underneath your backyard bird feeder. Everywhere you look, pigeons (alias winged rats) are present. We have become Pigeon Nation. Though their feather colors can range from black, blue and gray or white and tan, colorful pigeons have a dark side – a very dark side. These seemingly harmless birds spread diseases, ruin farms and can damage statues and other park structures. Pigeon droppings – a highly corrosive matter – was initially blamed for the huge bridge collapse in Minnesota that killed many drivers and passengers a few summers past. Yes, pi- geons are pulling us down or eating away at America. And unlike Europe where field pigeons live in forests
You’ve seen them perched on park statues, flying
and are hunted with decoys, pigeons on this side of the BIG pond (Atlantic) are largely ignored, except for those hunters in the know. Pigeons present shooting and hunting oppor- tunities from coast to coast. Farms, and notably dairy farms, often will open the gates and barn doors to let you in, but you must be properly equipped, have a basic understanding of farming, and pos- sess good manners. Once inside the working area of a farm, the pigeon shooting can be phenomenal. WHERE THE PIGEONS ARE
First, pigeons on farms can be found anywhere grains Page 36 Winter 2013
up under highway bridges, and possibly feeding
are exposed, stored or dropped. If the farm has cows or horses, probably it has pigeons. Look for concentrations of pigeons in silos, around feed troughs where cattle and other livestock are fed, and around truck parking areas and the places where grains are also transferred to or from a truck or railcar, or in structures where grains are stored or held, such as silos. Barns and silos definitely hold the most promise, and unfortunately these sites present the biggest challenges.
No farmer wants a hole shot in his building’s roof, so 22 rifles and shotguns are decidedly declined as the choice for shooting inside of structures. Simply put, those pellets and bullets will pass through the tin and metal on most buildings. Consider moving down to an air rifle or possibly a BB gun, and take shots that are not roof bound. Better yet, observe the pigeons that move through open doors and windows, note where they go, and plan an interception along the route with a shotgun, or at the site where they land with a 22 rifle or similar pigeon reduction rifle.
If you need to lure pigeons to other areas or create a concentration at a site, pour out corn, wheat, or a cheap bag of bird feed on the ground and duck into a shooting area. The good news is that no state I am aware of has a law protecting pigeons, and while you are baiting (or feeding!) and shooting, note that starlings and house sparrows also are on the list in many states – the open list where you can shoot them any
Plink A
Pigeon Michael D. Faw
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