# Feral Pigeon With Thread Around Foot



## cheerio (Sep 19, 2010)

I feed a group of ferals every morning. Today, I could see one with a long piece of thread caught on one foot. It's keeping him from moving properly. I've tried to catch him but he won't come close enough. What can I do to help him?


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## Jaye (Mar 13, 2008)

Hi. You have to catch him, first off. As he's fully flighted, that can be a problem. You would need to rig up a net of some sort. You could also try the cardboard box and stick/string trap trick.

It helps if you can 'corner' him so means of escape becomes limited to 2 or 3 directions. I dunno what the surrounding context of your situation is.

The threadfoot likely will cause him to launch off a bit slower than a healthy Feral.

I have had success with a weighted throw net and feeding the flock while walking around them (if they will allow this). If you can get behind your mark, that is the best place to throw from because they have around a 30 degree blindspot directly behind them ~ particularly when they are focused on feeding/foraging.

Many a time I have ended up netting 2 pigeons at once, but I usually was able to get the one I wanted.

You can blow it once or twice and given some patience he will still return to eat. But 2 or 3 good chances/throws/traps will be about all you can get.


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## John_D (Jan 24, 2002)

Like Jaye said, he may accept a couple of tries but then be too wary. However, one strike you could try depending on the situation with them - chuck some food they like (here, they all go for small raw peanuts) right by him, and when the rest all pile into it with him stuck in the middle, male a swift grab at your target. Worked for us quite often, but depends on the flock's behavior pattern with food.


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## goga82 (Aug 17, 2009)

throw food around ur feet.. nowhere else.. once they all gather around underneath ur feet u grab him.. i always have a pair of cuticle cutters with me and tweezers. and i operate there on the site 
good luck 
let us know how it goes
if u are in chicago i can help u if ur not good luck


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## November-X-Scourge (May 12, 2011)

gain trust. try to catch him in as few tries as possible, as they get wary (many tries costed one of my rescues a toe). Crouch, and throw the seeds around you. when hes close enough, spill a stream of seeds on his back and lower your hand until about a foot above, then 'go in for the kill'.


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