corn. Regardless of the season, the pigeon’s diet must be enriched with enough fresh vegetables and greens.
Hygiene. For hygienic purposes, the bottom of the cage should be laid with a bed of straw, grass or sawdust at least 6 cm thick. Every day, the bedding is changed to fresh to avoid stagnation of feces. 1-2 times a week it is necessary to carry out general cleaning of the cell with the help of cleaning agents, as well as preventive disinfection. To do this, use a solution of caustic sodium (2%), bleach (4%), chloramine (1%), formalin (1%), paraform (2%), chlorocresol (2%), hydrated lime (3%) or xylon oil (four%).

Important! With a reserve of food, the bird should not be given; at the time of the next meal, the feeder in the cage should be completely empty. Otherwise, it can lead to the development of a variety of infections in the cell.

The pigeon is a clever and cunning bird, it has a calm and affectionate character, as well as true loyalty in its pair. Despite his friendliness and almost complete confidence in a person, he always remains alert, so catching her off guard is not so easy.

Video: pigeons content However, to acquire a wild feathered still possible. To do this, be sure to maximize the patience, endurance and the necessary skill.