| Slingshot hunting is a sport enjoyed by men and boys | | | | English sparrows that stole chicken feed. He paid me a |
| around the world. There is the challenge of stalking | | | | penny apiece for each one I bagged. I had become a |
| game with only a primitive weapon in hand, and no thrill | | | | bounty hunter! |
| like that of scoring when all the odds are against the | | | | But my brother and I set our sights on bigger game |
| sportsman. | | | | too. The fields and woods outside of town had fox |
| Most guys get their start shooting slingshots when as | | | | squirrels and cottontail rabbits. Not only was hunting |
| boys, there was the need to find something fun and | | | | them even more of a challenge, but they were edible |
| time consuming. The thrill of the chase enters in, and | | | | game, fit for the supper table. As it turned out, the |
| they get hooked on BB guns and slingshots. | | | | squirrels were too hard, but rabbits we could get. In |
| Growing up in the southern Midwest of the US, I got | | | | addition, we also got lots of turtle doves during the fall |
| involved with slingshots as a young age, before TV | | | | season. |
| and other sedentary activities got hold of me. I loved | | | | They were small, but tasty treats. |
| being out of doors, and I saw a lot of saucy "bad | | | | Dad had rules to guide our slingshot hunting. Leave the |
| birds" like starlings, sparrows and grackles all over the | | | | songbirds alone, and anything edible we shot, we |
| place in the towns we live in. Slingshot hunting became | | | | cleaned and gave to Mom, who was happy to cook |
| my hobby. | | | | them up for the family. |
| I bought my first slingshot, a WhamO, from a magazine | | | | Most guys today who like to hunt with slingshots got |
| ad. It worked pretty well. I practiced using the gravel in | | | | their start as kids. And some still prefer to make their |
| the alleyway, but soon decided to build my own | | | | own slingshots. Some fellows like flat bands for |
| homemade slingshot. A tree branch fork, some rubber | | | | propulsion, while others are satisfied with slingshots |
| bands and a leather shoe tongue, put together in the | | | | with the tubular bands. Many excellent commercial |
| right way, and I had my superduper weapon. It worked. | | | | slingshots and ammo are available. Slingshots are |
| I went after the pest birds with a vengeance. | | | | relatively cheap and offer many hours of inexpensive |
| One neighbor had a chicken yard, and he hated the | | | | fun. |