Leg Hook for Catching Birds

[Mac in Wisco]

There are a lot of misses because the birds are fast and weave back and forth, if they didn't I wouldn't need the hook to begin with. Shorter isn't better beacuse they always manage to stay 4 feet out in front of you. After you miss a few times they catch on to what you are trying to do and stay 6 feet out in front of you.

I just approach them from behind and put the hook around a leg, it catches on their foot. I then drag them back toward me until I can grab both feet with the other hand. If it's a long hook I sometimes have to pull it towards me hand over hand until I can get the bird close enough to grab it with the off hand.

 

[Julie_A]

Quote:
My grandpa used to use these. I just use a large fishing net.

 

[Sam208]

I made mine it works but i have to watch how hard you pull on thier leg with them.


Sam

 

[wombat]

Mine's just a welding rod on a pvc pipe. I can't catch a thing with it. They get wise to it quickly and hop when I reach for them.

On the other hand, they don't like getting caught, so it's really useful for just herding them, gives me about 6' of reach to either side. I just walk towards them and tap it on one side or the other of them and they'll usually just head where I want them to go, and the dog herds back any who bolt.

I never need it for anything but young ones anyway. By the time they get older, they're so spoiled they'll come running when I say "peanuts!"

 

[Sunny Side Up]

I guess it would help if you were doing large numbers of birds on one day. With the small numbers I do in one session I just place the candidates in small wire cages, rabbit or dog kennels, the night before. They're much more vulnerable & easy to catch after dark, ask any 'possum or raccoon. Isolated in the smaller cages makes it easier to place them where they can't peck up any food, not even surrounding grass (they do get plenty of water to drink). Then I can reach in & grab them one at a time and they don't have to panic & run as their last earthly activity.

The leg hook is a handy thing to have anyway, not just for catching meat candidates. Chickens have more evasive moves than a professional football player! I get my young chicken wranglers to help when I need birds caught, and/or have the birds trained to come when they hear the sound of corn rattling in a can. If you put some corn in a dog kennel & keep the door open, the birds just walk right in where you can easily catch them.