19 replies to this topic

[josephlys]

Ready for a long story Ok here goes.
I've been busy lately, not much time spent blowgun-ning. Anyway today I felt like shooting my blowgun, made 3 naildarts and peeped into my yard. I saw a couple of sparrows in a nearby tree less than 20feet away. Reasonable distance for an accurate shot I thought. I slowly opened the window, careful not to spook them. Of the three sparrows that were perched on the tree only one presented a clear shot, the rest were either blocked by leaves or twigs. I rested my .625 aluminum blowgun on the window sill, loaded a naildart and took careful aim at the unknowing sparrow. My heart raced as I caught a little buck fever, as I hadn't shot pest for quite some time. Took in a deep breath and... Phw...pt, before I knew it I had shot a little too hard throwing my aim off a bit. The dart slammed into the rump of the sparrow on the first shot, it dropped to the ground fluttering around (not the best of shots). I quickly rushed downstairs and unlocked the kitchen door racing out the yard to finish it off. By the time I got to it it was dead, apparently died of blood loss. I shot it so hard that the dart tore a gaping hole in the birds rump killing it.
[Man gotta love the rush, even on small pest. They are pesky birds btw, there are tons of them everywhere in the city. They make nest and roost in your house and crap in between your widows. My parents had to put up netting and plastic sheets to deter them from nesting, yet they entered the roof. They thrive, compete and drive away other song birds. No one controls them, as there are no air-rifles in my country so the house sparrow population is way up, there are literally tons of them everywhere you go. So, no I will not show mercy to pest.]
Thank for reading & enjoy the picture Lol



Click on Pic for a clear close-up view, I hope nobody has had dinner yet Lol

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[jskeen]

Good riddance to a pesky introduced species. European sparrows are high on my hit list too, as they compete with the native bluebirds for nest sites and have been known to eject hatchlings to take over a nest.

I agree, not the most precise shot, but it did the job.

For future reference, even though blowguns are technically "other Weapons" posts regarding using them to take animals should probably go in the hunting forum, as it is specifically created to keep the "all gods creatures" bleeding heart types from venting their ecologically unsound but politically correct opinions about every pic somebody posts of a dead pest species.

James

[josephlys]

Thank you James, I didn't know that this was to be posted in the hunting section. I actually paused a bit, thinking where should I post this? In the Hunting section or the Other weapons sec? Well I hope I don't stir up a storm. Maybe the mods will move it.
Anyway its really fun shooting pest birds like sparrows in my yard in my free time. Even if its virtually impossible to put a dent in their population, I'm still getting them in my sights. Thanks again James, hope you enjoyed the read.

[mckee]

good shooting mate i was going to get one of these but hard to get in uk i would havet to have imported for usa

[Gwilym]

good shooting mate i was going to get one of these but hard to get in uk i would havet to have imported for usa

I wouldn't advise trying to import one they are classified as an offensive weapon in the UK. If you really want one you would be best making it yourself but even then you could get in trouble if you get caught with it.

[kyrokon]

Good write up, I love sparrow hunting. Not yet got one with a blowgun most use 17 hmr. But lately slingshot. Got a coldsteel blowgun few weeks ago hopefully get out and practice soon.

[josephlys]

Mckee making your own is simple, just get a aluminum tube with you preferred bore size I wouldn't even call that making hehe. I like .625 (5 footer) aluminum tube. Just don't get in trouble with the law, if you stay inconspicuous you'll be fine. I like the blowgun because its very very silent great for back yard shooting around houses. Great tool for silently picking off sparrows without the neighbors knowing.
Thanks Kyrokon, is 17hmr a fire-arm if so then wouldn't the sparrow explode when shot comparing a 17hmr to an air-rifle which makes more noise.

[e~shot]

Good shooting Joesph.

[josephlys]

Thanks

[kyrokon]

Yep, 17 hmr will explode a sparrow if hit right

[josephlys]

Lol, Have you guys tried bird shot or gravel in your slingshot. Something like scatter shot, Joerg did it pretty well with his kydex pouch.

[HOE]

Lol, Have you guys tried bird shot or gravel in your slingshot. Something like scatter shot, Joerg did it pretty well with his kydex pouch.

I did, but with tiny wet toilet paper balls. It's shotgun effect! I used that to scare away some huge bugs like dragonflies and cicada from my bedroom, because a single shot is too harmful to them.

[dhansen]

I don't call shooting sparrows from your window hunting. That was a bad shot which caused needless pain and suffering to that bird. Another perfect example of the senseless cruelty of trying to hunt with blow guns.

[AJT]

I don't call shooting sparrows from your window hunting. That was a bad shot which caused needless pain and suffering to that bird. Another perfect example of the senseless cruelty of trying to hunt with blow guns.

I wouldn't say it is cruel to hunt with blowguns if you are able to land a humane shot on the game you are hunting. IMO, getting shot with a slingshot,airgun or firearm would also be painful.
It has got nothing to do with the weapon, but the hunter. I shoot sparrows from my window at times, and I find it to be a version of "hunting". It takes skill hitting a tiny bird in the right place with a blowgun dart.

Just my thoughts.

AJ

[kyrokon]

You can make a bad shot with any hunting tool, just as hunters we need practice to keep bad shots at a minum. Joy of hunting is you can hunt deer out of tree stand or mice in your garage, what ever gets you out of the bed in the morning.
One of my favorite hunting trips was with my nephew this weekend. We walked a river bank with slingshot hunting tin cans. We killed every can we seen, some took two or three shots.

[josephlys]

Nice

[Xidoo]

Josephlys,
Blow guns have been used for mileniums for hunting. I do not see why people can complain about it.
I do not know how much time a cow, a chicken, a pig takes to die before it goes to be dismembered, but that to people who like to eat them is not important. They like to judge people who hunt, while in hunting the prey has a chance to escape and survive. Farm animals do not, they are just raised to be killed and eaten most of the time for a profit. At the same time, farms are hudge souce of pollution to the world.
I have a daily problem with feral pegeons and people do not like me to kill them. Well, I know the case of two people who died from an illness they caught from pegeons and their drops. Those two people died from a lung illness and they did not die a "humane death." People get sick or catch allergies because of pests. If I am ask about what to do with pests, kill them all. For those who do not like the idea, then wait for the next black fever. Saludos.

[jmplsnt]

Xidoo, that's some true wisdom being spoken there. Good on you for speaking up.

[josephlys]

Thank you Xidoo, its true some people find hunting or shooting anything offensive. But I don't blame them, they can't control their emotions even if they are illogical. This is most likely upbringing where parents tell their children :" Shushi lives in the sea". It is good that they feel compassion, but overdoing it to protect pest or denying people to hunt and eat game is illogical. We just have to practice, practice and try our best to make clean kills, although sometimes the unwanted happens and bad shot placement is made. But I've seen lots of bad shot-placements being made by all sorts of hunting implements, this is also true in slaughter houses. But as long as we try our best to make clean kills then I see noting wrong with hunting. Thank you

[Xidoo]

Thank you Xidoo, its true some people find hunting or shooting anything offensive. But I don't blame them, they can't control their emotions even if they are illogical. This is most likely upbringing where parents tell their children :" Shushi lives in the sea". It is good that they feel compassion, but overdoing it to protect pest or denying people to hunt and eat game is illogical. We just have to practice, practice and try our best to make clean kills, although sometimes the unwanted happens and bad shot placement is made. But I've seen lots of bad shot-placements being made by all sorts of hunting implements, this is also true in slaughter houses. But as long as we try our best to make clean kills then I see noting wrong with hunting. Thank you

josephys,
You are welcome. I remember that once I read this : "If we all had to kill the animal where we get our meat from, most of us would reather become vegetarians." So people just pay to save themselves all the process of hunting and dismember an animal, to them this is kind of a painless process.
Hunting is one of the first thing man started to do to get food. It is one of the oldest activity man has practiced. I think you do good, everytime you kill a pest, even as a sport is fine. Saludos.