Grackles gonna learn

[BJK]

Five+ decades ago in a state far to the south of my present AO I would put feed out for the birds. We had a starling problem, ugly useless birds. But that same feed also acted as bait and when my parents were out also out would come my crosman 600 semi-auto .22 pellet handgun. I killed lots of those starlings. It wasn't a bad way to learn handgunning either. The distance was probably 30 yards. I turned an oversized bottleneck cartridge out of mahogany in shop class and it had lots of notches in it. That was the turnings sole reason for being. I still have it somewhere.

Locally we have red squirrels, useless and they get in under the siding and cause problems. I would maintain bird feeders back then but the reds would come and also eat. After I found their destruction I know I shot over a hundred of them in just a few months. No problem disposing of the bodies once the night prowling predators discovered where I put them. The next day they'd always be gone. We no longer put out bird feed, but my neighbor does and has taken over my old duties.

[Edward]

Well that's weifbi checked and in my state their classified as pest bird with crows and starlings

Crows are listed as migratory and have a Fed season last I checked

[fixit]

Word of warning...the game Warden network was "federalized" under homeland security, so those puffed up tin horns now have the weight of the federal government behind them!

[echo154]

My grandmother lived in Lakeland, Florida at a senior park (well kept fenced trailer park). They had huge issues with Starlings and Grackles. The park maintenance guy had a flare pistol and fired exploding shells into the trees (m80 type bang). It cleared them out for a bit but they always returned. They then had some Raptor specialists come in. they had Hawks and Falcons trained to run them off.....ate a few too. It didn't take long for the DIRTY birds to roost elsewhere!

[JimB..]

My grandfather was a very pragmatic man, and he loved his cardinals. Not the st louis variety mind you, he was a cubs man, just the birds. Watched them at his feeder for decades. One day, him in his late 70’s, his cardinals were upset about something. No idea what but he finally figured out that there was something in the pine tree they didn’t like. To resolve the matter out comes the 10 gauge. Bang and everything flies away except for this big bird that falls out of the tree. He’s never seen one like it, so he nails it to the side of the barn, has gram take a polaroid of it and him with his gun, and mails it to us.
A few days later we open the envelope, call my uncle and tell him to get over to the old farm and get the great horned owl off the barn before somebody sees it. Beautiful bird, about 5’ wingspan, sorry that it ended that way. Still have the picture around here somewhere.

So, a grackle, yeah could not care less, but do agree that it’s best to know the law you’re breaking.

[762 shooter]

With enough regulation, everyone can be a criminal.

762