Crow Busters Forum

oldshotty · Veteran Member

Sparrows, Starlings, Pigeons YOUR UP

killer Crowalski · Senior Member

Sparrows, Starling, Pigeons YOUR UP

oldshotty · Veteran Member

I will be hunting public land so in Indiana you have to use a shotgun for birds but that's ok, I need more practice at wing shooting.

M12Shooter · Guru

I shot many, many starlings, blackbirds, and English Sparrows as a kid. Worked for an oil company for a decade in my younger years. My supervisor once approached me and asked if I hunt ducks and geese. Short of it I was seconded to dispatch bothersome pigeons infesting oil terminal buildings and structures. The company bought me a couple cases of shotgun shells after the local police department issued a shooting permit. Believe the first day my kill was 176 pigeons.

Further, I own a beach cabin on a large Prairie lake about an hour north of my home. With the big lake to the west, my cabin to the east borders a good sized duck marsh. Thousands of redwing blackbirds can be found the throughout the breeding season. My boy sits on the deck to the back and shoots blackbirds all summer long with a 22 rimfire. Bought him a CZ 455 Varmint in 17 HMR this past winter. He can hardly wait to employ this for blackbird shooting in the next month or so.

Ted

boba · Guru

Funny you should mention this, I was out two days ago shooting feral pigeons at a local dairy farm. I wanted to test out my new Improved Modified choke from Briely in Houston Texas. I used the 3 1/4 - 1 1/4 - 6 load and did that ever smoke em with that new choke in my A - 400 Beretta.

killer Crowalski · Senior Member

aww aww aww LOL!!!!!

-- Edited by killer Crowalski on Tuesday 10th of April 2018 04:22:51 AM

nhcrowshooter · Guru

boba wrote:
Funny you should mention this, I was out two days ago shooting feral pigeons at a local dairy farm. I wanted to test out my new Improved Modified choke from Briely in Houston Texas. I used the 3 1/4 - 1 1/4 - 6 load and did that ever smoke em with that new choke in my A - 400 Beretta.

Bob A. shooting #6 shot, say it ain't so

Mainehunt · Guru

The massive dairy farm that I hunt has hundreds of pigeons and thousands of starlings. I shoot them with shotgun and on Sundays I go in there with my .22 air rifle.

Speaking of starlings, have you ever read the history of how they got here from England? Ridiculous, but some bird lovers brought some over because they thought they were pretty. Only brought like a hundred of them.

Mainehunt · Guru

Here, check this out. A bunch of morons thought that it would be neat to introduce to the U.S., every species of song bird that William Shakespeare mentioned in his writings......

http://scienticity.net/wiki/Starlings_Arrive_in_North_America

"In April, 1890, 80 birds were released by the Society in Central Park, New York City. In March of the following year an additional 80 birds were released.[9] A period of about 10 years was required for the starling to become established around New York City; after that their spread was rapid. By 1928 they had penetrated as far west as the Mississippi, reaching California by 1942.[10] By the mid 1950s there were more than 50 million coast to coast; today they number near 200 million."

Island Shooter · Guru

Sounds like the same progression as the Eurasian Collared Dove... They were introduced in N. America in the 80's and now they are located in about every state. Their numbers are now in the millions and their population continues to grow.

Unlike the starlings, at least the collared doves are edible. And in most states, they are "bonus birds" with no limits on taking them.

Demi

Assassin79 · Veteran Member

There is no other better bird asides from crows to help improve your wingshooting. We hunt pigeons all summer here to keep our eyes sharp for waterfowl season!

Saturday July 15, 2017-01 by Marco Cunha,

-- Edited by Assassin79 on Tuesday 10th of April 2018 03:24:33 PM

BigBlackBirds · Senior Member

Pigeons decoy nicely in field feeding type set up same as waterfowl. We'd go thru cases of shells hunting them out west

boba · Guru

Hello Pete, 7 1/2's work ok on them but since pigeons are a tougher bird than a crow I like the 6's better. That old pigeon load in 3 1/4 - 1 1/4 - 6 puts the womp on them.

I just got in the door, I was at the gun club helping a school trap league and the kids ranged from 13 to 18. Feels good to help out the next generation of shooters.

boba · Guru

Assassin, I like that photo!

killer Crowalski · Senior Member

Used to be if you shot a hundred rounds of 6s you'd be one hurting unit....I only shoot heavy loads in my 11-87 now...all I got to handle the heavy stuff...

nhcrowshooter · Guru

killer Crowalski wrote:
Used to be if you shot a hundred rounds of 6s you'd be one hurting unit....I only shoot heavy loads in my 11-87 now...all I got to handle the heavy stuff...

That's not the case if you reload.

killer Crowalski · Senior Member

Yes NHC; I still run across a box (late cousins' reloads) of 6s every now and then and I appreciate the versatility of it all and your system works exceptionally well for you. That was my experience-grab whatever was available and did it go bang. At that time in the mid seventies I was such a lousy shot I could have done just as "well" if I carried a pocket of noise makers.

No crows (hit) but a lot of noise!

-- Edited by killer Crowalski on Wednesday 11th of April 2018 02:38:13 PM

Assassin79 · Veteran Member

Not sure if I messed up or not but I thought I posted this yesterday and it isn't coming up on the thread for me so here it is again... We shoot a lot of pigeons over the summer months to help keep our eyes sharp for the waterfowl season in the fall!

Saturday July 15, 2017-01 by Marco Cunha, on Flickr

FarmerScott · Veteran Member

English Sparrows, European Starlings, and Rock Doves or Pigeons were the first things I learned to hunt fifty years ago. Back then my Uncle taught me the how to tricks of the trade. I'd pick up pop bottles and turn them in at two cents apiece for money to buy BB's. I remember the small packs costing ten cents and the big packs were twenty five cents. The borrowed BB guns I used were a Daisy Model 1894 and Daisy Model 25's. When I was old enough to get my own, it was a Crosman M-1 with a wooden stock.

I've noticed a website with lots of videos and gear for pigeon hunters.

https://www.soarnomore.com/Homepage.html

There are instructional videos that include some good info on how to set up a decoy spread for pigeons, wind direction, and the like. Pigeons are supposed to decoy easier than ducks. I don't have any personal experience with decoying pigeons - but that may change later this year. We'll see.

In the 'About Us' section of the Soar No More website there is a bit of biographical info on President and C.E.O. Neal Hunt and his early experiences hunting sparrows. Found that to be an interesting read.

For another approach to Sparrows, Starlings, Pigeons consider checking out YouTube videos that may be found by searching for "Ted's HoldOver" or "HoldOver Vlog". The oldest ones might be some of the most interesting.

killer Crowalski · Senior Member

Sparrows, Starlings, Pigeons YOUR UP

boba · Guru

Killer,

The 3 1/4 dram does not kick like the 3 3/4 dram load does on pigeons. The A - 400 Beretta with that kick off system is a pleasure to shoot with the stiffer loads. Pete always mentions patterning your shotgun so I see now why my Beretta model 391's pattern better not so much because of the chokes but because of the barrels on both of my model 391's. At 50 yards the 391's smother the target with a modified choke but they pattern like a full choke with the El Cheapo Federal loads they sell at Walmart. The A - 400 Beretta is a distant second with the Improved Modified and Full choke tubes at the same yardage with the same ammo. The A - 400 is still a nice firearm under normal shooting conditions. You don't have the recoil with the A - 400 Beretta like you do with the model 391 Beretta semi auto. I am looking forward to putting it in to action early in the season when you get the high volume shoots.

killer Crowalski · Senior Member

Verrryy interesting! I will keep this in mind this fall. The conditions where I go is that so long as the possibility of a crow coming in-every crow is top priority as a result-that the over head pigeons for me anyways need be watched-not shot. Well that day I used sixes was actually a "mistake" as I grabbed my ammo and headed out the door...with the Browning ....best to stay with the one am comfortable with....or trusted to perform academically...now know better..I like blasting the crow with 5s but the smaller shot produced more effective hits but here again we are talking me not the rule of more experienced shooters. I have plenty of experience so let's change that to more knowledgeable shooters of various shot size performances...I don't hunt water fowl or shoot clay pigeons or skeet....
oh and by the way years ago I read where this anti hunting woman protested the shooting of thousands of clay pigeons. A fine shining example of ignorance to a colossal degree-no surprise there!

Island Shooter · Guru

killer Crowalski wrote:
years ago I read where this anti hunting woman protested the shooting of thousands of clay pigeons. A fine shining example of ignorance to a colossal degree-no surprise there!

As insane as that sounds, the truth of the matter is that in spite of their ignorance, a lot of people still listen to them!!!

Demi

Foonus · Member

This isn't a huge bag count, rather a picture series I have just grown to love.

Reminds me of the old 80's Kids show "Friendly Giant" lol. Look up. WAAAYYYY up. How good is your vision?? (Top of Lamp Post).

Ol' Cz-455 hanging ornaments like a boss...

Enjoy!

boba · Guru

That is an interesting photo looking through the scope.

oldshotty · Veteran Member

I went out today and had a ball. I was hunting grassy fields between tree lines, sparrows and starlings were everywhere and were flushing up out of the grass as I walked like a pheasant would. They were also flying across the field from tree line to tree line which created a ton of passing shots, It was great practice and I can definitely say I became a much better wing shooter today.

-- Edited by oldshotty on Friday 1st of June 2018 04:47:10 AM

killer Crowalski · Senior Member

Perfect job oldshotty!!

killer Crowalski · Senior Member

I will never forget that old blackbird roost from 1975.....starlings were there and you became a mighty good shot popping them!! But oh-what a roost!! You ran out of ammo fast!!
That same year oddly enough the water fowl passed through and they were every where-no one went home empty handed. If there was any small beaver pond or even an acre of swamp anywhere them puddle ducks came in-it was incredible-called in a mallard with a mouth call and my new one afternoon partner popped it!! Knew him from school; we got to talking and :"THere goes one!"...Let me try calling him in! We ducked and in it came to my utter amazement! Gave the greenhead the old "high ball" as it was known as then....but how it worked and you water fowlers know exactly what I mean...sometimes later or around that time steel shot became mandatory and I gave up waterfowling ...for good...couldn't be a dual hunter however I did keep buying duck stamps and pheasant until there was no real logic in it...for me now...but soon as the pheasant hunters called it quits to sit in their tree blinds then the last rush was on when the hudred bird flocks of crows came sailing out of the north in the old area I frequented...I couldn't believe there with the November dull orange and brown stubborn maple leaves hanging in their and crows sitting atop these trees...it was amazing. (Okay so nothing was as amazing as you folks who frequented Ft Cobb (in its' hey day) but for NH? This was quite amazing in the mid 70s!