Pest birds with my FX Streamline 22
- Thread starter Bob_O
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Good shooting in tough conditions! The farmer/owner doesn't mind that you are (in some instances) putting holes in his metal buildings? Also, I saw one shot of a starling off of an electrical box with the romex cable feeding in from the top - might want to watch out for that. Just my $.02 from years of pest bird eradication on our family farm (growing up).
Scott
Scott
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Yes, I'm extremely cautious when I shoot....I pass up more shots than I take due to proximity to cows, insufficient backdrop, etc. I'll see if I can grab a screenshot from one of my other videos where there are holes everywhere in the metal.....those are from the farmer himself shooting a 12 gauge at the birds from inside the barn..
.holes blown out from the inside.....LOL!!!
He encourages me to use my shotgun on the groups of starlings on the ground in front of the cows, from inside so I can get more per shot. But I told him I just won't do that. Long story short....he doesn't care about the small holes I make occasionally.
In fact, I started shooting just pigeons there with my 22 rimfire using 710fps rounds, but they we're making holes with more than half the shots.....thats how I got into air rifles..... I didn't like the fact that I was damaging his property even though he didn't care. I also dont like it when you don't know exactly where the projectile lands beyond the barrier. Even though it's probably somewhere out in open pasture.
I'm always mindful of which pastures have cows in them and which don't......as they frequently rotate which pastures they use. I also don't shoot in directions where there are cars, people, cows or buildings on the other side of the metal walls. So like I said, there are sooo many otherwise good shots that pass up for those reasons.
Looking at the weather forecast, I'll be out there again one of these days next week.
.holes blown out from the inside.....LOL!!!
He encourages me to use my shotgun on the groups of starlings on the ground in front of the cows, from inside so I can get more per shot. But I told him I just won't do that. Long story short....he doesn't care about the small holes I make occasionally.
In fact, I started shooting just pigeons there with my 22 rimfire using 710fps rounds, but they we're making holes with more than half the shots.....thats how I got into air rifles..... I didn't like the fact that I was damaging his property even though he didn't care. I also dont like it when you don't know exactly where the projectile lands beyond the barrier. Even though it's probably somewhere out in open pasture.
I'm always mindful of which pastures have cows in them and which don't......as they frequently rotate which pastures they use. I also don't shoot in directions where there are cars, people, cows or buildings on the other side of the metal walls. So like I said, there are sooo many otherwise good shots that pass up for those reasons.
Looking at the weather forecast, I'll be out there again one of these days next week.
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Here's a screenshot from one of my other vids.....both ends of the barn are like Swiss cheese before my first day there. The farmer continues to shoot at the Starlings from inside with the shotgun between my visits.
I will have to practice more with the rifle on Mid power as those pellets will bring down a Starling at 25 yards but not penetrate the metal if I miss.
I will have to practice more with the rifle on Mid power as those pellets will bring down a Starling at 25 yards but not penetrate the metal if I miss.
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About the wire....I looked at the video just now and see what you're talking about. I didn't notice the wire when I took the shot.....all I noticed was that he was sitting on a small metal box. Thanks for pointing that out....I will watch for those in future visits.
I take lots of shots without the camera attached, as I can work more quickly that way. Many shots are on birds that sit on an extension cord running about 50 feet long about 8 feet high. I only take those shots at close range, aiming for the head knowing I'll hit them in the neck or chest while being safely above the wire.
I take lots of shots without the camera attached, as I can work more quickly that way. Many shots are on birds that sit on an extension cord running about 50 feet long about 8 feet high. I only take those shots at close range, aiming for the head knowing I'll hit them in the neck or chest while being safely above the wire.
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Good info Bob_O! I can't believe the holes in the shed..shooting a shotgun from the inside...crazy! I cannot even imagine what my father would have said/done to me if I had put holes in our buildings like that. Yikes! I had my Crosman 880 Powerline well calibrated so I knew how many pumps were safe inside the building - it wasn't many I know that. I would almost always limit my pesting to outdoors.
I'm in MN - wish you were closer I'd come lend a hand in the eradication effort.
Happy pesting!
Scott
I'm in MN - wish you were closer I'd come lend a hand in the eradication effort.
Happy pesting!
Scott
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Another wonderful video! I hate starlings its awesome seeing them take some lead. Keep up the good wrk Bob O!!!
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Looks like a lot of fun. I could not do damage to a mans building.. no way.. I would suggest putting up multiple feeders with back stops. Sit in one location so u can shoot each one. Starlings ain't that stupid.. but if they can't see u they will get comfortable quick.. Well done sir. Thanks for sharing..
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Thanks guys.
I actually had a long board 1"x6" x 8' set up on saw horse legs and layered with cracked corn near one end of the barn, but not a single bird went to it all day. They seem to just want to get into the silage with the cows.
I don't think the feeders would work on this farm being that food sources on the ground are so plentiful. I even spread a bunch of cracked corn on the ground hoping it would attract them but it didn't. At least not on this blustery day. Maybe I'll try it again on a nicer weather day.....next week maybe.
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Bob_O, I love to see a fellow starling whacker. I work on a dairy farm and we have a flock that comes in during the winter that numbers in the thousands. I have been shooting at them for three winters now and finally this year I have been making a dent.
I too shoot Streamline and have been spending a few hours a week shooting them at night. They come in a roost in the ratfters of the cattle sheds. I bought a Nitesite Viper this year and have been their worst nightmare. They won't fly during the dark so it's just line em up and knock em down. It is kind of comical to watch them fighting with each other and then a little puff of air and the one they were fighting with is gone. They kinda look around like, hey where did he go, and then a little puff of air and they too are on the ground. The rafters are 10 yrds apart so it makes easy range finding in the dark. I have been keeping count of the ones that I can retrieve and am over 700 in the past month.
We got some posion from the county to try but they won't ever eat any of it with all the free feed on the ground. One thing it suggested was to mix some of it with peanut butter and form balls with it for baiting the starlings. It is just cracked corn with poison on it, so maybe that might work for you to bait them in for shooting. Anyway good luck and keep up the good work. By the way, I would be horrified to see holes like that in any of our barns, so thank you for not wanting to make more!
I too shoot Streamline and have been spending a few hours a week shooting them at night. They come in a roost in the ratfters of the cattle sheds. I bought a Nitesite Viper this year and have been their worst nightmare. They won't fly during the dark so it's just line em up and knock em down. It is kind of comical to watch them fighting with each other and then a little puff of air and the one they were fighting with is gone. They kinda look around like, hey where did he go, and then a little puff of air and they too are on the ground. The rafters are 10 yrds apart so it makes easy range finding in the dark. I have been keeping count of the ones that I can retrieve and am over 700 in the past month.
We got some posion from the county to try but they won't ever eat any of it with all the free feed on the ground. One thing it suggested was to mix some of it with peanut butter and form balls with it for baiting the starlings. It is just cracked corn with poison on it, so maybe that might work for you to bait them in for shooting. Anyway good luck and keep up the good work. By the way, I would be horrified to see holes like that in any of our barns, so thank you for not wanting to make more!
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Nice video, thanks for sharing with us. I don't miss the cold. I spent my childhood in Wyoming and am spending my adulthood in the desert.
Shoot 'em all... They will make more.
Shoot 'em all... They will make more.
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Thanks guys!!! 700? Holy crap! I'm still waiting for the day I can get 50 just with the airgun. Here's a pic I took a couple of days ago....you can see all the holes the farmer and others have made with shotguns of various loads. The other end of the barn looks just like this...LOL!!!
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Great shooting! I had a starling nesting at my front door, crap everywhere! I couldn't shoot the B'srd without putting a hole on my roof. I looked at every possible location without possibly injuring or damaging property. Months later I finally gave up. I hated to do it, but I ended up shooting it with a garden hose!!
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There are so many nice guns out there.....Utah Airguns had a spectacular deal on a Wildcat with scope and bottle, but I had to pass on it because it didn't have adjustable power, which I make good use of at the farm. I can miss a bird at 10 yards and the pellet just bounces off the metal.
I'm about to start packing up to head to the farm. I need to get there super early to set up decoys and some type of blind before the crows start flying. There are a couple hundred that come in and start raping the silage bags as soon as there's enough light.
It's gonna be a cold one, about 2*F....so I'll only be out in it for about an hour. Then I'll spend the rest of the day there shooting Starlings.
I have a Side Shot scope cam mount on order, this way I can record all the shots I take from the shoulder inside the facility. This will hopefully add a lot to my videos.
Plus my phone takes some great slow motion that my camera doesn't.
I'm about to start packing up to head to the farm. I need to get there super early to set up decoys and some type of blind before the crows start flying. There are a couple hundred that come in and start raping the silage bags as soon as there's enough light.
It's gonna be a cold one, about 2*F....so I'll only be out in it for about an hour. Then I'll spend the rest of the day there shooting Starlings.
I have a Side Shot scope cam mount on order, this way I can record all the shots I take from the shoulder inside the facility. This will hopefully add a lot to my videos.
Plus my phone takes some great slow motion that my camera doesn't.
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LOL...it's in the East Central U.P. of Michigan. Two guys could definitely make a mark there!!
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I went to a new spot today and got some really good results and side shot footage that I hope to put into a video tonight or tomorrow.
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