1st grackle down

[TrevorAaron]

well i took the 32 crockett out this morning. and the grackles finally settled in for the summer and sure enough i sat in my hiding spot and cracked one at 20 yds.

 

[Dave Rosenthal]

Nice!

Where are you? I see you still have some snow to contend with.

Dave

 

[TrevorAaron]

mid-Ohio. Holmes county (amish country)

 

[longcruise]

Why do you shoot grackles? Not judgin or anything, just curious.

 

[Brent]

I could be wrong but I suspect that grackle blasting is a federal crime.

 

[texcl]

grackles are considered a nuisance bird in just about every state I've lived that had them. They are loud nasty and poop on everything. Here is a quote I copied I don't claim it to be legal advice.

ӢYellow-headed, red-winged, rusty, or Brewer's blackbirds and all grackles, cowbirds (does not include cattle egret), crows, or magpies may be controlled without a federal or state depredation permit when found committing or about to commit depredations on ornamental or shade trees, agricultural crops, livestock, or wildlife, or when concentrated in numbers and in a manner that constitutes a health hazard or other nuisance. (this was from the texas parks and wildlife website)

 

[Brent]

Thought they were migratory song birds and thus protected. I guess if it is legal - kill'em all!

 

[August West]

Grackles, starlings, english sparrows and cowbirds need to be killed on sight, they are really hard on native species.

Good shot Thomp shooter, I have an old school benjamin pumper that I patrol my birdfeeders with. I would rather use my seneca but the neighbors probably wouldn't like it. Chris :grin:

 

[Rick Callison]

Great shot! My Crocket hasn't shot anything but paper as of yet, but I'm going to change that soon.

 

[longcruise]

I know the starlings and english sparrows are non-natives and subject to termination 12 months out of the year in CO. Did not know grackles were invasive.

The latest bird to be added to the invasive species/shoot-year-round list here in CO is the Eurasian Collared Dove. Almost as large as a pigeon and stays local all through the winter.

 

[TrevorAaron]

There are hundreds of them around and they are noisey and poop on every thing. They are to populated in my area.

 

[Brent]

Grackles are not invasive, exotic or nonnative. But they are a migratory song bird. So, unless you are sure that they have special exemption from the Migratory Bird Act, I wouldn't brag about shooting them in on the internet, complete with photographic evidence. Hell, I wouldn't bother to shoot them anyway.

 

[Jason Lewis]

what the heck is a grackle? it just looks like a blackbird to me.

 

[texcl]

they look like a cross between a black bird and a crow and are everywhere in south texas and make a huge mess. I don't know the specific legalities of shooting them and I certainly would check to make sure they are legal to shoot in whatever state someone would shoot them in. I do know people used to shoot them all the time when I was a kid growing up in Texas.

 

[longcruise]

It is a blackbird. Similar to a starling but larger and with a longer tail. There is a common grackle and a boattail grackle. I suppose the boattail grackle would be better flying long range. :haha:

 

[tg]

I have often seen that terminology about commiting depradations or about to commit depradations, I wonder how the interogation process goes to determine if a bird is about to commit a depradation.

 

[Britsmoothy]

Good shot :thumbsup: I sure would like a rifle like that.

Brits.

 

[Jason Lewis]

thanks guys. ugly birds.

 

[Brent]

Actually, they are beautiful birds with the most amazing metallic iridescence in the sunlight.

 

[William O.]

Grackles are not invasive, exotic or nonnative. But they are a migratory song bird. So, unless you are sure that they have special exemption from the Migratory Bird Act, I wouldn't brag about shooting them in on the internet, complete with photographic evidence. Hell, I wouldn't bother to shoot them anyway.

Grackles are not song birds and do not migrate. They are nuisance birds and may be taken at any time of year and in any number.
" A permit is not required to control grackles; cowbirds; yellow-headed, red-winged, rusty or Brewer's blackbirds; crows or magpies when these birds are considered a nuisance or causing a public health hazard. No birds may be controlled by any means considered illegal by local city or county ordinance."
TX Parks & Wildlife