Don't Laugh until you have tried it.

"Smaug"

"gamyrick"Geckos are small, pesky reptiles which prefer to feed upon insects and spiders around houses. They most often station themselves along window sills and walls where there is sufficient light to attract insects. Though these reptiles are generally harmless, they can become as much of a nuisance as the insects and bugs they eat. Their presence is revealed by extensive fecal droppings which can stain carpets, fabrics and curtains, and is often found inside the house in areas where food is stored or prepared. These little creatures can carry salmonella. A quick Google search reveals a number of deadly pesticides and sticky traps that are used to exterminate Geckos. I've shot mice, moles and chipmunks because they were damaging the home owners property and/or getting into the house and leaving droppings everywhere. Some folks would condemn me for doing so. Some people were raised to regard these lizards with no more concern than most people have for insects; and all of us routinely kill insects.

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This is exactly the kind of different viewpoint I was holding off judgment for. Thanks Rick.

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Most people would still agree that aiming for the brain is the ethical shot. Initially I asked why he would shoot a gecko, as a means to gauge intent. I understand that they can be pests, but nobody would think it was fine to go around cutting all the tails off other animals, either kill them or don't shoot them. The title of the thread is literally don't laugh until you've tried it, like he thinks its hilarious to maim a lizard. You could probably take a poll, and most people would say that is cruel. If the thread was about shooting geckos and cleanly dispatching them, no one on this forum would have found it odd. 

"Alan"The only lizard I'll shoot without hesitation is a Gila Monster!

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What do you have against gila monsters? It's illegal to harm them in Arizona. Not sure about their Federal status.

"Ric-1"But the Challenge is to just shoot the tails off them.

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Have to agree with the other critics. Even pests should be dispatched humanely. Deliberately shooting to wound is sick and depraved. That's the kind of behavior I expect from young teenagers with BB guns.

I understand that they are pest but shooting them in the tail is sick pest or not it's cruel. You should shoot to kill or not shoot at all. The next time u see one don't shoot it just leave it unless u do it in a humane way. 

Tom

I find the little guys a form of entertainment...watching them scamper about doing what they do best. Never thought about ever shooting one...but if I did I would definitely use a big bore...LOL

Interesting thread proving the range of opinion. To an extent all our opinions are irrelevant to the way another chooses to live. Is there a goal in rehashing personal opinions of killing? I hope it is not to give harsh critcism without offering some understanding as to how to be better.

Whether it be a pest to throw out, or shooting to wound. See lots of people here brag about shooting squirrels, which i can only see as wrong unless you do it to eat. They don't seem to be a pest until they get into the attic, where they can be easily trapped or removed. Any reason to not practice or for fun just shoot paper/steel? Or is it the death which makes it exciting?? Getting more data on paper in various conditions will make a shooter better. Shooting the small lizards makes sense for a good target for practice. But there are other tiny things much more nuisance to shoot. Crickets, wasps, and all sorts of beetles. That die in piles leaving nasty brown filth. It can be interesting to bury a pellet in a fence post seeing its legs wedged in the jagged hole. I try to respect insect life, not squashing praying mantis or butterflies. But my care for life begins to Grey somewhere in the insect world. Unless for pure fun, I find flaws in the logic of shooting lizard. 

"ThePain321"To an extent all our opinions are irrelevant to the way another chooses to live.

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AYUP

Other people's opinions matter when it comes to things like how you will personally be viewed, and how our hobby as a whole is viewed. I think the goal in expressing negative opinions in this thread was to peer pressure the OP into not being senselessly cruel. Not just for the sake of the critters, but for the sake of all of our reputations.

"hasenpfeffer"Other people's opinions matter when it comes to things like how you will personally be viewed, and how our hobby as a whole is viewed. I think the goal in expressing negative opinions in this thread was to peer pressure the OP into not being senselessly cruel. Not just for the sake of the critters, but for the sake of all of our reputations.

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Well that is certainly reasonable. I don't know the OP and I suspect he is probably fairly young. Just a guess and no intent to offend him.

That said if you try to catch a geko and you grab his tail he will break it off trying to get away. It comes off so easily you will wonder how you broke it. This is a common defense mechanism and other lizards do the exact same thing. Then they proceed to grow another one. I guess it is a way to say, "Sure Mr. Bird, I'm happy to give you something to eat, just don't kill me." or something like that.

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/pic/article.cfm?aid=2485

"RollingStone"Was never my intention to drive Ric-1 off just to convince him to shoot at the other end of the gecko and try to pop the head off if they are a nuisance.

You brought up another dilemma I've been dealing with about the differing ethics of shooting pests vs game animals and large vs small game. Kansas has made it legal to shoot deer over baited areas and I have a problem with that. On the other hand I've enjoyed watching many videos of people shooting squirrels on armored feeders and don't really have a problem with that, go figure !!!

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Yeah baited deer are a gray area for me too.

On one hand, baiting will draw a lot of deer to one convenient area, where they may be harvested in accordance with The Law. It will also be a safe place to shoot them, and probably an area where a hunter is not likely to be shot by accident. Maybe they found that it doesn't really increase the population, but makes it much easier to control it? They can always sell more or fewer tags, as needed. It also makes it easier for game wardens to keep an eye on what's going on, since more of the HUNTERS will be in fewer places too...

On the other hand, a better food supply will also make them breed more, which leads to its own set of problems. (increased car strikes due to overpopulation, more ticks, etc.) It will probably encourage more breeding of raccoons, rats, mice, which we don't necessarily want, but I bet it's always open season on those little buggers. 

In the end, we just have to hope that the DNR's judgment came from sound research and considered the greater good.

Never mind

"Ric-1"Please remove me from your membership list. I really have no desire to be chastised by Tree Hugging Granola Nuts who think shooting Geckos is a sin.

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Ric,
Since you're a pest control guru, post a video of how many flies and roaches a starving tail-less Gecko must to eat to regenerate his tail.
That would be good for everyone ... except the flies... and the roaches... you'd probably catch grief for that carnage too, but what the heck.

My advice, unless the gecko has rabies, give it a pass.

Ric-1 I don't think anyone has told you not to shoot geckos only that not shooting to kill but just to maim is immoral. Kill all of them you want if you think they are a pest, just do it humanely.

What's the problem......I love hunting Geckos. In fact here is some footage of my latest Gecko hunt.

 

A different point of view concerning lizards:

Where I live in NC I'm pleased to see so many different lizard which I can't officialy name except for the fence lizard. Some are green colored, some have bright blue tails, the fence lizards are gray and scaley, and all are entertaining to watch.

I was practising at my back yard practice lane and saw a lizard sucking up carpenter ants on my log back stop. Well, it seemed that every time I went out for a practise the lizard would make an appearance after the first few pellets hit the back stop. After a while this "ant eater" seemed to be almost tame so I took this these pics.......




Anywhoo....for the rest of the summer I had a little "shootin' buddy" pay a visit and I remember one day when setting up at 30 yards that a wren joined the lizard for an "ant buffet" and it was entertaining to watch through the scope how quickly a wren could snap up the treats after the lizard retired to the recesses of the long pile!

Please Please, Get the one on tv that has a Australian accent!

Ric,

Thanks for the negative accuracy score for "Agreeing with the uninformed doesn\'t make them or you right.".
Hope it made you feel better.

This thread just needs to be locked.