The sad thing about airguns becoming so available.

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Hunterhd29

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May 11, 2015
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California (CA)
The sad thing about airguns becoming so available, is that Young/untaught kids are shooting native birds.
Here is a link of a boy shooting a chickadee and calling it a pest. 
This really makes me sad, because airguns can do a lot of good for our native birds. By killing invasive species such as, 
House Sparrows
​European Starlings and 
Feral Pigeons.
NOT Chickadees !!!.
Airguns are getting better and better, in the price (and the accuracy), so it is easy for a kid to get their hands on one.
This issue starts with the parents that buy their kid an airgun,
THEY (the kids) NEED TO BE TAUGHT WHAT TO SHOOT AND WHAT NOT TO SHOOT.
So if any of you Dads or Moms are planing on getting your child an airgun please, please, please, teach your young airguners what are pests and what are not.
And if you yourself don't know what are pests animals, please do your research. 
I love airguning and want the sport to grow, but we need to educate all new shooters.
By doing so, will help the reputation of the airgun community and help our native animals thrive.

   Thank you for taking your time to read this. and please, do spread the word.
Airgun love to all. 
 
Hunterhd29:

Thank you and congratulations for your efforts...I feel the same way you do and there are many other people who do...

This terrible trend is one of my concerns and regrets for people (kids or adults) that do it and call it "Hunting" ...I posted "Those Super Long Shots" in the HUNTING section with mixed results...The bad example set by these guys and shooters with big egos BROADCASTING these kinds of shots and atrocities for gaining popularity is deplorable, and it is excellent fuel for the anti hunting and anti-gun agenda. 

We all need to educate our kids and many adults about ethics and stop this bad trend...I wouldn't mind F&G and Law enforcement offices requiring young kids and even adults to take a short safety and ethics course before being legal for them to use air guns. Learning that some shooters really believe that they can take ANY bird or living creature for the sake of testing their guns or testing their accuracy skills is OK makes me sad and worries me much...

Some people don't seem to understand that we are only part of nature, and nature is not there for our disposal and belongs to other human and other animal species...All animals including what we call "Pests" deserve respect and we all need to be ethical and humane when destroying them. We humans classify as "Pests" whatever does not suit our interests and that may be OK, but they have a purpose in our ecosystem and we should always use common sense and be ethical and humane.

Regards,

AZ
 
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AZ I am an avid hunter with powder guns, and I only kill what I put on the table. My wife enjoys the meat I take also. Looks like I will be doing some squirrel hunting in a few weeks with an air rifle.

I agree. There is plenty of ways to enjoy this pneumatic obsession of ours. I don' t fault the Airgun hunters out there especially our friends across the pond. They have it rough with the gun laws on possession and need to use air rifles to enjoy our freedoms here we take for granted.

Within our community I feel that some common sense will go far. I am anything but politically correct I will tell you. But common sense tells me if we show too much lack of judgement in displaying hunting kills, or making stupid remarks while doing it, we will reap the result. it will become some zelots cause to try to get air guns regulated like in Britain.

And don't say it can't happen friends. We dodged a bullet with the Brady Act but a law like it could come back.... Just saying!
 
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Unfortunately, it isn't just kids or adults but also some so called professionals that want to be the next so called reality series star doing it. This is one of the main reasons I'm on here as I've seen too often how issues like this become problems for the hunting, trapping, and wildlife control communities.

From what I've seen, for a good portion of the general public the problem is that manufactures, television show personalities and others keep calling this type of activity pest control while in fact it is problem bird/animal control. While I will admit that the definition of pest can make shooting birds "pest" control, it can also be used to classify those that do this as "pests." The same can be said for nuisance as it is subjective to what the individual considers to be a nuisance. Situations like this is also why certain groups have pressed legislatures into passing laws that require X amount of economic damage or nonlethal control methods be used first before the problem animal can be dealt with which is also wrong.

This is why I prefer to use the words conflict or problem when possible. These words are more descriptive of the situation and give a better public understanding of the situation than the words pest and nuisance. I've been on a mission for over 10 years to get as many people as possible to change how they name or describe conflict wildlife issues to help with interpretation and understanding issues like this.

As for those that keep doing this type of behavior, the best thing to do is report them to their local game officials whenever possible.In the case of most kids and adults, all that will happen is a nice talk with the officer explaining the situation and covering what they can and cannot shoot. For repeat offenders, fines and loss of gear and rights can help curb the issue. While this may seem harsh to some, if we don't regulate ourselves other groups will do it for us and that usually happens without our knowledge until it is too late.
 
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"Hunterhd29"The sad thing about airguns becoming so available, is that Young/untaught kids are shooting native birds.
Here is a link of a boy shooting a chickadee and calling it a pest. 
This really makes me sad, because airguns can do a lot of good for our native birds. By killing invasive species such as, 
House Sparrows
​European Starlings and 
Feral Pigeons.
NOT Chickadees !!!.
Airguns are getting better and better, in the price (and the accuracy), so it is easy for a kid to get their hands on one.
This issue starts with the parents that buy their kid an airgun,
THEY (the kids) NEED TO BE TAUGHT WHAT TO SHOOT AND WHAT NOT TO SHOOT.
So if any of you Dads or Moms are planing on getting your child an airgun please, please, please, teach your young airguners what are pests and what are not.
And if you yourself don't know what are pests animals, please do your research. 
I love airguning and want the sport to grow, but we need to educate all new shooters.
By doing so, will help the reputation of the airgun community and help our native animals thrive.

   Thank you for taking your time to read this. and please, do spread the word.
Airgun love to all. 
Click to expand...
This video really makes me upset... Where are the parents while this kid is out shooting things... No supervision with a weapon that can kill ? Also has this kid not been educated on the value of life... A chickadee of all things.... 
If this was my kid.... first thing to happen would had been a gun locked up. Chances being he would never see it unlocked for a good long time. In my (opinion) there is no good reason to kill ---- just for the sake of killing..
Yes I kill, mainly squirrels... and a starling once in a while... but I hunt for the meat and the starlings were becoming a large problem.
I gave up powder burners because I saw to much of this kind of stuff ..... If you don't believe people misuse guns... drive through the country side and try to find a road sign not shot up by someone.... (not say all gun owners do this)
Now we are seeing it with air guns.... oh joy !
My sons are not into guns at all.... (not my doing) ... but I certainly taught them well and if they ever do get into the shooting sports they are well educated on guns and also understand the value of life.... even if it is just a Bird...

 
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The problem is a lack of morals and education. I was raised in a family of hunters. Not as a hobby, but my family were poor farmers for many generations. Hunting was a meens of food along with raising livestock and planting crops and large gardens. My family "lived" off the land.

My father and I have never had to "live" off the land, but we continue the tradition and still try to "live" off the land in modern society as much as possible. These ideas and way of life have been passed down for a very long time. Along with that is the idea of preserving nature and being responsible to only take what you need and leave nothing to waste. Yes, we kill predators and varmints that aren't eaten, but these animals are either killing game and livestock, or they pose a threat to land and equipment used for farming. I did not learn any of this in a book, youtube, or a hunting tv show. I was raised this way. Taught from an early age and now I am passing on that knowledge to my young children. The only beef we buy is local raised. We actually eat mainly venison that we harvest. We plant a garden and do our best to utilize everything we can. We can, freeze, and dehydrate so our harvest of crops last till the next season. If I cut down a dead tree, I plant another or maybe 2. The only reason that I have outdoor knowledge and respect for mother nature is due to my upbringing. Duck Dynasty and cable hunting shows have altered the type of people that hunt, fish, and enjoy the outdoors.

I used to get made fun of for my way of life by all sorts of people. Now, due to the popularity of hunting thanks to TV and the net, some of the same folks that used to pick on me for being a redneck are spotted wearing camo and driving pickup trucks. Something non of these people would have done if it weren't for the new found "cool" factor of being such. But, who is teaching these people about nature and respect? Who is giving these folks a good moral compass for the outdoors? Well, I believe that youtube, the net, and hunting tv shows is where they are learning from. The sad part is seeing the results of these type of people. Like what we see on youtube and even firsthand in the woods. I have used up more deer tags in the past 5 years to kill wounded deer than the previous 15 years of bow hunting. There are alot more "hunters" but alot less level headed conservation minded hunters. I don't think there is a fix other than changing the culture which unfortunately isn't going to happen. We can flag youtube videos and call out people when they do unethical or even illegal things, but in the end people have to change for this type of stupidity to stop. Even people that may be regarded as valuable members of this and other airgun forums have posted video and or pics of killing protected birds or killing a game animal out of season. The stupidity is everywhere. I will do my part by teaching my children and anyone that I might be able to reach out to and help. The current trend we are seeing is a direct reflection of the world we live in today!! I am not real proud of who we have become as a country or as a world for that matter, but we reap what we sow!!
 
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Are pellet guns really more available than in the past ,Got My first daisy at ten.First shotgun at twelve .Wanted a 22 for number 13 birthday ..That was not going to happen so got a Benjamin pumper .All My friends had daisies or break barrel sprinters .That Benjamin was54 years ago .Actually I think it is harder Now to acquire a pellet gun in the past in many parts of the U.S. And gun paranoid world .Are there more slob hunters today than in the past.I do not think so.there hasn't been a time when I have not observed them being stupid.So what has changed .Video mania .Posting vids that are disgusting,illegal,unmoral,Blood and guts ,no story line ,just kill after kill .True fact prairie dog hunting was almost a thing of the past.Why exploding dogs in slow motion,countless kills .crude laughter after each shot .These vids were used to build a case against prairie dog hunting.So what do I think We need to do .Hunt ethically,report violators of game laws,Train Yours kids and the neighbors kids .As soon as they are old enough send Yours through a hunter safety course Take youngsters hunting teach then ethics .Gun safety and most of all to enjoy the outdoors..Do not make crude blood and gut vids.Show all the features of the hunt If You would not want your kid to watch it do not publish it,nStan
 
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"ajshoots"The problem is a lack of morals and education. I was raised in a family of hunters. Not as a hobby, but my family were poor farmers for many generations. Hunting was a meens of food along with raising livestock and planting crops and large gardens. My family "lived" off the land.

My father and I have never had to "live" off the land, but we continue the tradition and still try to "live" off the land in modern society as much as possible. These ideas and way of life have been passed down for a very long time. Along with that is the idea of preserving nature and being responsible to only take what you need and leave nothing to waste. Yes, we kill predators and varmints that aren't eaten, but these animals are either killing game and livestock, or they pose a threat to land and equipment used for farming. I did not learn any of this in a book, youtube, or a hunting tv show. I was raised this way. Taught from an early age and now I am passing on that knowledge to my young children. The only beef we buy is local raised. We actually eat mainly venison that we harvest. We plant a garden and do our best to utilize everything we can. We can, freeze, and dehydrate so our harvest of crops last till the next season. If I cut down a dead tree, I plant another or maybe 2. The only reason that I have outdoor knowledge and respect for mother nature is due to my upbringing. Duck Dynasty and cable hunting shows have altered the type of people that hunt, fish, and enjoy the outdoors.

I used to get made fun of for my way of life by all sorts of people. Now, due to the popularity of hunting thanks to TV and the net, some of the same folks that used to pick on me for being a redneck are spotted wearing camo and driving pickup trucks. Something non of these people would have done if it weren't for the new found "cool" factor of being such. But, who is teaching these people about nature and respect? Who is giving these folks a good moral compass for the outdoors? Well, I believe that youtube, the net, and hunting tv shows is where they are learning from. The sad part is seeing the results of these type of people. Like what we see on youtube and even firsthand in the woods. I have used up more deer tags in the past 5 years to kill wounded deer than the previous 15 years of bow hunting. There are alot more "hunters" but alot less level headed conservation minded hunters. I don't think there is a fix other than changing the culture which unfortunately isn't going to happen. We can flag youtube videos and call out people when they do unethical or even illegal things, but in the end people have to change for this type of stupidity to stop. Even people that may be regarded as valuable members of this and other airgun forums have posted video and or pics of killing protected birds or killing a game animal out of season. The stupidity is everywhere. I will do my part by teaching my children and anyone that I might be able to reach out to and help. The current trend we are seeing is a direct reflection of the world we live in today!! I am not real proud of who we have become as a country or as a world for that matter, but we reap what we sow!!
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There is defiantly a difference between somebody who is raised around hunting, and somebody who just started hunting because they though they'd give it a shot(no pun intended). I remember the first time I saw a turkey strut into my dads calls and the first elk I saw my dad shoot. When your brought up around nature there is a tremendous amount of respect for everything in nature, and somebody who isn't brought up around nature and hunting will just simply never understand in my opinion. I too believe I know and understand so much about nature because of the fact that I spent so much time outdoors as a child.
 
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I'm from Poland so any shooting to living things is illegal - you have to be a registered hunter to be able to do that. But even then - lot of young stupid kids (and unfortunatelly dults also) shots anything that they can shoot - from time to time dogs, cats etc ( let me say that in Poland most popular calliber is .177 so you will not kill a dog with that but you will give him a lot of suffering). 
I'm not a eco - psycho that say that you cant shoot any animals - if it is a rat, mice, and any pests - shot it, and also if you are hungry .... but most of people now are to separated from real life to get that. And it is not only with air guns and pests - it is a much bigger problem in my opinion. 
That separation also show in attitude to other people and issues that are important in life. F.eg. those same people that are air rifle shooters and privatelly are proud of shoting living things with no reason, also says: "Let's shot all refugees from Syria and send them back there." or some other worst things... - it make me really sad to hear that and make me embarrassed to be a part of air rifle brotherhood. But that stupid things can say only someone who spended all his life playing Medal of Honor shooting talibans or some other game like that and not even one minute on history books, history of IIWW, and history of Poland and history of polish imigrants and refugees through history.
Sad. Not only to us as airginners but us as a mankind.
 
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The animal thing is a symptom of poor ethical training and immaturity. The sad thing I was thinking of when I read the heading of this thread was as airguns become more available, its just a matter of time before some crazy head picks off a bunch of school kids. Then we are all going to feel the heat as air guns become known as part of some covert arsenal. We have to mind ourselves and always put a positive light on why we are airgunners, and what discipline we expect from ourselves, and each other.
 
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I took a consultant out hunting (pheasants and rabbits) once. He was from India. I had a difficult time with him as he would shoot at everything that he saw. Any birds that flew by had to dodge an ounce and a quarter of # 6 shot. After the hunt he was quite excited, I asked why he shot at everything. He said "I like most the killing".

I think the kid in the video likes most the killing. I think there are many folk who like most the killing. I noticed the kid immediately identified the bird as a "pest" bird. Where does he learn that nonsense? Probably in a place like this and perusing YouTube videos. We had a Jack-wad posting videos on this forum of whacking Purple Finches!

About the only thing I consider vermin are rats. Before today's sanitary landfill practices going to the dump at night was quite satisfying. 

I don't shoot anything I am not going to eat. I hunt rabbits, I hunt squirrels. I do not consider them pests. I bow hunt deer. Most deer are pass thru shots in the heart/lung area. They stand there, quiver then walk off and fall down in 50 yards.

Often the conversations about "pesting" portray the activity as a great service being performed for the betterment of the environment and mankind.

Just admit you "like most the killing".

BTW intentionally shooting a non game native bird will get you a $2000 to $5000 fine in WI.
 
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"PaulWI"This type of asinine behavior isn't limited to just Airguns.
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I see at the end of this vid he claims they are all game species.Moor hens,coot or water hens,what looked like a cormorant would get me a10,000 dollar blister for each bird and possible jail time.Is the claim legit.Waterfowl hunting in Australia is highly regulated and heavily patrolled during the season.
 
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It's very difficult, and many times impossible to properly identify the species. The cardinal is red in the winter, it's summer colors are very similar to the European sparrow. The main difference between the two besides slight color variations is the cardinals like to perch atop bushes, shrubs, and fences. The European sparrow flies into and hides in the dense brush. The robin has these same traits, they perch atop and for me looking at a silhouette as the sun is setting I can't tell one from a starling. It's up to all of us to be responsible. I built houses for purple martins 7 years ago. This spring was the first year they nested, we did do a very thorough elimination of the sparrows in and outside of all the buildings. That with 5 crows, the bird population and variety of birds is like never before.
 
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