Starlings Got Smarter Quick

[Max115]

I returned to the Starling farm a few days later after my last visit where I tagged 63 starlings, but it was a very slow morning of shooting. Only the adults returned to gather food from the feed and flew off some where to feed their young ones. I believe they learned quickly that the area is dangerous especially seeing me back in the area.

Enjoy.

 

[ARW]

I returned to the Starling farm a few days later after my last visit where I tagged 63 starlings, but it was a very slow morning of shooting. Only the adults returned to gather food from the feed and flew off some where to feed their young ones. I believe they learned quickly that the area is dangerous especially seeing me back in the area.

Enjoy.

I had a really good day yesterday at one of my favorite pest bird farms and ended up getting 55 birds total. Probably 75% or more were young starlings.
I plan on going back early next week and try it again and am hoping for much of the same luck.
I try to keep them guessing by being as random and unpredictable as I can, which seems to be key with these very smart and wary birds.
Thanks for posting the video and I am glad you posted some misses too, I was starting to feel inferior....LOL

 

[Max115]

@ARW. Sounds like I was not the only one having some fun dropping pest birds, lol. Good job thinning out these problem bird at the farm. The most starlings (100) I had shot in one setting was a few years ago at the same farm when I was there at the right time with crazy number of juvenile starlings. They do learn and stay away from the danger zones. Have fun.

 

[bowwild]

I've been shooting a few starlings from the Sycamore tree about 50 feet from my house. About a 30 yard shot from the far end of my deck. I've been hunting for about 60 years, but I'm surprised how wary these starlings get! I've noticed they will buzz my location and often bypass the sycamore if I'm out. When they do land in the tree the shot has to happen in 2-5 seconds or they are gone (they are nesting in my gutters and downspouts where I didn't block them properly.

 

[Max115]

@bowwild Yes, they are quite intelligent so not easy to get the adults. Some of the starlings do nest at the farm. I would look for them whenever possible. Thanks for watching.

 

[Contndr35BB]

I had a really good day yesterday at one of my favorite pest bird farms and ended up getting 55 birds total. Probably 75% or more were young starlings.
I plan on going back early next week and try it again and am hoping for much of the same luck.
I try to keep them guessing by being as random and unpredictable as I can, which seems to be key with these very smart and wary birds.
Thanks for posting the video and I am glad you posted some misses too, I was starting to feel inferior....LOL

I got 55 (- 50! ) w/ my Kral NP03 today & w/ the wind I was happy with that ! Great shooting !

 

[Contndr35BB]

Max, They were still talking (as starlings might do..) about all their buddies just crumpling w/ a slap yesterday .

 

[Max115]

@Contndr35BB nicely done! Keep sending those pellets downrange.

 

[ARW]

I got 55 (- 50! ) w/ my Kral NP03 today & w/ the wind I was happy with that ! Great shooting !

Thanks...I usually get 8 or 10 when I go, so this was an exceptional day. This is pretty gross, but this particular farm has a manure pit, and the starlings were eating the maggots that were clinging to the walls of it. They would pick the maggots off the wall and then fly into the trees around the wall to eat them. My shots were from 40 to 60 yds., and it was an unusually calm day that made it ideal. Most of them were young ones also.
I am planning on going back early this coming week to give it another try.

 

[JEFFPPC]

We live with them her in Central Pa for basically the month of May into early June. My wife has bird feeders. Our suet feeder arracts every woodpecker species in Pa and the starlings. I shoot the starlings out a kitchen window with a D54 in .22. Best day this year I shot 9 in about 20 min. But as stated above they wise up quick.Shoots are 12 to 35 yards. Lots of fun. If you allow them they will swarm a suet block and make it go away in an hour or so. Once I start shooting them when they see the gun barrel out the window they often fly by by don't land.

 

[ARW]

We live with them her in Central Pa for basically the month of May into early June. My wife has bird feeders. Our suet feeder arracts every woodpecker species in Pa and the starlings. I shoot the starlings out a kitchen window with a D54 in .22. Best day this year I shot 9 in about 20 min. But as stated above they wise up quick.Shoots are 12 to 35 yards. Lots of fun. If you allow them they will swarm a suet block and make it go away in an hour or so. Once I start shooting them when they see the gun barrel out the window they often fly by by don't land.

I am in S/E Pa. and I also feed the birds out back at our place, mostly black oil sunflower seeds. I also have two suet feeders, and I put the suet cakes that have insects in them, and I really never have starlings come in at all. Woodpeckers like you said love them and so do the squirrels.

 

[Max115]

Thanks...I usually get 8 or 10 when I go, so this was an exceptional day. This is pretty gross, but this particular farm has a manure pit, and the starlings were eating the maggots that were clinging to the walls of it. They would pick the maggots off the wall and then fly into the trees around the wall to eat them. My shots were from 40 to 60 yds., and it was an unusually calm day that made it ideal. Most of them were young ones also.
I am planning on going back early this coming week to give it another try.

Yup, manure pit, I know too well with the smell, lol. Enjoy sniping them starlings!

 

[JEFFPPC]

I am in S/E Pa. and I also feed the birds out back at our place, mostly black oil sunflower seeds. I also have two suet feeders, and I put the suet cakes that have insects in them, and I really never have starlings come in at all. Woodpeckers like you said love them and so do the squirrels.

We get them for 4 to 5 weeks each spring then the grackles come. Most springs we get cow birds, I had only seen one several weeks ago.

 

[ARW]

I went back today to the farm I took 55 birds this past Saturday....Only 11 today, 10 starlings and 1 pigeon. They really wised up quick.
One of the farm hands showed me a small empty calf house that had 3 small kittens in it, and he said he was going ask his wife it he could bring one home.
He was really excited about maybe getting one and I told him I hope she says yes.
I always pick up all of the shot birds and did manage to find the pigeon and before I left, I put it in the back part of the calf house so mom could munch on it when she gets back. I would have loved to have seen her face when she saw that free pigeon, lol

 

[beerthief]

Best of both worlds here . watching Birds at the feeder and pest squirrels to feed the fox's . started using HW77 long in .22 as it passes through a Squirrel brain /head very efficiently @ 50 feet .