From the time I was a short skinny twelve year old who couldn't pump my Sheridan up to eight pumps until today, I was known as the kid with the pellet gun. Early in my marriage I moved from that Sheridan given me by my father to the famous airgun marques of Europe. It was amazing to me. You pumped once and you had a full power shot. I was hooked I tell you!
Interestingly, my father in law, a man who enjoys the quality of a good firearm, thought it just a bit strange that an adult would have an interest in airguns. I explained my reasons for preferring them. He wanted to see me shoot. After that he told me of every pest animal he so much as glimpsed on his forty acres.
Not long after, I was given the opportunity to hunt small game with my airguns on private lands near the inlaws'. I'd hunted successfully and I guess word gets around a small town pretty quickly. I was asked to come to one farm or another to cull pests.
I walked into a one of those family owned small town stores and a big fella greeted me with, "You're that guy that shoots pests with airguns aren'tcha."
I grinned and nodded. He told me of his father's place and how they'd been overrun with the usual feathered vermin, gave me directions to the place and asked the model car I drove.
Sometimes the owners are home and I get the chance to answer questions about these wonderful tools. Other times I'm left to my devices. Parking the car to the side with a note telling who I am on the dash.
Its been fun all these years. Meeting people and providing something of a service where otherwise indiscriminate poisons would have been used. I'm thankful for these opportunities. The kindness shown me. To be recognized as the guy who shoots pests with airguns.
Dang Harv....what I would give to be able to even VISIT!!
Here in the desert, if the feral Pigeons are too spooky to give me a chance at a shot (they watch me and when I cock the gun they FLY LIKE H-LL) OR if I am beating feet in the desert and the varmit hunting Gods are against me, well, there isn't much to shoot at (save a stacked up pile of little rocks at 30 yards).
I have hunted in the mid-west where my maternal family is from, but I have never airguned anywhere East of the Mississippi...did some popp'en in Europe (oops...too far East).
You are one lucky dog and I am GREEN WITH ENVY!!!!!!!....(does it show much??)
Its one of those deals that sort of builds over time. When word gets out what it is we airgunners can do, people are a lot more willing to let us shoot on their properties. Especially if it provides them a service of sorts.
I used to live in Wisconsin. First on the east side of Waukesha county (family all over Waukesha county now) and then in Racine. Moved to Minneapolis and now live on the very outskirts of Saint Cloud.
I know the difficulties of hunting the desert. I've shot in the desert around Vegas and Henderson NV. I also know there is a stupidly huge kind of rabbit out there. Saw hulk-like rabbit tracks. Freakishly big. The 350 or 460 are probably two of the few airguns with enough knock-down energy for that monster. I heard they spotted them as far north as Reno. Have you heard anything about them getting that far north? I suppose that area might even be better country for them but I don't know.
Last year I had more calls for striped gophers than usual. Their population cycle must be on the upswing again.
You can tell when a population is nearing critical mass. The area might hold a superabundance of food for a given species and so the decrease (mNatural selection), although still happening, is hardly noticeable. That's when culling is necessary or disease will spread. Possibly through the food chain.
I do not know if there is more than one type of Jackrabbit here on the desert floor, but let me tell ya, the big ones (mature males) are BIG....I mean B-I-G!!! and fast as they are big...I have stalked them over hill rises and down into canyons and back up again....some BIG mountain lions too...I try hard to NOT walk in the narrow canyons where there is just 8-10 feet on each side of you but the walls rise up 20 or more feet above your head...I try to stay clear of low ledges...have seen the big cats just laying on them and watching....not a good thing to have pounce on you head!!...laugh.
I haven't seen any REALLY big Jackrabbits as far North as Reno, but there are different things to shoot up there. Nevada is a strange place much like Arizona and perhaps New Mexico. When in the South, you are in the dry desert regions...start driving North and all of a sudden you realize that you are seeing fields of green hay, alfalfa (I think), and other grains....some dairy farms...it is just different than down here in the South.
What IS neet about my side of Las Vegas is that we have Mt. Charleston about 45 min or less away by car. I have seen the beginning of Summer where it is over 90 degrees here on the valley floor and you look up and see Mt. Charleston with snow on the top. It is big pine trees and thin low-lying brush...GREAT for deer and the occasional Big Horn Sheep. I have some GREAT stories about mature Rams leading a heard down the side of a cliff that is so damm close to straight down you would think that a fly couldn't sit on the side of it. I have a special place that I like to sit and relax at about 15 min away from my house by dirt bike. Have sat and watched Rams lead heards down the cliff that is about 80-100 yds across a massively deep canyon....very impressive.
You are definitely lucky Harv to be allowed to provide pest control for different people and enjoy doing it at the same time.
I think next hunting season I am going to solicit some of the farmers a couple of miles north of here to see if they will allow me to do some pest control on their property. Can you advise me on how to approach them and what to say? Are there any key words to use, or not to use so they don't get scared or turned off? I have a bunch of thoughts in my head but I think I need to write "my speech" down and be prepared to properly answer questions.
I 'm also going to look into the laws in regards to shooting protected species (that have a hunting season like rabbits, etc.) in the off-season on private property. I think they can be classified as pests and legally taken if they are destroying farmers' crops or causing damage and as long as the shooter possesses a NY state hunting license. Written permission from the land owner is required as well. If anything, I 'd be very happy with some rat control I think my 850 would be perfect for small critters as I was hitting shelled peanuts today consistently at 20yds. Only problem was 15min. later a few birds picked them up with their beaks and flew away with them! I plan on doing some sparrow hunting so I figured the smaller the target I practice on, the better. I 'll know not to use food next time..!
The best thing you can do is speak honestly. What I've found to work best is to talk about the positive side. ie That culling pests with an air rifle is surgical and allows the animals the farmer likes to be left alone. Poisons are indiscriminate. Let them know there's no charge, you just love to shoot and this actually lets you do it very inexpensively and also practice for the big game seasons. They like that. If you can connect using a pellet gun as practice for the "real" game they get it.
Don't brag about your skills to them. Let them do the majority of the talking and if they say no, please don't argue. I've had farmers say no and then talk to the ones who allowed me on their land and those first farmers came around. Its really hard nowadays for these guys to let Anyone they don't know on their properties. They have to be totally secure that some guy isn't using their land to bring his friends around just to take pot shots at things.
Lastly, find out what the farmer wants done with the culled pests. Some prefer them buried, others will say toss them in a pile in a certain place. Never leave them lie where they fell. That's considered disrespectful unless the owner really doesn't care.
Also, dress neatly and bring your own shovel. In other words, show you're prepared. A professional and courtious manner puts you in the best light. At the right point in the conversation find a way to let them know you're not going to be telling the world you shoot on their land. That you know you've been allowed something special (without being totally direct) and its between you and the owner. I give Christmas cards to the farmers who let me hunt/cull their lands. I sign them "Harvey, (the guy with the pellet guns)" and they really get a kick out of that. A relationship with a farmer who lets you hunt often grows into something more important.
Wow. Those are stories I would like to read here Curtis. If Dave permits it I would sure love to read about those hunts because that stuff transfers very well to the culling people might want to get into.
Thanks for the stories already! (now I want to read more.. )
I been a waiting for a story Harvey,I like it.Up here where I'm at in the suburbs in Michigan I never had that kind of opportunity to go shootin.All we could do was go to the woods or the ole pond with our trusted Daisy 25's.By the time I got my first Sheridan I was nearly 40.The woods was now a subdivision and the pond had been filled by dozers.Hum To bad for me Huh?
Hey Bob, seems like we are all loosing woods to hunt. Most states have wma,s,,Wildlife Management Areas. I am blessed that I have many private lands to hunt on. Check w/your local Game Management office, chances are you have a WMA close by. Last year I found out there is 3k acres 2 mi. from my house! Im shure you know this but,untill I did some research I never knew about the WMA that close to me! Happy hunting my friend,Tim.
I think my 850 would be perfect for small critters as I was hitting shelled peanuts today consistently at 20yds. Only problem was 15min. later a few birds picked them up with their beaks and flew away with them! I plan on doing some sparrow hunting so I figured the smaller the target I practice on, the better. I 'll know not to use food next time..! 
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