Backyard Pesting Dilemma…

[Pumacarl]

I believe you meant "every cowbird"? Starlings actually parent their own young (and are very good at it!) I recall from Ted's vids....shoot the parents first, the young often stick around juuuuust long enough to get another one down, has worked for me. Cowbirds are definitely on the list as well. Once my fruit trees and bushes ripen up some native birds (caught in the act) end up on the list. My .22 S510 @ 30fpe is super overkill on the sparrows...no surviving that.

What Bird Puts Its Eggs In Other Nests Starling

chipperbirds.com

NO! I in fact said STARLING and I meant that. I have seen it done firsthand. They are not as bad as cowbirds with parasitic broodism, but they're close. At least they are in NH. Do a web search, I just did, plenty of info on it.

 

[RatSmacker]

Rats have spoiled me for pesting, as they “never ever” get a pass. Just finished setting up a 12 yard zero for a rat outing this coming week. Its been too long…

Luis do you see a lot of Rats this time of year?

 

[Luis Leon]

Luis do you see a lot of Rats this time of year?

Only when I go down to my permission… They’re out there, it’s just too cold for me.

 

[JimT66]

I believe you meant "every cowbird"? Starlings actually parent their own young (and are very good at it!) I recall from Ted's vids....shoot the parents first, the young often stick around juuuuust long enough to get another one down, has worked for me. Cowbirds are definitely on the list as well. Once my fruit trees and bushes ripen up some native birds (caught in the act) end up on the list. My .22 S510 @ 30fpe is super overkill on the sparrows...no surviving that.

Around here pest birds are crows and the barn swallow. Think the barn swallow are the worst. They like to build their nests in the inside corners of your gables or carports, and crap on everything.They will even dive bomb and attack you when you go outta your door! Gotta get em all too, or next year any survivors come back, to take up residence where they hatched out. Nasty beasts. Much like sparrows though, they fly apart when hit with anything more than 20 fpe. I usually just use my old Red Ryder on them out to maybe 8 or 10 yards.

 

[Danman]

Around birds are crows and the barn swallow. Think the barn swallow are the worst. They like to build their nests in the inside corners of your gables or carports, and crap on everything.They will even dive bomb and attack you when you go outta your door! Gotta get em all too, or next year any survivors come back, to take up residence where they hatched out. Nasty beasts. Much like sparrows though, they fly apart when hit with anything more than 20 fpe. I usually just use my old Red Ryder on them out to maybe 8 or 10 yards.

They are persistent in their nest building! I don't target them as they eat tons of mosquitos and such but I had a pair making a nest by my house entrance door last year. Tore it down probably close to a dozen times.....finally pulled out the TX and sat down waiting for them to show up. (They would sit on the clothesline waiting for me to leave) Took one shot and missed and they got the message, never saw em again.

 

[Farmplinker2]

Around here pest birds are crows and the barn swallow. Think the barn swallow are the worst. They like to build their nests in the inside corners of your gables or carports, and crap on everything.They will even dive bomb and attack you when you go outta your door! Gotta get em all too, or next year any survivors come back, to take up residence where they hatched out. Nasty beasts. Much like sparrows though, they fly apart when hit with anything more than 20 fpe. I usually just use my old Red Ryder on them out to maybe 8 or 10 yards.

Barn Swallows eat a lot of bugs, though.

 

[JimT66]

Barn Swallows eat a lot of bugs, though.

While true, they gonna have to learn to live in the barns. The destructive little flying rats make a huge mess.

 

[RatSmacker]

I have been using a Daisy 880 to keep the local Brown Rat Population under control but last week I started using
my new Diana Stormrider Gen 2 In .22! I have to say that I'm very Impressed with its performance. I'm using my go to pellet JSB Hades .22 Diablo 15.89gr. I'm only shooting 15-20 yards and the results are devastating. I mounted a Bushnell 1.5-4.5 Variable Banner scope (Discontinued But Still Available On Amazon) which was made In South Korea. I love this setup and It's perfect for my requirements. I'm getting the Itch to buy another Stormrider In .177 to round out the collection!

 

[Farmplinker2]

While true, they gonna have to learn to live in the barns. The destructive little flying rats make a huge mess.

Until you're working on a silo with high-moisture corn, you really don't know what a huge mess is.
Though it is a target rich environment!

 

[Joey 69]

I generally leave the pests alone in the winter, its just to cold for old body, but in the spring i do what my platoon Sargent said, Kill em All!!

 

[Luis Leon]

Just to show that I still have the killer in me… Went to my permission, three hours, six birds. I could have scored thrice that in my backyard. But the ones at the permission were caught in the act of stealing… The schwack at impact never gets old… Shots from 25-33 yards, they simply crumple when hit by the CPHPs…

 

[Luis Leon]

@RatSmacker, love the handle… and yes, come early Spring the rats will be green lit…

 

[Linehauler73]

I know everyone does their own thing and it really doesn’t matter to me what you do but with that said everyone realizes swallows are protected and it’s illegal to shoot them right ??
Are purple martins basically the same ? I think that is what we have here. They swarm around each time I mow the lawn getting the insects the tractor stirs up. They get super close. I always refer to them as our neighbors the martins. I actually prefer them much more than my neighbor to the north for sure. Lol

 

[Luis Leon]

I know everyone does their own thing and it really doesn’t matter to me what you do but with that said everyone realizes swallows are protected and it’s illegal to shoot them right ??
Are purple martins basically the same ? I think that is what we have here. They swarm around each time I mow the lawn getting the insects the tractor stirs up. They get super close. I always refer to them as our neighbors the martins. I actually prefer them much more than my neighbor to the north for sure. Lol

I could never shoot a Swallow, i love the way they swoop and dive. They are awesome birds and not a nuisance to me. My last outing involved me taking naps between waking up to bag a few unlucky birds. I missed four opportunities because I was literally asleep…