We use three types of net traps in our banding stations: bownets, dho gazas, and mistnets.
Bownets are baited with lure birds, which are protected by leather
harnesses. Furthest from the trapping blind is the pigeon bownet, which is used to
capture larger raptors such as red-tailed and female Cooper's hawks. Somewhat nearer
the blind is a starling/dove bownet, used for medium-sized raptors like male Cooper's
and female sharp-shinned hawks. Nearest the blind lies the house sparrow bownet, used
to capture male sharp-shinned hawks and American kestrels.
Think "Goldilocks and the three bownets" all you'll get the idea...
The pigeon lure is used to attract hawks to the station. As the raptor approaches,
the trappers quickly identify it, and select the proper lure. If a lure which is
too large is chosen, the raptor will be intimidated and exit the station. If it's too
small, the lure may be harmed. The trapper picks the lure which is "just right",
resulting in a clean trap with both hawk and lure unharmed. Bownets are sprung
by triggers controlled from the trapping blind.
Proper use of dho gazas allow the station to trap more birds simultaneously. Sharp-shinned and Cooper's hawks often travel in loose flocks numbering up to ten or so birds. Once a bownet is sprung, it must be emptied before its lure can be used to attract another hawk of appropriate size. When groups of hawks enter the station at once - generally in a mad, swirling, dogfighting mass of hyperactive inter- and intraspecies aggression - the trapper will try to first fill dho gaza nets, then the bownets, in order to capture as many of them as possible.
Dho gaza nets trigger automatically when a raptor strikes them.
Mistnets are strung between two vertical poles, much like a delicate volleyball
net. Very fine strands are used, and they are strung in front of trees when possible. This
makes them very difficult to see, even for birds with good vision like raptors. They are
placed around the perimeter of most stations, as "backup" to catch raptors that blow in,
then out of the sation when they sense that something is amiss. We've learned from experience
that sharp-shinned and Cooper's hawks will dive for cover in trees when they are spooked.
In our North station, built on a rocky rise, we strategically place mistnets in front of
a stand of trees along the station's west perimeter, where they catch many accipiters.
Our preference, though, is to catch birds in our bownets and dho gazas, as mistnets can tangle the raptor to the point where it takes several minutes to remove them.
Blinds are framed with 2x2 pine, that really cheap stuff you see at home improvement
centers. They're covered with waterproofed military surplus tent canvass, and disguised
with surplus artillery camo netting, much of which came from a truly amazing place near Portland,
Oregon named "The Post Exchange". This surplus store has a Huey carcass, the front half of some
ancient jet fighter, and a working World War II halftrack for starters. I mention them partly
because it is a very strange place, and partly because they sold me canvas and camo netting
at a steep discount when I told them what I needed it for.
The blinds are about six feet high, five or so feet wide, and from five to ten or so feet deep. In some of the stations we band in the back of the trapping blind, in two, we have a separate banding blind. Our West Station, second most productive on the mountain, is one of these two and also has an observation blind for visitors. If you come visit our site, you will most likely view banding and trapping operations as a guest in our West Station.