# Why no Kill shots?



## James Smith (Dec 13, 2012)

Hi all,

Today the weather was terrible and all the pigeons were roosting. I was shooting near a beach and the pigeons were not in the slightest scared of me. I'm not a great shot yet and I wasn't planing on hunting for a while, but when I say close, I mean I was literally with 3m of these big fat sleepy wood pigeons. So I grabbed a stone (granite) and sure enough put a shot right into it's fluffy chest (I was aiming for the head). I know many will think I should not have taken this shot, but I was so certain I would get a head shot. What happened next I did not expect! It looked at me for a few seconds after being shot with a largish stone and 30mm wide theraband gold cut short for extra power and simply flew away as if nothing had happened. I was shocked by this as I was expecting it to fly a few meters and then fall to the ground were I could dispatch it quickly...

Why did this happen? I thought theraband gold was the strong stuff!


----------



## Toddy (Oct 2, 2011)

I have had this arguement with many catapulters over the years. i honestly believe Wood Pigeons are one of the hardest things to hunt with a catapult.
However, it doesn't matter what bands you are using if you are not maxing them out. Ie at least five times the standing length with TB flats. A car may be capable of 150mph but only if ya put ya foot to the floor.


----------



## Carbon (Nov 18, 2012)

It's ok, I've done the same thing before with a sling. I was hunting with my sling and a decent rock. I managed to hit a starling that was sitting in a tree above me and even though it fell to the ground it got up and flew off, unharmed, before I could get to it. I've learned that birds in particular are not nearly as susceptible to impact kills. Typically, at least for me, you have to pierce the bird to dispatch it. That is why you hear people saying aim for the head because the wings are like shields that spread out the impact and keep the shot from penetrating. A good rule that I have been using for starlings is if it can pierce a soup can(NOT a soda can but thicker) then it can take out a starling with a head shot For example, I got a starling this morning with a shot from my new Scout, stock bands, and 3/8" steel ammo. I would NOT have killed it if I had hit the wings of the bird, but I hit the head. For a pigeon I would go with some 7/16" steel and looped 1745 tubes, which is my "hunting" slingshot right now. Although the Scout will be replacing it soon








Remember, impact is speed and weight, if either one is too little or too big if won't work. The stone was probably too big for your bands or your bands were not being pulled enough to speed up your stone.
Just my $0.02


----------



## Charles (Aug 26, 2010)

Generally I find that shooting birds in the body is not a good idea. The breast of a bird is VERY well muscled ... those are the muscles that move its wings, and they are very strong. If you hit a bird there, you are unlikely to do much damage unless you can actually penetrate through the entire body. You will give it a he!! of a bruise, but the bird will most likely still fly off. If you hit it in the side, then as others have said, the wing feathers are very good armor. If you hit a bird square in the back, you might break its back and incapacitate it, but that should never be your plan as it is hard to do.

You aimed for the head and missed. I would say that you need to practice a bit more, at short ranges as well as at longer ranges. The point of impact changes. If you have been shooting only at longer ranges, then seeing game close at hand can be very misleading ... you will think it is an easy shot, but it will not be unless you have actually practiced at the shorter range to know how you shoot at that range.

Chalk this one up to a learning experience.

Cheers ..... Charles


----------



## James Smith (Dec 13, 2012)

Thanks for all the comments, I think the issue is that i'm not pulling the bands back far enough? How far back do you guys pull them to? My anchor point is my cheek and I cant make accurate shots any further back than that. I'm quite tall, nearly 6ft...


----------



## Carbon (Nov 18, 2012)

28in is my draw, which is a bit short. The problem is now how far but how long the bands are. As Toddy said, elongation is the key. So for hunting you want a 5 times increase in length when you pull, which means for a good hunting setup your bands should be around 5-6 in long when not being pulled on. How long are they right now?


----------



## James Smith (Dec 13, 2012)

About that!


----------



## James Smith (Dec 13, 2012)

6inch maby


----------



## Toddy (Oct 2, 2011)

Nothing really wrong with drawing to your cheek bud. A little short for my personal liking but should get the job done, no bother. Get hold of a tape and measure your draw length then divide it by 5. Then check that against your non stretched bands.
By the sounds of it, this was just a bit of bad luck. Unfortunately it can and does happen with hunting. You just do your very best to minimise it as much as possible. Oh that goes for just about any weapon not just catapults.


----------



## Christopher Phares (Dec 13, 2012)

what was your plan if you did dispatch the bird?


----------



## Carbon (Nov 18, 2012)

mmmm..pigeon pie....


----------



## Christopher Phares (Dec 13, 2012)

My old man always told me not to each pigeon or dove. We don't have to much pigeon round here anyhow, but was curious as to what part of the bird do you eat?


----------



## Charles (Aug 26, 2010)

Christopher Phares said:


> My old man always told me not to each pigeon or dove. We don't have to much pigeon round here anyhow, but was curious as to what part of the bird do you eat?


I have eaten both pigeon and dove ... more dove than pigeon. Pigeon is often on the menu in high-end restaurants, where it is called squab. Dove hunting is very common in North America. Not sure why your dad would have warned you against either. For pigeon and dove, I always just eat the breast.

Cheers ...... Charles


----------



## James Smith (Dec 13, 2012)

Christopher Phares said:


> what was your plan if you did dispatch the bird?


I'll eat the first and then if I don't like it, feed it to my dog...

I'm slightly worried about getting food poisoning from pigeon meat :/ ??


----------



## Gardengroove (Feb 13, 2012)

Do you know how to gut pigeon and prepare it for cooking?


----------



## peakshooter (Dec 27, 2009)

Nothing wrong with eating rural wood pigeons and little risk of food poisoning - but I certainly wouldn't eat urban feral pigeons or doves. The breast is the best part of the bird- not much meat anywhere else.

Charles - I thought it was the young pigeons that are called squabs (over here in the UK anyway). Is a squab a full grown bird on your side of the pond?


----------



## Charles (Aug 26, 2010)

You are quite right that squab generally refers to younger pigeons ... pigeons that have reached adult size but have not flown.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Squab_%28food%29

It amounts to the difference in chickens between friers (young birds) and stewing fowl (old birds). As for picking up pathogens from urban birds, I doubt that would be much of a problem as long as the birds are prepared properly. You might get germs on your hands from handling the undressed carcass if the birds have been messing about in dumpsters. But that should not transfer to the meat unless you are careless. Our squeemishness about eating certain animals is largely culturally based.

Cheers ..... Charles


----------



## James Smith (Dec 13, 2012)

I'm a keen fisherman, and i'm always gutting fish, I also enjoy cooking my catch and hopfully that will be thee same with animals


----------



## Carbon (Nov 18, 2012)

Fish are animals..

Although in my experience cooking fish is easier, less messy, and I love the taste


----------



## peakshooter (Dec 27, 2009)

Cheers Charles.


----------

