Just found this on another forum and was very intreged by it. I have never done this and apologize if this has been posted here before.
Hunting game birds with a dixie cup
That's right, one of those little cups you get to rinse your mouth out in the dentists office with. (other paper cups or even Styrofoam cups can work too, but not as well.)
First add a small amount of bird seed/chicken feed (whatever you have on hand they'll find palatable) to the bottom of the cup. Next rub a small amount of Vaseline (or non menthol chap-stick) around the inside rim.
Now go out in the woods and place this in the area pheasants, partridge, or other game birds frequent; then walk away.
Come back later on that day and you'll find you have a bird standing with a dixie cup over it head waiting patiently to be collected and slaughtered. (don't wait too long to check on the trap however, as the bird is an easy meal for foxes, dogs and other predators.
How does this work? The bird eats the seed at the bottom of the cup, and when it goes to pick it's head back up the vaseline makes the cup stick to the back of the feathers on its head and come to rest covering it's head & eyes. With the birds eyes covered it simply stands there, too stupid to move.
(do be aware however that if the area is extremely windy the cup can be blown over or otherwise moved form it's normal upright position ruining the trap.)
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