Hunting with big bore blowgun

M

minipyro23

Joined
Oct 12, 2006
Messages
131
Alright so I got home around 3:15-3:30ish. I look out the window of my birdfeeders and see some birds there and in the woods. I go down into the basement grab my PVC pipe quiver my blowgun and a camo hunting vest. I then proceed upstairs and out through a side door. The birds by the feeder are pretty skitish since I only had it for a couple days and I just want to see how close I can get. They run or fly I should say away as soon as I hop my fence. Anyways I deceide to go into the woods. I start to walk through a little place thats kind of my little part of the woods. (Its really not my woods its the developments so I cant do any serious hunting). But there another benefit to the blowgun its quiet and can be reconized as a walking stick or pole. Anyways I walk in seeing only things above in the tree tops way out of range. I'm not very comfortable\good at straight up shoots so I keep on walking. I see some smaller birds on the way through the woods. I arrive at one tree with a playful little finch. But since I was thirsty for blood and all I loaded up and fired. It was probabably 15 feet away fooling around on some branch. I miss but it was a close miss.( One of the things I like about smaller birds is how bold they are). So he deceides to stay and I halfheartfully loaded another dart in. I'm using bamboo skewers by the way. Anyways I take aim and let fly. It stuck the finch right around the neck and it fell on the snow covered ground. It less then 10 seconds it was dead without me interfearing. I was really surprised and happy that I hit it. This was my first kill with a blowgun and it for sure wouldn't be my last. I held up my several ounce if that trophie and deceided where to put it. I ended up putting in on a stump and went to continue my hunt. I walked a bit and saw a larger dove sized bird and got really excited. I quickly snatched a dart from my quiver and let fly. I missed and it flew away. I relocated the dart as well as the dove sized bird and tried to shoot it again. I missed. I thought this is weird... How do I nail a finch which is only a few inches and completly miss a bird 5 times the size? Well I walk home still happy that I got my finch and only lost one dart which flew into a tree and got stuck. When I got home I put the finch in a baggy in the freezer. When I get enough creatures of the woodland I'll cook em up but a little finch is worth cooking alone. I go to the basement after cleaning the slightly bloody dart with soap and look at the dart still in my blowgun I used to shoot the dove sized bird(which I missed). I look at it and realize it pretty bent up. Thats most likely why I didn't nail the dove sized bird. Lesson learned here is to check all your darts for straightness before heading out.
 
I got a chipmunk with mine once. But I felt bad afterwards because I killed it basically to see if I could (I threw it in the pond so the bass would it eat it- they're plenty big enough) Since then, I've only shot squirrels with the stun darts. It freaks them out but doesn't hurt them badly or kill 'em. I've been tempted to shoot my dog with the stun darts a couple times, but it doesn't seem right. I love the blowgun though. I don't get to use it much, since I live in the city now and my wife throws a fit if I shoot it in the house (and she's ALWAYS home).
 
I felt bad before when I shot a bird with a bb gun a while ago but when I got the finch with the blowgun I felt happy more then anything. Chipmunks are funny, at a water park called camel beach you could ride sky lifts and there was a bunch on the way up and down. Do you have the Big Bore or another brand?
 
minipyro,
I really hate to always be a wet blanket, and I am a hardcore hunter, I am having deer meat that I killed for supper tonight, but wouldn't it be better to just target shoot than kill songbirds? You can still go into the woods and shoot at targets of oportunity, like pine cones and clumps of grass, and practice stalking birds and animals knowing that if you needed too you could take them, but not actually kill them. I think they are much to fun to watch and listen too, something else, in all states it is illegal to kill most birds besides pest species, and doves and squirrels have a season, it would not be cool to kill a bird or animal while it had young it was caring for.

If you have to kill, learn to recognize the difference between different birds and only go after pest species like starlings, grackles, and european house sparrows, in most places they are legal and there are no seasons but be sure to check the regs where you live. Hunting is a lot of fun and very rewarding, and I am glad that you want to eat what you kill, you did clean that bird before you froze it, there is also a lot of responsibility and respect for the animals that you hunt.

Hunt and fish, enjoy the outdoors legally, ethically and only take what you can use is my motto. Chris
 
roughedges said:
:thumbup: this should be every outdoor enthusiast's motto.
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I agree. I am a hardcore deer hunter myself, and I was raised only to kill animals for the meat, or for the fur. I don't think there is enough meat on a finch to justify taking its life.
 
Hey yeah I don't plan on massivly killing song birds or anything that will probably be the last one. Most likely be doves rabiits and squirrels like I said before. It was kind of like moonwilsons case when he killed a chipmunk with a blowgun just to prove he could. Not trying to be rude or anything but the things you think shot got away injured and the bird I shot died soon after. He didn't suffer or anything. I can admit you outnumber my hunting experiences by a ton and I'll take your suggestion not to shoot songbirds and to maybe set up targets in the woods to shoot as I walk along. That could be a satifying way to practice, and I could practive sneaking up on them to improve my stalking.
 
troutfisher13111 said:
I agree. I am a hardcore deer hunter myself, and I was raised only to kill animals for the meat, or for the fur. I don't think there is enough meat on a finch to justify taking its life.
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Except for pests, such as rats and the birds I named, as well as others.

All of those birds I mentioned are introduced to the United States and wreak havoc with indigenous species. Chris
 
Again to you other who posted I don't want to seem like someone who kills just for fun. I was just excited and a bit niave(sp) at the time. Don't get me wrong either since I love animals and don't want to seem like some freak that kills to kill.
 
minipyro23 said:
. Not trying to be rude or anything but the things you think shot got away injured and the bird I shot died soon after.
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You are 100% right and I hould have quit after the first one I shot, unfortunately as a young man I didn't listen and had to learn a lot of things for myself, some of the things I did I am very sorry for.

That is a good idea about putting up targets and shooting at them while walking. In the bowhunting world it is called roving and is very fun and rewarding in itself. Try shooting from odd angles, judging distances and arching your shots in, and shooting around obstacles, it is tons of fun. And if you decide to make some broadheads and legally hunt, all that roving will put game in your pot when it is for real.:thumbup: Chris
 
runningboar said:
Except for pests, such as rats and the birds I named, as well as others.

All of those birds I mentioned are introduced to the United States and wreak havoc with indigenous species. Chris
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Yeah, agreed. Coyote in the summer in areas where they are plentiful enough to be considered pest are another example.


minipyro23, I don't think your a freak, everyone gets excited. I just wanted to give my opinion on the ethical side of your hunting. I hate to see irresponsible hunters in the field, it makes us all look bad. And besides that, its morally wrong. I am glad you are at least going to eat the little finch.:thumbup:
 
One thing to consider, is that in some states, hunting with a blowgun is illegal and can actually be illegal to own. Just be aware of your states, counties, cities laws and codes concerning the blowgun.

I agree with what's been said about taking only what you need and one of my own rules, is I never kill, just to kill. That is, unless we're over run with rats or whatever. Then it's time to do some culling of the pack. ;)
 
I could not even begin to sort through everyone's fish and game laws that vary state to state but as far as ownership/possession is concerned, they are illegal in Cal. and Mass. They might be illegal in some cities and counties as well.

I don't think you should use them on anything except pests.

I think you should endeavor to kill game cleanly and humanely.

I think you should eat what you kill, except with some pests.

If you wish to make blowguns and darts illegal in MORE jurisdictions, then KEEP DOING WHAT YOU JUST POSTED ABOUT. Sooner or later you will hit an animal and then the animal will be wounded and run away and some jogger will then pick up the dart and possibly report that to the Police or Dept. of Natural Resources Police in your area and then the next thing you know - blowguns might be legislated against. People have reported deer shot with arrows and crossbow bolts, this is not out of the realm of possibilities - the only difference being, the blowgun won't have thousands of advocates to defend it when they ban it where you live.

So, if you can't respect the animals and you can't respect the laws that protect them, at least have some self-interest and don't do stupid sh*t like this that will get them banned in more places.
 
Lots of good comments, so far. Let me add...

Originally posted by minipyro23

I walked a bit and saw a larger dove sized bird and got really excited. I quickly snatched a dart from my quiver and let fly.
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...If you don't even know what kind of animal it is, then don't hunt it. Only hunt an animal you positively identify, and know is okay to hunt.
 
runningboar said:
minipyro,
I really hate to always be a wet blanket, and I am a hardcore hunter, I am having deer meat that I killed for supper tonight, but wouldn't it be better to just target shoot than kill songbirds? You can still go into the woods and shoot at targets of oportunity, like pine cones and clumps of grass, and practice stalking birds and animals knowing that if you needed too you could take them, but not actually kill them. I think they are much to fun to watch and listen too, something else, in all states it is illegal to kill most birds besides pest species, and doves and squirrels have a season, it would not be cool to kill a bird or animal while it had young it was caring for.

If you have to kill, learn to recognize the difference between different birds and only go after pest species like starlings, grackles, and european house sparrows, in most places they are legal and there are no seasons but be sure to check the regs where you live. Hunting is a lot of fun and very rewarding, and I am glad that you want to eat what you kill, you did clean that bird before you froze it, there is also a lot of responsibility and respect for the animals that you hunt.

Hunt and fish, enjoy the outdoors legally, ethically and only take what you can use is my motto. Chris
Click to expand...

Nice post Runningboar I was going to add a single caveat to your plan though....KILL ALL PACKRATS with due haste and no mercy.

Thank you.
 
I have killed many starlings with my blowgun because they mess up the nests of the robins and cardinals that nest near our feeders. They are not the best weapons to use to hunt but I could def use them in the wild. I use a CS big bore on them. I have only taken a few birds and they were all starlings, its really fun to target shoot with and thats what I recommend them for.
 
I made my own blow gun out of pvc...worked fine if you want to have darts that wont bend, Try old spokes from a bike tire and sharpen 'em up on a grinder
 
Sorry if you dont have picture posting resources RR but If you do and it isnt too much trouble could you put up some picks of your weapon?

If not could you mention a few more details, for example the diameter and lenght of the pvc, and.... what do you put on the breath end of the dart? how do you make it so it catches the breath?
 
I used quater inc pvc aorund 4 feet seems t obe decent for most applications, anything longer and it starts to bend...I've used alot of different types of dayts from heavy sewing needles and nails (both with paper cone wings) and larger bike spokes, bamboo skewers paper cones as well but also had some success pushing the dart through the canter of a piece or cord (dab o crazy glue on there, and fraying the back...Now I'm thinking about just stuffing some cotton in with the dart like aborinal peoples do (we'll see how that turns out)
 
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