birds and bows

[Tatorbones]

How many of you have taken birds with your bows?

As well as what types of birds have you shot?

My ultimate goal in bow hunting is being able to bow hunt birds with bow. I'm not sure who all does this or what you hunt when you do.

I know we talk about all these animals that would be fun to hunt but how much of a challenge would bird hunting really be. I think very challenging.

Pond jumping, for ducks.

What other strategies would you use and when would you shoot them?

This is just getting me pumped talking about shooting them.

[drewsbow]

Spruce grouse in Quebec , off the ground and out of trees , man what a blast.

[Tatorbones]

How did you do it?
What bh did you use?
I'm wanting to give it a try

[Mike Vines]

I went thru a phase since 2005 where that was all I hunted.  I needed a break from whitetails, and I lost my hunting partner (my Dad) and deer hunting just wasn't the same.  I took plenty of pheasants with the Ace hex head blunts over my chocolate lab, I shot at lots of ducks and have only connected with one hen mallard over decoys out of my old duck boat using a carbon arrow and Howard Hill broadhead, I took a limit of geese (5 in the early season) one day, and it was just an awesome day at that, also with the Ace hex head, there is always turkey, and then this last season, I got back into hunting deer and while up in Grayling, MI (Fred Bears old stomping grounds), I took my first partridge.  I was sitting in a blowdown in full sun and fell asleep in the middle of the afternoon.  When I woke up, I would have swore there was a chicken in front of me.  It took me a second to figure what was going on, and using a judo point, I shot true and all the Judo did was push the bird along into flight with just a couple feathers left for me to admire.  I guess you could say that one was catch and release.  I won't use judos again for bird hunting just for that reason.  I had the same thing happen on pheasants while using judos and also snarro heads.

So yes, I guess I can say that I have done a little bit of bird hunting with the bow and arrow.

[Bowwild]

A starling out of a flock of hundreds barely in straight up archery range, in my teens -- unluckiest bird to ever fly.

Pigeon

Domestsic duck gone wild

Turkeys

[Bowwild]

Oh, I forgot one. When I was a senior in High School (1973)I ditched school one day with my friend. We baited his trash can in the back yard. Grackles landed on top of the trash barrell. It was at least a 25 yard shot to the end of his yard.  Using a Bear B Mag and a rubber blunt I dead centered a big male standing on the rim of the can looking in. Feathers flew and the bird dropped in the can.

There was a hung-over neighbor sitting on his patio next door who witnessed the whole thing. It was about 8:30am. The neighbor appeared to be a bit groggy and he wasn't talking.  

When that black bird puffed and fell I thought the hung-over neighbor was going to choke to death!

[Tatorbones]

Did you shoot them flying or on the ground?

[Bowwild]

The starling was flying, at least 300 feet high. The others were on the ground or ledges.

I hunted mourning doves over a sunflower field at Patoka Lake in Southern Indiana around 1988. I got a lot of shots and made a couple of birds change course but they were able to see my arrows coming and easily avoid them.

It was great fun and the shotgunners were very entertained!

[Tatorbones]

Man this is getting me excited, I'm going to have to try this. I'll have to practice to be able to shoot some birds.

I'm going to look into getting me some hexed blunts.

If you have them keep the stories coming.

[GRINCH]

Sparrow about 15 yards went through h fleshy part of his throat,pull the arrow and he flew away I was 14 at the time,fiberglass bow 18 lb draw.

[Rooselk]

Ruffs and blues for me. Grouse hunting with  a bow is just plain fun. In fact there are times if I had to choose between big game and grouse I'm not certain as to which one I'd ultimately pick. I've never tried to hunt waterfowl because I don't care for the taste. But I've never eaten a grouse that I didn't like, regardless of how it was prepared.

[kongo]

I hunt pheasant on state land and you have to use Flu FLus with blunts . I've taken my bow but always wind up using my shotgun . Next season for sure .

[WhiskeyMike]

Spruce grouse and ptarmigan with judo tipped spiral flu flus.

[Charlie Lamb]

Let's see...

Crow
Roughed Grouse
Blue Grouse
Sage Grouse
Chukar Partridge
Pheasant
Bowwhite Quail
Blue Quail
Turkey
Mallard Duck
Goose
Starling
Sparrow
Pidgeon

Steel blunts (plain) for the smaller stuff and broadheads (small 2 blade)for pheasant, blues, and bigger.

[Thumper Dunker]

Originally posted by Charlie Lamb:
Let's see...

Roughed Grouse
Blue Grouse
Sage Grouse
Chukar Partridge
Pheasant
Bowwhite Quail
Blue Quail
Turkey
Mallard Duck
Goose
Starling
Sparrow
Pidgeon

Steel blunts (plain) for the smaller stuff and broadheads (small 2 blade)for pheasant, blues, and bigger.

WOW thats realy cool.  I Have shot at crows and pigeons and quail.

[Tatorbones]

Do yall usually shoot them on the ground or in the air?

I'm going to be hunting in Texas and the people I talk to don't really think they grouse really or prairie chickens.

[Charlie Lamb]

Oops!! Almost forgot... Crow.
 

[Mike Vines]

Originally posted by Tatorbones:
Do yall usually shoot them on the ground or in the air?

I'm going to be hunting in Texas and the people I talk to don't really think they grouse really or prairie chickens.

I prefer to take them on the wing as opposed to on the ground.  Just a personal preference, and I think it gives them the fairest chance.

[chinook907]

Ptarmigan and spruce grouse on the ground with rubber blunts. Way fun.    

[twitchstick]

Here are a few birds I have shoot.
Dove
Gamble and Californa Quial
Chucker
Blue and Forest Grouse(Pine Chickens)
Turkey
And many sparrows,worblers ect.. when I was young. Most have been on the ground but I shoot one dove and a bunch of grouse on the wing. Missed a few ducks and geese but I working on that. I use judos,steel blunts and broadheads. I use flu flu's alot and broadheads exclusive on bigger stuff.