Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Starlings- one down 6 billion to go

Well the blizzard conditions have moved into OKC and I am doing my best to keep the birds fed. Problem is the Starlings are the biggest bullies on the block. A few days ago I put a new Bushnell scope on my pellet rifle and got it sighted in with my new Gamo Tomahawk Pointed Hollow points 7.8 gr. One of my Robin's was on top of a piece of bread and a couple of Starlings flew in and scared him off. He flew into the shrub out on my side fence, about 15 yards away, and just watched as the hungry Starlings feasted on the morsel of bread. It was bitter cold and the snow blowing a gale, when one of the starlings flew into the shrub and perched about 12" to the left of the Robin. It just so happened that one of the brick fence pillars was right behind him and made a perfect backstop, should I miss. I loaded my pellet rifle, and eased the kitchen window open about six inches. The Starling didn't see me I rested my barrel on the window sill and put the cross hair right on his puffed up chest, and squeezed off a round. That Tomahawk went "thud" and he dropped straight down into the snow and disappeared. The Robin, 12" away, never new what happened and just sat there. I highly recommend these Gamo Tomahawks for Starling eradication. Very accurate and effective pellet. It uses the same fluid dynamics expansion theory as the Federal Hydra-Shok as the bullet passes through tissue.

Yeah, but allowing the barrel to protrude gives me the ability to rest on the stock and not directly on the barrel.

The starlings so far haven't seemed to notice the barrel. I have sheets keeping the draft out, so when it's not raining I can just leave it out there. Better than opening the window, they know that sound.

Orange Okie,

I'll look for a package of those when I get low on the ones I'm using. Gamo Hunter. If I hit a bird it knocks em pretty good.

Swatted countless starlings in my ruddy-cheeked youth. Sheridan and then really went to town with a FWB 124D. Went full overkill many years ago as I was getting ready to pull my duck decoys and head back to the truck when a handful of starlings passed right over me and my rather bored Chesapeake Bay. Figured WTH and cut feathers on the lead bird. The dog set up on my left as I calmly said, "Mark" as he tracked its trajectory. Sent him out and started to pull decoys from the field as he returned, heeled in nicely and sat down. I looked at him and wondered WTH aloud at how he missed such a simple marked retrieve. At 115# with a blocky head that could easily hold a basketball, I had to look more closely as just the tips of the starling's toes stuck out of his lips.

I'm in deep trouble if a starling is presiding at The Pearly Gates....

Another one down this morning. Has been too windy lately and my accuracy/kill percentage has suffered. Relatively calm with the snow this morning though.



Watched another tumble off the Chicken Gulag into the one pen, Went to get the snow boots and jacket on, went out and didn't find it in there.

Two dots of snow inside the pen leading out from where it was shot:



Went out to continue tracking it, only found one more dot................ with my boot



I don't wish any critter a slow and painful death, but if it has to be, let it be a starling I guess.

I can't wait until our rabbit (jack and cottontail) population recovers. On these days with a little snow I'd much rather go out looking for bunny tracks to follow. I'll take starlings for now I guess.

This one wasn't too smart this morning. Seemed to be getting some of that grass from the clump there for nesting material I guess. 5 +/- yards from the sniper hide window. Didn't budge when I slid the window up to take the shot.

\

Got a couple of more the past couple of days, but no pics.

I think I've reduced the population by nearly 10 now. But, like the vermin they are, they keep showing up.

I wished it was legal to kill Mockingbirds. I hate those bastards. They’d attack my dogs and cats when I was a kid. And me too. Notorious next robbers too.

I need to buy me a good pellet gun. Haven’t had one since the Benjamin pump I had as a kid.
What do y’all recommend ? My LGS doesn’t stock a decent variety. All they have are those full auto B.B. guns.

Here is my latest Starling eliminator. This thing is really accurate. 10 pumps and 600fps is plenty, even to the tree tops in my back yard. When I get the cross hairs on 'em and get a good squeeze on the trigger, it is sudden death and a long fall to the ground for those black pirates.



Crossman 1377 All American .177 cal - $40



Picatinny scope rail for the Crosman 1377/1322 - $40



Hammers Handgun Scope 2x20mm - $86

they say mockingbirds can since feelings in people. I had one that every time I opened the garage, he would come and sit on the powerline right above my head, did this for two years more times than not. Weird.

Thanks OO ! I’ll have to give one of those a try!

I've just got a Gamo rifle, "Rocket" I think it's called. Came complete with a Gamo air rifle scope on it. Sportsman's Guide, or Midway, or some online place 4-5 years ago. Accurate enough when the wind isn't blowing here, which isn't often, I do OK on them little birds at 25 paces to the chicken coop.

Kinda like that pistol idea too. For when the weather gets nicer and I can work in the garden. Easier to keep handy than the rifle.

when they show up here my wife calls them dam mexicans . i have a blast with the pellet gun

3-4 weeks ago my pard and I killed near 100 coming into the chicken coop and dog pens.

12 gauges and doses of 7 1/2s or 8s.

Rotten bastards.

Please use them for hawk bait and kill a million or so ha2ks. Edk

I keep chipping away at them....

“Rover, show me on the doll where the big meany-bird hurt you”

😜

They’re pretty socialable. So are catbirds. I feed the catbirds orange halves and grape jelly on an oriole feeder. They’ll sit on the ground or in a bush waiting for me to toss the berries, then fly down and grab them. When the damn robins find out, they come in and start throwing their weight around, so I have to scatter the berries to give the catbirds a chance.

For some reason, maybe the ants that are attracted, downy woodpeckers go for that jelly too.