Successful starling hunt.......sorta

Hackbow · June 20, 2009, 03:41:00 AM

My son John (laxbowman) just finished fletching some arrows yesterday and wanted to try them out hunting. Since a flock of starlings in the yard made themselves available, he told me to watch him put on a stalk. I peered from my office window as he snuck around the house and found one of the birds with it's head buried in the grass.

His new flourescent fletching traced across the yard and the arrow stuck in the ground just over and behind the bird's body. I walked out to console him and act as guide for the rest of the hunt. We moved to the back yard as I had seen many of the critters there on previous scouting trips. As I hoped, several birds were feeding (not baited and no food plots - just naturally occuring food sources).

We carefully glassed (okay, no binocs) over the vast open space to pick out the best trophy. Just like the first bird, this one escaped with feathers unruffled (as did 2 more!).

Disappointment began to set-in for the lad. He had just blown 4 chances to nail one of the little buggers. Knowing that my guiding reputation was on the line, I filled him with encouragement and told him lies about having actually missed game myself.

This seemed to get his mind off the poor shots and let the birds settle a little, then move back in.

We saw movement along the edge of some brush and set-up for the next shot. There was too much open ground to get any closer, so we discussed the shot from our current position. Our view was partially blocked, but John felt a renewed sense of marksmanship flow through his predatory veins.

Just as he loosed his arrow, we saw one last twitch of the animal's tail before it was promptly pinned to the ground. A hit!

After carefully nocking another arrow in case a finishing shot was required, we eased down the slight grade to claim his prize. No trailing was needed, the long hunt was over.

Much to our surprise, however, it was not a starling skewered to the arrow, but this:
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Maybe we both need to practice positive target identification.

Guru · June 20, 2009, 07:10:00 AM

That's a heck of a shot!

Big Ed · June 20, 2009, 08:19:00 AM

Backyard Bowhunting. Great shot

bawana bowman · June 20, 2009, 08:26:00 AM

Nice shooting, doubt I could have even seen the critter at that distance.

swp · June 20, 2009, 08:33:00 AM

Way to hang in there! Good job.

ranger 3 · June 20, 2009, 08:37:00 AM

Great story telling and shot.

gregg dudley · June 20, 2009, 09:22:00 AM

Cool trophy!

crossstickspro · June 20, 2009, 09:53:00 AM

.....A seccessful father son hunt...PRICELESS

good shootin...

Billy · June 20, 2009, 09:55:00 AM

I can't believe you told him you never miss!!!!!!

Nice shooting!

I guess I better keep shooting at my pipe insulation!

Chris Surtees · June 20, 2009, 12:24:00 PM

PSUBowhunter · June 20, 2009, 03:00:00 PM

Hey Darren, I sent you a pm

laxbowman · June 20, 2009, 03:05:00 PM

Thanks for the comments.

I used a 63@28 Ancient Spirits recurve to take down this mighty trophy. I'd like to thank my guide for staying with the hunt and not giving up after some near and far misses :-)

-john

Bob Hildenbrand · June 22, 2009, 10:34:00 PM

Dude. Sweet arrahs. See you tomorrow night.

Toklat1 · June 22, 2009, 10:57:00 PM

Sweet shot!

Red Beastmaster · June 23, 2009, 12:48:00 PM

Hackbow, when I see you for the groundhog hunt remind me to tell about the time I shot a mole at 150 yards!

Nice shot laxbowman in spite of the marginal guiding skills from your pa.

varmint101 · June 23, 2009, 02:56:00 PM

Cool, nice shot!

John Scifres · June 23, 2009, 10:39:00 PM

Interesting story. Nice shot. Seems I remember guiding a man known as Hackbow early in 2009 in Southern Indiana. Now Hackbow is an unreformed trophy hunter interested mostly in headgear. Late in the hunt, said Hackbow hears a deer approaching. This fine specimen stops broadside in Hacker's shooting lane at what he claims is his comfortable shooting distance. This expert marksman, killer of untold numbers of deer, proceeds to whistle one right where his priorities lie...right between the deer's ears. I hate trophy hunters.

John, I know you have seen your dad miss as much as I have so I don't have to tell you...but Hackbow's full of sheet when he claims to know how to shoot.

In the interest of fairness, I should tell you all about the hunt we took part in at a state park when Darren made perhaps the best shot I have ever seen on a deer. But I can't cause it wasn't a bowhunt

Peace.

Red Beastmaster · June 24, 2009, 01:09:00 PM

John,

Ole Hackbow will be put to the test next week. He's coming over to bowhunt groundhogs with me. He'll either shoot straight or be EATEN ALIVE!

SELFBOW19953 · June 24, 2009, 02:04:00 PM

Starlings are considered an introduced, nuisance species with no season and no bag limit, they are everywhere. So a bunch of years ago while dove hunting (with a shotgun) I got the brainstorm (some will say brainf**t) to shoot a starling and cook it. I got my bird and a few dove. I plucked the dove and skinned the starling so I could tell the difference. Several days later, my (now) ex, was talking to me at dinner and wanted to know why one of the dove was skinned. She had cooked the dove for lunch and didn't like the taste of the "skinned dove", the starling, at all. So, I now know, based on my accidental double blind taste test, that starling aren't good table fare. I took her word for it and have never tried them myself.