Starlings

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RRAB

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Hey y'all recently moved to the Hamilton area... So hard to find public land to hunt birds !! Waterfowl for me sucked this season, same with grouce which usually do get skunked since they so hard to find, I'm hoping to ask private land owners if they wouldn't mind going in for starlings though.... A bit shy to walk up to strangers , any advice ?!
 
You’d do better to make contacts and friends who own land or have access/rights to hunt then you would asking strangers in rural parts surrounding the city. Problem is city types tend to bring more trouble than not, and I’m not saying everybody, but I’ve just started turning any requests away from my farm. I get these types who come looking around trying to plee that they’re doing me some kind of favour but more times than not I found guys just wanting to shoot something, leaving messes behind, making dangerous shots and scaring my neighbours, hell I had one guy convinced my coy-dogs were coyotes he’d seen wondering in the grass, and no matter how many times I explained it to him he was insistent if he didn’t come hunt my coyote problem that all our livestock was in peril. Well my coy-dogs wear bright coloured bandanas now and strangely enough my livestock is all still alive. Last guy I let hunt pests near my sheds out a hole through my barn roof.

Maybe start with a range/gun club, traps shoots etc, a lot of guys I’ve met have land at home but go to a club for the social aspect, as long as you’re friendly and level headed you’ll get invited out.

If you’re anti social like me there’s also crown lands, it’s a drive but you can make a day of it or grab a hotel and make it a weekend outing.
 
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MosinMan13 said:
You’d do better to make contacts and friends who own land or have access/rights to hunt then you would asking strangers in rural parts surrounding the city. Problem is city types tend to bring more trouble than not, and I’m not saying everybody, but I’ve just started turning any requests away from my farm. I get these types who come looking around trying to plee that they’re doing me some kind of favour but more times than not I found guys just wanting to shoot something, leaving messes behind, making dangerous shots and scaring my neighbours, hell I had one guy convinced my coy-dogs were coyotes he’d seen wondering in the grass, and no matter how many times I explained it to him he was insistent if he didn’t come hunt my coyote problem that all our livestock was in peril. Well my coy-dogs wear bright coloured bandanas now and strangely enough my livestock is all still alive. Last guy I let hunt pests near my sheds out a hole through my barn roof.

Maybe start with a range/gun club, traps shoots etc, a lot of guys I’ve met have land at home but go to a club for the social aspect, as long as you’re friendly and level headed you’ll get invited out.

If you’re anti social like me there’s also crown lands, it’s a drive but you can make a day of it or grab a hotel and make it a weekend outing.
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I completely agree with you, and this is the .ain reason why I don't feel comfortable asking people I don't know because there's that one hunter who ruins it others, id feel awkward to sit there and explain how tidy I am respect the property and just to clear my name but they probably also heard that too and the hunter turns out to be the opposite of who he said he was, I usually keep it to my self and hit up crown land, usually 1 out of 10 trips would be a success , it is what it is though
 
Talk to folks that have cherry trees, if you want to shoot starlings. I kinda doubt that you will get much negative response.

A flock of Starlings will go through a cherry tree like a wrecking ball, they grab the fruit, pluck it from the stem, then shake their heads to rip off what is in their beak, and the rest of the cherry drops to the ground unheeded. Very wasteful, as well as destructive.

Consider arming up with a decent quality Pellet Gun, as that seems far more acceptable than the sound of a shotgun, or even rimfire ammo.

All you gotta do, is start knocking on doors and asking for possible permissions or possible contact info. Be clean, be polite, take refusals with good grace, and you eventually make the contacts you need, which is pretty applicable to about anyone looking for hunting permission anywhere.
 
trevj said:
Talk to folks that have cherry trees, if you want to shoot starlings. I kinda doubt that you will get much negative response.

A flock of Starlings will go through a cherry tree like a wrecking ball, they grab the fruit, pluck it from the stem, then shake their heads to rip off what is in their beak, and the rest of the cherry drops to the ground unheeded. Very wasteful, as well as destructive.

Consider arming up with a decent quality Pellet Gun, as that seems far more acceptable than the sound of a shotgun, or even rimfire ammo.

All you gotta do, is start knocking on doors and asking for possible permissions or possible contact info. Be clean, be polite, take refusals with good grace, and you eventually make the contacts you need, which is pretty applicable to about anyone looking for hunting permission anywhere.
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I will definitely take this in consideration, thank you !
 
Granted, I don't do it around Hamilton but I haven't had much trouble gaining access to rural properties for hunting/shooting. (groundhogs) Common sense applies-avoid their day of rest, only approach the house if you see people or vehicles, don't wear camo when you show-up, don't even bring a gun and get your hopes-up. Treat prospecting like it's own hunt and take it seriously. Form complete sentences, be prepared to leave your contact information, ask THEM if they need help with anything around the farm...report things you see on the property, close gates you open, etc. etc.

And be prepared to talk politics-don't expect to find many Liberal-voting farmers.

Treat their property like your own (weird, I know) and be safe.
 
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