Went after a shed full a few nights ago. Have watched videos on line and am amazed when somebody hunts them that way they just fly around in the dark bumping into stuff and when they settle down shoot again. I had night vision on, wore all black, and went after them. It took about 6 shots and they flew out of the far end of the building where the farmer has a night light. Looked like bats out of a cave. Don't know how or where they flew as it was dark as can be. But, like in the videos, they surely start chattering when the danger arrives.
The best luck I have ever had with Starlings is hunting from inside a shed and during the spring was shooting startlings as they were landing in a open area, before they flew up to their nests to feed their young that were in the shed. They would land somewhere outside the shed and look around and then fly to their nests. After I had dropped a lot they stopped landing before they went to the nests. It was a major dive in under the shed roof and directly to their nests.
In contrast the farmer drives early in the AM to feed the cows. The lights are all turned on and he walks around and they don't move from their roost. Go figure. I can see why he can't understand why there aren't a bunch of starlings on the ground when he comes in.
The best luck I have ever had with Starlings is hunting from inside a shed and during the spring was shooting startlings as they were landing in a open area, before they flew up to their nests to feed their young that were in the shed. They would land somewhere outside the shed and look around and then fly to their nests. After I had dropped a lot they stopped landing before they went to the nests. It was a major dive in under the shed roof and directly to their nests.
In contrast the farmer drives early in the AM to feed the cows. The lights are all turned on and he walks around and they don't move from their roost. Go figure. I can see why he can't understand why there aren't a bunch of starlings on the ground when he comes in.
