Hunting with slingshots? - Yep!
I mean come on, I am a Southern Boy, this ain't rocket science. *grin*
Grandma decided it was time for to have my very own slingshot at age 3.
I was driving her nuts about feral cats messing with MY quail. So we had gone down again to shoot feral cats near some covey's of quail with the .22 revolver that was in my dresser drawer crib, when I came home from being born.
We shot all my ammo, and Grandma had forgotten to replace the boxes of .22 ctgs she kept in the truck. Here I am 3 years old, out of ammo, and I know, just know there are more feral cats that need killin'.
Grandma had this laugh.
So while I am trying to convince her, we need to go back to the house to get more ammo...
And how I had some more monies from collecting coke bottles and maybe later we could go to town, to let me buy more ammo...
She laughs, and informs me we are going to drive over to the wood-line, have a picnic (cold fried chicken and milk in mason jars) WE are going to find a fork to make ME a slingshot.
Oh Boy!
I knew what a slingshot was. Grandma had one, Mentors had slingshots, bigger kids did as well. I had shot one, my size, but I did not have one of my very own.
After the picnic, we found the "right wood" and brought it home. Red rubber from a inner tube was the rubber used. Leather for the pouch. My size, and I could pull it back and it was...MINE!
I used rocks a lot, still I got "ball bearings" from Mentors, from where they worked, or from Fillin' Stations, and where else. I also got marbles.
Basically-
Young'un has a slingshot now, so we have to keep him in ammo as we do his revolver...
Born premature, still it is said premature kids have "knacks". I had a "knack" with a slingshot. I had exceptional eyes until my early forties. This same knack with a slingshot, hitting moving targets, again showed itself in using a handgun, rifle, and for sure shotguns.
[I started with handguns at age 3, rifles age 4 and shotguns at age 5]
True. The first time Grandma tossed a big rock and asked me to hit with my slingshot, I did so. A Mentor, seeing this, said if I could do it again he would let me have the almost full box of .22 shorts he had in his truck. I did it again.
Mentors included folks in the Military. So I got "stuff", and I used a OD canvas pouch (first aid kit ?) for my slingshot ammo. I also had that small "butt-pack" which for me, made a perfect backpack.
I hunted feral cats hard with my slingshot. I would fell doves on the ground most times, though I did take a few "just taking off". Grandma was surprised to say the least, the first time I come back from being out "hunting" and dumped doves out of my backpack.
I get bigger, and could use more powerful slingshots, I have felled small game, like rabbits, squirrels, along with snakes and frogs. Rats are tough, mice are easy...
Armadillo's do not succumb to slingshots very well. Even though I found this out at age three, I dunno, sorta neat the sound is when a rock/bearing/marble bounces off one. You can drive a 'dillo nuts getting into the garden, even run them off.
Pest control is fun, and say for instance in a barn with farm/ranch equipment these work wonders on some pests.
I need to make myself another using "good wood". Sorta doubt red inner tube rubber is going to be easy to find. I do use a newfangled slingshot from time to time. It just ain't got the character and soul of a old fashioned, homemade one.
Young'un