firestar:
The process was not entered into without thought, however; as big a bird as the crow is, it's still a bird, and is very lightly built. A .20 cal pellet will definitely penetrate feathers, skin, and wing bones with sufficient energy remaining to cause massive shock and instant termination. It appears to be D-cell battery travelling at 600 fps to an animal of that size.
That being said, I support your general position. Too often, we do use marginal equipment and stretch it well beyond its capabilities. A wounded animal is a bad thing, regardless of the animal. A squirrel would be too much animal, I think.
As I mentioned earlier, crows are a definite problem in urban/suburban areas. They aren't "living off the land," but out of garbage cans, and were the specific vector mentioned for the quick spread of West Nile Virus to the mid-Atlantic seaboard. I had a roost of 23 birds (and growing) in my immediate neighborhood, defined as 5 or 6 blocks. When a bird fell, hundreds flew in from the nearby mile or so. That's a problem that a pellet rifle can't solve, though it can keep a few songbirds alive. Granted, it's emotional; sparrows and starlings displace, but they don't carry bluebird eggs off in their beaks.
Sorry, rant mode off.
Jaywalker
I understand that that is the accepted wisdom, but I find it to be untrue. I recall only one wounded bird, and that was absolutely due to shot placement. BTW, that bird fell wounded where it could be recovered and dispatched very quickly (3 seconds).
The process was not entered into without thought, however; as big a bird as the crow is, it's still a bird, and is very lightly built. A .20 cal pellet will definitely penetrate feathers, skin, and wing bones with sufficient energy remaining to cause massive shock and instant termination. It appears to be D-cell battery travelling at 600 fps to an animal of that size.
That being said, I support your general position. Too often, we do use marginal equipment and stretch it well beyond its capabilities. A wounded animal is a bad thing, regardless of the animal. A squirrel would be too much animal, I think.
As I mentioned earlier, crows are a definite problem in urban/suburban areas. They aren't "living off the land," but out of garbage cans, and were the specific vector mentioned for the quick spread of West Nile Virus to the mid-Atlantic seaboard. I had a roost of 23 birds (and growing) in my immediate neighborhood, defined as 5 or 6 blocks. When a bird fell, hundreds flew in from the nearby mile or so. That's a problem that a pellet rifle can't solve, though it can keep a few songbirds alive. Granted, it's emotional; sparrows and starlings displace, but they don't carry bluebird eggs off in their beaks.
Sorry, rant mode off.
Jaywalker
They look very similar to some native birds so I suggest taking extreme care in shooting English Sparrows.
