[White Stallion]

Just shot me a fine robin, was riding my quad when i noticed that the birds werent moving until i got within 10/15 yds. So i took advantage of this rode home grabbed my quest 1000 and slowly got within 15 yds. of a nice big mature one. Put the sight about .5'' high (due to wind condition) and pow! Shot it right in the wing, it fluttered around for awhile so i loaded it back up and shot it in the heart/lung area. Dead. I was so happy i still have a little bit of a rush :D!

[Oldnamvet]

:(

[White Stallion]

Are you sadened by myactions? I'll tell you again it was mature not a baby.

[Rembrandt]

"Just shot me a fine robin, was riding my quad when i noticed that the birds werent moving until i got within 10/15 yds. So i took advantage of this rode home grabbed my quest 1000 and slowly got within 15 yds. of a nice big mature one. Put the sight about .5'' high (due to wind condition) and pow! Shot it right in the wing, it fluttered around for awhile so i loaded it back up and shot it in the heart/lung area. Dead. I was so happy i still have a little bit of a rush!"

....good grief, the brain power of a juvenile should never be under estimated .....

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v405/Rembrandt51/1homer.jpg

[TrapperReady]

White Stallion - What are the game laws of your state regarding shooting robins in March?

[orangeninja]

So, killing for the sake of killing.....:banghead:

The things that give hunters bad names. So how does robin taste? Reminds me of the Andy Griffith Show where Opie kills a mother bird then raises the eggs....of course that's when people had a conscious

[JohnBT]

The last time I checked, robins are migratory and are covered by the Federal Migratory Bird Act. In order to hunt them (for pest control purposes) you need a permit from the federal government.

John

[dakotasin]

stallion- this was probably a story best left untold.

[White Stallion]

Yum!

[TrapperReady]

It's official! White Stallions live under bridges. :rolleyes:

[White Stallion]

I do, staraight down under th bridge third box on the left ;).

[MCgunner]

I know this ol' feller down in the "hood" that has the neighborhood kids shoot robins with their bb guns for him to grill. Illegal in Texas, of course, robin's being a song bird under Texas law. There's lots of edible birds out there you COULD shoot, but hey, chicken is under a dollar a pound at the store...:rolleyes:

[White Stallion]

I honestly did not know what kind of bird it was until i went to retrieve it (I'm not that good at identifyind birds i just kind of aim and shoot) and there is not that many more birds where i live so i took the oppurtunity.

[griz]

White, S.
It may be that no one has explained the reasoning for some of these pesky game laws. I am not positive you not just jerking our chains but to give you the benifit of doubt I will attempt an explanation.

This is spring, and it's the time that birds are raising a nest full of little birds. So when you take the opportunity to shoot any bird you see, you might be killing an entire family of birds. Sorry if that sounds a little Walt Disney to you, but that's the reason.

[Rembrandt]

I honestly did not know what kind of bird it was until i went to retrieve it (I'm not that good at identifyind birds i just kind of aim and shoot) and there is not that many more birds where i live so i took the oppurtunity.

You either need to attend a Hunter Education class or cease using firearms. Anyone shooting small domestic animals, song birds, and game animals out of season for target practice and amusement isn't mature enough to be around guns. One of the basic rules of gun safety is KNOW YOUR TARGET AND WHAT'S BEYOND. Claiming you didn't know what kind of birds you were shooting at is beyond stupid. Do us a favor and find a different pastime...something more befitting your maturity.

[dakotasin]

stallion - just stop w/ this story. you're digging your hole deeper. remember, when you find yourself in a hole, the first thing to do is stop digging...

what you did wasn't the most intelligent thing you've ever done, and bragging it up on the net even less so...

[stevelyn]

WS,

When we were kids, my brother and I along with the majority of our friends used to whack the occasional bird with our BB guns.

However, we limited our whackings to nuisance species like black birds, starlings, pigeons and the like.
Cardinals, Robins, Jays and purple martins and other colorful or useful song birds were strictly off limits.

Nuisance species are fine, but I would suggest using a little more descretion in what you shoot.

Although I'm not the least bit religious, you should look up the legend of the red-breasted robin........It bein' the Easter season and all.

[shaggycat]

Nuisance species are fine, but I would suggest using a little more descretion in what you shoot.

In Kentucky, crow actually has a hunting season. So I would suggest that he check his state laws before anything else, be it a nuisance species or not.

But, seriously, people like Stallion should not own a weapon of any kind, be it a gun, knife, or a freakin baseball bat for that matter.

Have some figgin respect for wildlife! :fire: :cuss: :banghead:

[ID_shooting]

OK, this brings up an interesting topic for discussion, not so much WS shooting of a robin, but non-game animal killing in general.

Around here, pigeons are considered flying rats, many a cattle rancher has hundreds of these birds on his lots at any given moment in time. I am not sure if it is true or just western lore, but "they" tell us that the birds can carry disease that can be transfered to the cows and they eat feed thus causing ranchers money. Most ranchers will give you unlimited access to thier land to shoot every pigeon you can. I have gone a couple of times, but I know guys that go all year long. Nobody eats these birds.

No that spring is here, whistle pig and chuck season is quickly comming up. It seams to be a regional pass time to shoot these rodents. We usually go to these same rancher's lands and dispatch the pigs to keep them out of the grazing areas and crops. Again, the reasoning is to keep livestock healthy and reduce crop damage. Nobody eats the rodents that I am aware of.

So, is varminting acceptable? If so, I think it is, is WS's famed robin kill any different?

If varminting is unacceptable, what would one do for varmint controll, such as the infamous mt. lion thread?

[MinScout]

So, I assume you're what, around ten?

[White Stallion]

I'm 13 :neener:.

[TrapperReady]

ID_Shooting - I've got no problem with varminting, as long as the game laws in effect for that state are being followed. At least in WI, robins are not considered either a game or nuisance species and shooting them is illegal.

Frankly, I firmly believe WS is just trolling. Or his parents don't know he's using their computer. Or both.

[Art Eatman]

In my era, there was a sort of natural progression among country kids. The first reflex is to pretty much shoot at anything that moves. Then, one way or another, you learn just how idiotic that idea is. You start learning about animals in general: Game, nuisance, and the "Other". "Other" includes harmless critters, songbirds, pets and livestock.

Once actually knowing something about hunting, game animals become a prize, with strong efforts made toward success, including trophy-type critters.

You get on up in years, and the teacher-mode starts in, where you get more pleasure from helping the younguns learn how to be successful.

Wild Stallion's story is indicative of that early stage. Annoying, and commonly regarded as young and dumb. Our hope, here, is that a wee tad of wisdom rubs off and he learns proper hunter behavior.

Life is a learning process, available to all. But, there aren't any guarantees...

:), Art

[Oldnamvet]

I used to shoot a lot of pidgeons with my father. And we ate them. Ever hear of squab? They were very tasty.

Every year we also went to a friends house for a BBQ. Some of the things he served BBQd were racoon, beaver, and woodchuck. I like the woodchuck the best.

So even some things classified as varmints can be quite tasty if prepared correctly.

We even cooked and ate some rice rats in RVN when C-rats got to be just too much.

[riverdog]

I'm 13 .Going on 10.I honestly did not know what kind of bird it was until i went to retrieve it (I'm not that good at identifyind birds i just kind of aim and shoot) and there is not that many more birds where i live so i took the oppurtunity.There being few birds around is only one more reason to NOT SHOOT the only one you see. Did I miss something? Were you in a survival situation living off the land?

Shooting a robin is nothing to brag about. As a target it isn't much of a challenge on the ground and it isn't a game bird. I've never heard robins referred to as a nuisance. So that leaves killing for thrill which goes back to your being too immature to have a gun of any sort.

[H&Hhunter]

Art pegged it as usual.

WS is a Kid and as such is going to do some less than correct or brilliant things.

All of us who've grown up in the country have done some stupid things with our BB guns and .22's. Most of us however have had the good common sense not to brag about it.

White Stallion, try and take some of that unbridled energy and hunt instinct and direct it towards some real hunting. Go get your hunter education card and try and bag a deer next season. You'll quickly find that robin shooting is not a very productive or exciting past time.

By the way I will not sit on my high horse and preach to you the evils of shooting birds. While it isn't a good thing to do (also called unethical) I went through that stage when I was about 8 years old. Soon however I started shooting rabbits for pelts and meat and that cured all of my bird shooting safaris. From rabbits I went to bigger game such as antelope,deer and elk. Hunting is a great experience you just need to understand that it is far more rewarding to do it within the confines of the law and common decency. I love hunting and do alot of it all over the world, this is a great oportunity to turn your desire to hunt into something great.;)

It also helps to have an adult show you the path. Do you have a dad at home?

[White Stallion]

Yes i have a father at home, but he never has shot a gun. I'm going to try not to shoot birds anymore, but can you help me figure out a way to find some rabbits? Because i see them around my house, but i can never find a nice mature one (usually just really young ones) and if, by chance i do see a mature one i can never get close enough for the shot.

[H&Hhunter]

White Stallion,

First check your local game regulations. You can probably look them up online. Go to yahoo and type in (What ever your state is) department of wildlife. Most states have a season cotton tail rabbits.

Once you are properly licensed and in a legal hunting area you will be able to find mature rabbits around the young ones. It just takes patients and practice.

Always try to approach any game animal with the sun at your back and the wind in your face. Rabbits have a great sense of smell if you try to approach them from downwind they'll run every time. You also want to get as low as possible to break up your profile. Belly crawl if you have to.

Good luck and let us know how it goes!

[White Stallion]

H&H

[birddog]

:banghead:

Stallion...Why don't you call up the local conservation department, tell them your story, and see what they think. I'm sure they can help you.

[keano44]

GUILTY! When I was White Stallion's age, I did the same thing, as Art described. Any bird, frog, lizard, snake, mouse, rat, glass bottle in a ditch, etc. was fair game. I have probably killed one or more of every kind of bird there is around where I grew up. Just part of growing up back then. Limits on what I could shoot were not set for me, by my father, other than safe gun handling practices, about which he was very strict. I diciplined myself as I got older and learned more about the "game" I was "hunting". I will admit, the "practice" on live targets helped me become a better hunter. I still love hunting, have learned to respect the rules and game. Taught my son what he could and couldn't shoot as well as the safe gun handling practices.
I feel sorry for people who won't admit to having been young and stupid once!

[White Stallion]

kean, i know every one who is responding to this negatively has shot something they're not supposed to but you and Art are manly enought to admit it! :cool:

[Art Eatman]

Aw, WS, I always said I was the kind of kid I wouldn't want my son to run around with, or my daughter to date...

:D, Art

[orangeninja]

Actually I once shot a Cardinal mistaking it for a Crow.....we were crow hunting, it was getting towards dusk....but I have to say, when I hit it and found out it was a cardinal, I wasn't happy, certainly not excited.

Also there was a time I shot a tweety bird (unknown kind) who decided to fly up on us with a pack of dove....and we were dove hunting.

I hunted snakes, rats, neutra and lots of rabbits....that's pretty much it. I think all kids shoot things they shouldn't.

I once shot a barn with a .22, killing the tractor on the other side of it, REAL stupid and I got into REAL trouble......also once shot at turtles in a pond, (hitting squat) but the bullets did ricochet nicely and towards the house...until my frantic father started yelling towards us to knock it off. We were probably 5 or 6 hundred yards out.

Lastly, when I got my first BB gun, I was 6 or 7....I promptly took to shooting all the windows out of a bunch of scrap cars in a junk yard. I had no idea that those were "classic" cars being parted out. My uncle stayed mad at me until I was 20.

Kids do dumb things....White Stallion, what you did was dumb. If your father has never shot a gun and is not involved with that, I'm not so sure you should be running around unsupervised with no training...assuming that you have a BB gun. If you are running around with a .22lr or larger, well, that's pretty much criminal.

[White Stallion]

Now more people are admitting to their dumb actions! :evil:
I do admit this thread helped me because I was outside today and there was nothing but Cardinals, Blue Jays, and Robins, and they are all protected by law, so I couldnt fin ANYTHING!:fire: Then this big juicy Robin flew on a brand not 3 yds. from me!:what: I wanted to shoot it so bad! But in the end I just threw a twig at it so it would leave because it was makin me mad.
So see, you guys did help me :D .

[orangeninja]

W.S.

Killing for the sake of killing is wrong...even if it is legal. God put man over all the animals, but not to be abused. I suggest you learn to pop soda cans first. Then, when you get good at that....pop soda cans from farther away, or from different shooting positions.

If you want to practice stalking, then stalk something, like the old indian trick of trying to touch a deer.....just because you stalk it does not mean you have to kill it. And just because something won't run, doesn't mean it doesn't know you're there...it may be a momma bird guarding eggs.

[owen]

White Stallion,

I went back and read everything you've written on THR. You really, really need to find a guiding hand. Firearms can be very complicated, both technically, and ethically. You mentioned that your father doesn't participate with you. Is there any chance of you getting together with a local shooting club? If you post your location, I am sure someone can chime in with the location of an appropriate club.

[dakotasin]

i know every one who is responding to this negatively has shot something they're not supposed to but you and Art are manly enought to admit it!



it has nothing to do w/ manliness, and everything to do w/ learning from others' transgressions. we've all done dumb stuff, but by trying to teach others the steps to not follow, and learning from others' mis-steps is the mark of a man - not celebrating a possibly illegal, and definitely unethical act.

[Snagglepuss]

Next time a bird poops on you or something you own, smile and think Karma.

[owen]

Roadkill, I strongly disagree.

Where else is he going to learn about this stuff? He's more than welcome to come here and learn.

[White Stallion]

For defending me aginst owen and i live in PA in Belle Vernon do you know any good sportsmans clubs around there?

[owen]

Try

www.wheretoshoot.org (http://www.wheretoshoot.org)

Also, 4H has youth programs.

Some states offer programs through the Department of Natural Resources or the equivalent.

Do you have friends that have parents that shoot? Most people would be honored if you asked them for help towards the goal of being safe and proficient. In general, these things aren't expensive. If your parents can afford to buy you a quad, they can afford to get you some training.

[Bigreno]

WS,
You're not planning on using that air rifle on rabbits are you?

[White Stallion]

2 of my friends and my older cousin shoots i'm going to get a hunter safety course probably next week.

[ezypikns]

Maybe he wouldn't write things like that if we just ignored it.

[Art Eatman]

ezy, part of why we're here is to help newbies to learn. You'd rather somebody remained ignorant of the right way to do things?

What are you doing to teach your wife/little brother/girlfriend/son about shooting and hunting?

Were you born an expert shooter and hunter?

The Mission of THR is to promote RKBA. There's a lot more to that than just squabbling about the Great Meaning of the Second Amendment in L&P.

Art

[owen]

White,

Let us know how it goes.

[Carl N. Brown]

there is not that many more birds where i live
Geee, I wonder why? :confused:

It is possible WS is a clueless kid, like I was before my
father corrected me. I got older and grew some, so there
is hope for WS too.

[White Stallion]

owen and art you guys were alot of help and everyone responding negatively, could you just lay, because i know you've done it to so there is no room to lecture me

[Thefabulousfink]

I shot a robin once when I was about 13 with a pellet gun. Then I found out that it was illegal in my state. A few years later I satified my need to kill bird by shooting magpies ($1 a bird from the local farmers and ranchers). As stated before, check your local fish and game laws, many states have small game permits that are open year round.

[Larry Ashcraft]

BTDT. My dad bought my brother and I a pellet gun when I was about 8 or 9. He taught us how to use it and told us we could shoot sparrows, starlings or doves (in season), no other living things.

One day I shot a male robin just because he was there. Never felt so bad in my life. In fact, that was over forty years ago and I still remember it.

I've shot a couple magpies in my life, but I wouldn't do it again. We have quite a flock around the place and I enjoy watching them. They aren't called the "clowns of the bird world" for nothing. :)

[~z]

Those magpies will also put you on the coyotes if you pay them some attention, if thats your bag, watch the pies.
~z

[Thefabulousfink]

Farmers and Ranchers have no love of magpies, and once I learned that they would peck the eye out of a baby lamb and eat it I had no qualms about shooting them. That and the pay was good for easy work.

[White Stallion]

on shooting robins

[Larry Ashcraft]

Tff, I didn't know that, but then there ain't many sheep ranchers around here. I'd likely shun if there were, bein' a beef man myself. ;) I know my dad used to shoot them for a bounty back in the 40's, I think it was a nickle a head. Did you ever notice that magpies can tell if you are armed? My brothers and I went to the river bottom one day just to try and shoot magpies. I don't think we ever got within 100 yards of one.

Anyway, I like watching them around the yard, teasing the dogs and mocking the peacock.

And ~z, yes I DO know that a wounded rabbit call will bring in about a thousand magpies, so what you say makes sense.

And White Stallion, just cut out shooting robins at all, shoot some starlings. ;)

[MCgunner]

Robins are migratory, but they are not game birds, at least not in Texas. They're classed as "song birds" and thus there is no legal taking of 'em. Lots of birds, most of 'em, are edible. But, game birds are for hunting. Robins are for admiring though binoculars. Get yourself a "Peterson's Field Guide" for birds in your area, trade the gun for a good pair of binoculars, and learn your birds.;)

[Geno]

White Stallion:

Good morning. There are a couple of things that I'd like to express to you. I think I understand you on several levels: first and foremost, I remember being bored at 13 years old, little excitement. Second, I also was a middle school/high school principal for 5 years, and so I can vouch that White Stallion is a perfectly normal, red-blooded American kid. Thirdly, I have also been a Hunter Safety Instructor for more years than I care to admit.

To those who believe anything that White Stallion has done or posted on THR to be a mistake, please temper the criticism with the reflection that we all have made mistakes, and we have all done things that makes us proud. That's called growing up in the placed called "Life on Earth". One of those things that makes us proud (at about 13 or less) is to pop a bird when we start hunting, etc. In all sincerity, I see little to no difference between White Stallion popping a robin versus me popping a woodchuck. Save for the fact that in Michigan, the robin is protected per being our state bird. However, the emotional difference is that a robin is pretty, and a sparrow is not. It truly leaves us with the fact that either the robin is protected as a song bird, a state bird or not being protected. Now, do I, personally, believe it proper to kill robins even if not protected, no, because I find them pretty. Now, that's a pretty thin line.

I also recall, as many here have posted, shooting birds for pay to protect the neighbor's garden. I also remember shooting birds, frogs and anything that moved just to do so. Now, reread paragraph #2, sentence #2. Through the experiences, I became a darned good shootist! It made me a safer field hunter, and much more self-disciplined too. Some shots I had to pass because the tomato was in the way, other shots because houses were in the way. That carried over into hunting.

In closing, I am 45 years old--OLD! I have much more experience in this thing called life. It isn't proper for me to demean a 13-year old, to prod him or poke him. Reflect back on being 13. It's a rough age--too old for this; and too young for that. At 13, I recall feeling that I just couldn't win for losing! If you want to assure that a 13-year old won't listen, demean them. Especially around age 13, one catches more flies with honey than vinegar. We need more youth to be here, and when we feel they are out of line, it is best to private message them and teach them what we feel is the proper way to do things.

So, in closing White Stallion, I don't know the laws in your state. I live in Michigan and the robin is our state bird. Please, for Michigan's sake, don't intentionally kill our state bird. For your own sake, please check the state law where you live, and verify federal law to assure you don't get trouble. You don't want to risk not being able to take Hunter Safety because you get a hunting ticket and have to go to court for shooting a protected bird. If you were found guilty, they also could take your gun(s), charge you a fine, court costs and attorney costs, and worst of all, they could say no hunting until you're 18! Congrats on the excellent marksmanship, but verify it is legal.

Respectfully,

Doc2005

[Nathanael_Greene]

I thought it was pretty clear from the outset that this "White Stallion" character was just trying to get a rise out of us.

He's a bored kid, all right, but he's not trying to bag songbirds--just poke a stick in the eye of serious hunters.

[owen]

I would say that his response after he was corrected is indicative that he wasn't a troll.

But then, books, covers, and all that.

[White Stallion]

your mom poked me in the eye with a stick!:neener:

[Nathanael_Greene]

Moderators, hasn't this gone on long enough?

[Art Eatman]

Well, Nat, I imagine the provocative remarks have indeed gone on long enough...

:), Art

[M.E.Eldridge]

Just curious, why do many of you classify killing snakes in the same category as killing songbirds? Snakes can be a pest, especially when they bite a kid(even if they are non-poisonous). Plus, they taste quite good(yes, I have killed and eaten snake, in case you wonder).

[MEDDAC19]

I think he's just trolling. He has been warned and told, that what he's boasting about in this thread, would be illegal in the other threads he has participated. If he is serious, he does not have the intelligence and maturity to be handling firearms.