I took my Ithaca 16Ga out last night & shot 6 times hitting 4 bats! I think thats the best I have ever done! I had a red label 20Ga till I got stupid & sold it, i think the best I ever did with that was 9 shots & 5 bats.

Bats are exceptionally difficult to hit. My success ratio is normally less than 50%. It seem their radar is quick enough to allow them to dodge the shot column unless you are pretty dang close. I know the mathematicians here will no doubt post some far out calculations that prove me wrong, but I have seen them twist and dodge my shot patterns many times and been amazed they could to it. Bats actually do a lot of good, eating various insects, but at times they get overpopulated just like any other wild creature. My favorite bat gun is my B Rizinni 20 gauge O/U with skeet and IC chokes.

Pardon me but I feel like I've entered the Twilight Zone here. Why on earth would anyone want to shoot bats? I've always believed that this forum was populated by responsible firearms owners but I think I'll be re-assessing my opinion here. These posts I'm sure will give ample ammunition to those that decry "slob hunters" and their associated mentality.
Jim

Careful guys - some bats are endangered species and in many states are otherwise protected. And since I doubt you eat them, why shoot them? The bat you shoot might be the one that would have eaten the mosquito carrying West Nile Virus heading for you. Their populations are totally dependent on flying insects and adequate roost areas. Go for Starlings instead.

Ok, I have to ask. Is this some new sport invented in the UP? It sounds like something from the Red Green show.

Pete

Now we know why the yoopers have so many mosquitos. Shooting bats is a really dumb-a$$ed idea! I hope you at least ate them.

Ok just one question, how many does it take to make a meal? Ok 2 questions, how do you prepare the them?

Jim

Looks like bat shooting is done from Michigan to Geoegia....more battey people than I thought.

After you guys left puberty didn't yer daddys tell you guys to grow up and stop shooting bats....I hope one bites you bOys on the azz and gives you rabies.

I appreciate the counsel here not to shoot bats. To my mind, it's indifference to life.

I doubt any counsel will help.

I like bats. We have them nesting in the roof space and my sister ends up hand feeding the waifs and strays every June - some survive and fly away, some don't make it.

I agree in that bats of any kind should not be killed. Most of the bats we see are the little Brown Bats, they eat far more mosquitoes than can be imagined. Plus I think it is illegal to shoot any bats.
People actually put up bat houses to help in getting rid of mosquitoes.
Jerry is right shoot starlings instead, that is legal.

I think this topic should be removed from this site before do-gooders get any information on helping them deplete hunting.

I used to marvel at the aerobatics of bats at dusk when I was a youngster in the mid-west. A couple of years ago I was fortunate to spent a few weeks watching the sunset behind the Flathead Lake in Montana. The 1930's log cabin I stayed in had a bat house and every evening those amazing "flying machines" put on a show of exquisite grace over the lake shore...wonderful fun and the bug population wasn't a problem either.
One must be "batty" to shoot a bat...same crime against nature as shooting a Gray Wolf in my book.

a number of bat shooters in Arizona spent a long time in prison for their deeds. I had not the least bit of sympathy for them or any other bat shooter.

I do not recall if killing bats is a federal or state crime (they are migratory). But I sure hope YOU find out.

Brent

I have bat box on each large tree because our local variety eat bugs! Find something else to shoot at you ....... .....

I just bought a stevens 311 .410 for my go-to butterfly gun. Choked full and fuller, it's really tough to hit the little white butterflies because they dart around so much, but it is absolutely deadly on big monarchs, and those really really rare purple ones. I don't see many of them around no more. Too bad.

Now that I think about it, it may be the perfect butterfly gun too!

7 of the 45 species in the US are endangered, including the Indiana bat which can be found in Mich. http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/wrcf/inbat.aspx
http://www.fws.gov/endangered/bats/batfacts.pdf
You gentlemen going to be reporting yourselves to the DNR? PETA's gotta love this thread.

marklart,
I assume your post is "tongue in cheek", though perhaps not as I've seen many shoot at butterfly's and Dragon Flys for sport. Excuse me but do they eat them?...or mount them as trophys?. Monarch butterflys are beautiful to the eye and also migratory traveling incredible distances. Dragon Flys, like Bats, eat prodigious numbers of pesky mosquitoes on the sporting clays course. I don't understand people who take pleasure in killing everything they see...probably the same ones who set cats on fire or try to run over ducklings, turtles, racoons etc. on the roadway...just for the sport of it. I hope those same people have the good sense to at least keep their mouths shut when the PC Police turn the topic of conversation to hunting and gun control! Their juvenile antics do all of us a disservice.
Yours Sincerely,
A Tree Hugging Conservationist with a GUN.

I guess I'm on the fence on this one. I guess it's like the coyote/wolf controversy in some ways. You love 'em or you hate 'em.

On one hand, bats do eat mosquitoes and are in some cases endangered, but then they do carry rabies and could be vampires as well. It's two against two. Actually, three against three, since bats are know to fly into women's hair which creates a lot of damaged hair do's. But I have also seen a movie where a young lady, in the course of trying to free a bat from her hair, somehow managed to be liberated from her brassiere.

To summarize:

Bat Pro's -Eats bugs, endangered, possibly freeing of boobies
Bat Con's -Rabies, vampires, tangled hair do's

Sharpsrifle, I had assumed my satire was so over the top that no one could possibly think I was being serious. Apparently I was wrong. Heavy sigh and shaking of head.

I used to kill mosquitos, then I found out the bats EAT the mosquitos and I was depriving baby bats of their nutrition. Baby bats are sooooooo cute! If that wasn't enough, I learned mosquitos carry West Nile virus and the virus was killing crows.... I HATE crows, they're the bad guys in my book.

So, I finally grew up and starting making mosquito nurseries out of old tires full of stagnant water. I'm so proud that I've got it all figured out.

We did it 35 years ago when we were young and dumb but even at that time we were warned we were breaking the law. I guess I am saying grow up before you meet the man!
bill

We have them at the cabin, see them some nights when fishing from the dock. No idea which species. Summer months there is no lack of food for them and I appreciate their effeciency, each mosquito eaten being one less potential bite I might otherwise suffer. Used to see the odd one as a kid hanging from a tree branch asleep, not very big critters, bats. My eyesight was also better or perhaps it was that I was simply closer to the ground and paying more attention to the details that surrounded me. Have placed a few boxes for them in town and at the office as well. Can see no valid reason to bother one, ever.

In Austin, TX they are a major tourist attraction with a large colony living under the Congress street bridge on Town Lake directly south of the state capitol. All benefit from their presence.

I called the Michigan DNR Poaching Hotline 800-292-7800. Shooting bats is illegal in Michigan. Someone might check with the Georgia DNR.

GregSY-
That was great- I laughed out loud and woke my roomie up.

Wouldnt you have to think that there is always the possibility that you may acutally shoot "Batman"?
Gotham would mourn your stupdity!

Marklark,
Sorry, my comments weren't intended to be a personal critique of your character. I should have said something like "...tongue in cheek" though for some OTHERS not..." since I did take your post as a jest. My sincere apologies...no heavy sighs or shaking of the head necessary.

Bats are a protected species in Idaho and shooting them is illegal.

I am somewhat surprised by some of the comments to my portion of the post. There apparently are some regional differences that maybe lead to part of this, I don't know, but I will indeed check to see if bats are a protected species in Georgia. I would be surprised, simply because of the sheer number of them

I am not taking about a few bats, I am taking about thousands of them that come out at sunset. One of my sons has a few acres in an adjacent county, part of it a nice three acre or so little valley nestled between hills. Very pretty place, his back porch overlooks it, and we sit there and watch deer and turkey roam all the time. One of the other things we enjoy watching is swarms of hundreds of various butterflies. This little valley is perhaps 4 to 5 miles from a world reknown facility that, among other things they do, raises and displays in several large buildings butterflies from around the world. It is clear that they have loses in their population simply due to so many people going in and out of the doors to the buildings where they fly freely. The facility is called Callaway Garden, some of you may know it for their enormous gardens areas, lakes, and a nice golf course. There are hotels that cater to convention groups, it's a big and well known place.

We just guess that some of the escapees have adopted this little valley as their home and have reproduced there into large groups. We love to watch them. Guess what, the bats love them, too. We have seen bats dive in and decimate a swarm of butterflies in short order. That's perhaps the principal reason we started shooting the bats.

It seems that every three or so years, there is an explosion in the bat population around here. It must be a cyclical thing. Anyway, they are a blasted nuiscance when they fly in such numbers, and that's my defense. Right or wrong, we prefer the butterfly swarms to the bat swarms.

We'll check this out, we may well have to alter what we are doing, but I just cannot imagine that these bats are endangered in any way. There's simply too many of them, and I am taking about only a single isolated example of thousands of bats.

Now, having said that, I think being called "irresponsible" and a "slob hunter" is just a bit over the top, not having all the above information before now. "Dumb-a$$ed idea", "I doubt any counsel will help," come on people. I am a responsible hunter, shooter, contributer to this bbs (whether you agree with my postings or not) and will certainly check this out before doing it again. I still think this must be a regional issue, and I definitely think some of these personal comments toward me are, well, premature at the least. I'll find out about the legalitites, I hope it's legal to shoot them, just to assist the wild butterfly populations to grow. I'll bet if many of you could see those beautiful swarms, you would agree with my position. To put an end to it, if I determine it is illegal, I will stop, bottom line. I just would have expected more gentle warnings than some of the above remarks. Thanks for reading this far.

That is exactly what I was hoping as I read the first two posts two pages ago – a satire so over the top it couldn’t be true . . except those guys were dead serious and bragging about killing the bats. Whatever causes such callous disregard for protected creatures?

For the record . . killing a bat in Georgia is against the law - call your DNR, don't take my word for it.

Someone needs to stand up for the Yoopers - Hesperia is in the lower peninsula, in fact it is closer to Indiana and Ohio than the U.P.

Gregsy you have been staying up too late watching the late night horror flicks. Vampire bats do exist as a specific breed in Central America (they feed on cattle and goat blood mostly)and do not exist in USA let alone Michigan and Georgia. Bats are far to nimble and have excellent navigation to get caught up in women's hair. That is an old wives tale. It is true bats being mammals are susceptible to rabies and a few humans have gotten rabies from them. (only ones I have heard about were scientists working in caves doing research on bats.) Dogs are a greater rabies threat by far but we don't shoot them for sport.

I know where Hisperia is. I know where the UP is. For years I owned land 35 miles north of Gladstone. Would go up hunting and fishing on a regular basis. Had a lot of grouse on the property.

Pete
quando omni flunkus moriati - Red Green

"As with most wildlife species in Georgia, bats are protected by state law. It is illegal to intentionally capture, kill, or harm any of the sixteen species found in the state."

Mike Hobbs,
USFWS Georgia Ecological Services
706 613-9493 x236

Yup, right there on page 8 of the current GA hunting regulations under "protected species". I never could hit the dang things anyhow...Geo

ChiefShotguns, I have heard a lot about Calloway Gardens and how magnificent it is. You just happen to be in an area where there is a great concentration of bats. Here in northeastern Pa, we see them flying mostly at dusk becasue that is when they come out. Close by here there is a small population that live in a place called Crystal Cave it houses about 35,000 Little Brown Bats. I don't want to say that you haven't seen bats take buterflies, but they are usually out at different times of the day in this climate. There is a good site to learn about this mammals. http://members.aol.com/bats4kids2/myths.htm

Children Of The Night

Being of Transylvanian decent I am partial to all the creatures of the night. Our 5 giant Norway Spruce are home to a great many bats. Thanks to the bats, frogs, snakes, birds and other insect eaters we are mosquito free ...... somewhat unusual for a creek-side home.

Al (Vlad)

I don't drink ....... wine!

Chief, they did come down pretty heavy on you. Seems like everybody gets a turn in the barrel around here. Least little thing'll set'em off. I'm guilty of it as anyone. Sometimes though a "hot-button" gets mashed and a fast, indignant and anonymous reply gets posted that wouldn't get said face to face...Geo

Geo.
How hard would you come down on someone who sits around a pond blasting ducks out of season for the shear joy of seeing them fall?

Not that it makes much difference to you perhaps, but bats tend to live a couple decades or more. Recreational killing is not replaced overnight. Besides, it is just plain unethical for most of us.

It is what it is - ugly and a crime.

Brent

[quote=BrentD]

"Not that it makes much difference to you perhaps, but bats tend to live a couple decades or more."

Brent
[/quote

Not if they eat the chief's butterflies! You're wrong about me though, I like bats..Geo

To Clarify: I shoot the Bats because there is a real problem with rabid bats here in Newaygo county!! SEVERAL Peaple have been bitten & have under gone the shots! The latest is only a couple miles from my parents house & the YOUNG GIRL was bit during the night & didn't even wake up!
they caught the bat in the house & sent it to the state of MI test lab It was Rabid. That Made OVER 100 Rabid bats in newaygo county this Summer!
SORRY if I upset you poor tree hugers, but I will shoot the bats rather than have my nieces or the neibors boys get bit ANYDAY!!!!!

BATS are LEGAL to shoot here! Not sure how many of you whiners have much experiance with Bats, but they are alot like a Red Squirel they do ALOT of damage if allowed to! there Feces is great for fertalizer but it can make you very sick if inhaled & it dries to a dust.
I dont have a vendeta against Bats We have several bat houses out on the hunting property, the Bats i am shooting have taken up residence between Mom & Dads Chimney & House. Have to thin down some se can hopefully draw them to a Bat house & move them out to the hunting property.

Jeff was man enough to post his name and location. I'm man enough to post the fact that the information has been passed on to the Michigan DNR Conservation Officer in that county.

Did a search on Michigans DNR site, go to article 4, that is the section covering bats. Was curious about the legalities of this, so I looked it up. Here is the link:
Bat link

Chapter IX -- Protected and Unprotected Animals
9.1 Permitted acts; certain species.
Sec. 9.1. (1) English sparrows, feral pigeons, and starlings may be taken by hunting statewide, year around except
within state park and recreation areas from April 1 to September 14. English sparrows and starlings may be taken
without a permit when doing or about to do damage to property or committing or about to commit depredations.
Opossum, weasels, ground squirrels, and red squirrels may be taken by hunting and trapping statewide, year around
except within state park and recreation areas from April 1 to September 14.
(2) Mute swans and their eggs and nests may be taken by department personnel, and persons authorized in
writing by the department to control mute swans under one or more of the following situations:
(a) To stabilize or reduce mute swan population levels or to prevent new populations of feral mute swans from
being established in this state.
(b) To prevent mute swans interference with the establishment, reestablishment, or reproductive success of native
wildlife and with the establishment or reestablishment of native vegetation.
(c) To prevent mute swans interference with the establishment, reestablishment, or reproductive success of
endangered or threatened species.
(d) To protect public health, safety, or welfare.
(3) Mute swans taken as provided in this section shall not be released back into the wild in this state. Mute swans
rendered and certified incapable of flight by a licensed veterinarian and prevented from reproducing at the
permittee’s expense may be possessed with written authorization. For the life of the swan, this authorization will be
contingent upon the ability of the permittee to render any resulting eggs incapable of hatching. The permit may be
revoked by the department upon evidence that the mute swan has successfully reproduced.
(4) A bat may be taken whenever there is any reason to believe the bat was involved in a bat-human or batdomestic
animal exposure to rabies or other health hazard. Bats taken under this subsection shall not be held in
captivity except for temporary holding of the animal at the request or recommendation of a physician or public
health official for public health reasons. Bats held in captivity for public health reasons shall be humanely
euthanized. Except for threatened or endangered species, or as otherwise provided by this order, bats may be taken:
(a) When creating a damage or nuisance problem on privately-owned property.
(b) Incidental to normal forest management activities occurring on public or private lands.
(c) Incidental to closure of an abandoned mine as a result of public safety concerns.
(d) Incidental to demolition of buildings or other structures.

Justified bat shooting...Michigan is one screwed up place.

Joe, just how justified that is an interpretation of the law. I'm sure just sitting around and shooting them is not justifiable. Also in state game laws, owners finding deer destroying crops are allowed to shoot them. Try and prove that the deer you shot was destroying crops.
The majority of the people here have voiced their opinion, and the other ones are not going to change theirs becasue they think it is right. Which it isn't

yOu guys should wear a string of gArlic around your necks...

....and a stout crossbow with some wooden arrows!

Place is infested...

http://www.oceanaheraldjournal.com/news.php?story_id=26198


Jeff did you save the bat heads....

http://blog.mlive.com/chronicle/2007/08/should_you_find_yourself_chasi.html

This reminds me of the "Wackum & Stackum" mentality of the former MI "Rocker" turned Texas NRA spokesperson.

I think I'll run out back and fire off a shot or two at the bats....be right back.

Pete M.
"I know where Hesperia is.......land 35 miles north or Gladstone"

Well depending on whether you were up 35 or 41 should have put you right about Traunik or Little Lake? I bet there were a lot of grouse on the property. When I lived in Marquette I hunted in that general neck of the woods, although a little further west.

Chicago Mike

"Bats are far to nimble and have excellent navigation to get caught up in women's hair. That is an old wives tale."


Wives tale or not, I know boobies when I see 'em.

According to the Homelessjoe post they seem to have a problem with bats in Michigan. I guess if I lived there with my 5 boys and wife I might thin the population down too. I think you guys might have been a little hard on Jeff. Jeff always remember the three S rule Shoot,Shovel,Shutup(read below)



"After consulting her doctors, Johnson received 15-20 injections in and around the bite mark and one in each hip. She has to return four or five more times over the next month for additional injections. She said doctors do not expect any complications to the baby.

“The bats are out of control. They (Gerber health officials) are seeing people every day,” Johnson said. “They had seen six people just yesterday.”

Mike,

Actually it was on County RD 426 a few miles south of Watson (if you can call a few abandon buildings a town). About 10 miles north of where the rail road tracks cross to the west of 426 at Hendricks. The locals called it Sand Corner. From my back property line there was nothing but paper company land with the next dirt road over 2 miles away. A lot of grouse, turkey, snowshoe hare, deer, bobcat, coyote, etc. I would fish the Ford and the Escanaba. I made it up to Marquette a few times. Attended the UP State Fair in Escanaba with some friends over the years. Spent the nights in August watching the Perseid meteor showers.

Knew some folks just off 35. Hunted deer over that way with them on occasion. Used to see a lot of bear sign in the cedar bogs in that area.

The paper company did a lot of cutting near my place over the years. Could always count on it becoming great habitat for grouse a few years after a cut.

Pete

Actually Hesperia,Michigan is Just north of Muskegon about 30 miles.
Apearentley some of you Peaple have a problem with LEGAL SHOOTING!! Please Pick ANY COUNTRY You Want to live in & I will Pay for a ONE WAY Ticket to that Country. The Only Catch is you give up your U.S.A. Citizen ship & NEVER come back!!
Not Sure What your problem is. Its a DAMN Bat for christ sakes its not Like there a endangered species at Least not where I live, & I checked with the local D.N.R. To the guy that (Reported) me, They said Please Kill as Many as possible. so kiss my white Backside!!!
I am Leaving to go hunting for a week. but any of you that want to take this up in person my Address is 937 Daniel lot 1/ Hesperia, MI Don't write. Have the Balls to come on up & talk face to face! I will be back on Wednesday the 19th.

I want to apoligize for my last post. I get a little peeved when accused of breaking laws or Violating. I have spent most of my life trying to be legal about how I do things. I am NO saint however, as you can tell. Prior to shooting ANY Bats I first checked with the D.N.R. & was told there is a real Rabies problem & to Please shoot as many as I could, They also said not to worry about the heads,at least at that time,I will contact them again & make sure.
Then I checked with my brother in law,( He's a Michigan State trooper) to make sure they didn't have anything on the books about it. He was told by his Higher ups the same thing, Shoot as many as possible.
I have followed the Law, Checked & was told to shoot as many as possible.
Sorry if you love Bats, but there is a problem here & I am trying to help, not hurt or Break any laws. I DO NOT feel I Deserve to be bashed or harrassed for doing what's right, or am I apt to tolerate such crap.
to me its just as if i went out becouse I happen to like Pheasant & try to interfere with your hunting of Pheasants. Most of you would raise holy hob about that! But thats JUST what you are doing to me!!
Think about that the next time you see a bunch of anti-hunters protesting at your favorite hunting spot... you just became one!!!!

Above is your original post that started this thread. All I,and I suspect others, can read into this is someone bragging about shooting a non-game species. How do YOU think this would come across when quoted by an anti-hunting group??
Jim

If you really want to boil it down, we're all full of crap. Why is it bad to kill a bat, but OK to kill a mosquito? It's because we are viewing things from a human perspective - bats are good and cute but mosquitoes serve no purpose that we find useful. I'm sure mosquitoes find their own survival useful.

If we're really going to defend bats, we should also start a campaign against OFF, Raid, and anyone with a flyswatter.

Jeff, This BBS is one of my favorite places to come and play. However, I have also been "piled on" for posting something I thought was non-controversial. I did find the experience very enlightening. Some good people came to my rescue and helped me defend myself, while others were mouthy and judgemental without just cause. I do notice that being behind a computer screen and keyboard has a way of making some guy's balls grow like coconuts.
I'm 3rd generation ex-special forces in my family and I train and fight mixed martial arts for fun. I doubt very seriously that many of the mouthier members would run their jibs in person with me. But in the confines of their home/office they all become Hulk Hogan. Sorry, couldn't think of an Ultimate Fighter everyone would know. I say if there's no legal ramifications and you folks have a nuisance problem - blast em'. It's probably real good upland practice.

Note* Personally I like bats at my house, because they eat all the biting bugs. But if a rabies problem was apparent, I'd shoot-em all and buy a bug zapper!

Pete M:
I have made many a turn N. at the Mead paper plant when I wanted to take the back roads to Gwinn or Marquette. I know exactly where your place was. There is a great IGA sign hanging on an old general store in one of those towns near Watson - in fact it may be Watson.

Do you ever venture up that way these days? I am headed up late in September to attend Marquette's Ruffed Grouse dinner, visit friends and see if I can locate any birds. I may head up there in a few days for the opener if the cool weather sticks. It was really dry up there this summer and the aspen leaves may go early.

Unfortunately, they don't do nearly as much cutting as they used to. I notice it some in the grouse population, but mainly the woodcock. Around your place and Dickinson County used to be one of the great spots in North America to hunt the little fellers. For the last 7 or 8 years I rarely shoot them because the population is so low. Personally, I think it is a loss of habitat.

Take care.......Chicago Mike

Mike,

I sold the place some years ago. I haven't been up that way in a long time, though I often have fond memories of the time I spent there.

I go up to Wisconsin for my grouse hunting these days. Not really that far from Park Falls in the Nicolet which is well managed for grouse.

Sorry to hear about the lack of cutting. It must be hitting Escanaba the hardest. At it's height the mill was running 7x24.

Pete

Gentlemen: this is not about Jeff, or personalities, or who thinks he's the baddest guy on the BB, it's about a potential Game Law violation. I made 3 calls to the Michigan DNR:
Call #1: "No, you can't shoot bats."
Call #2: "Well, you can shoot some bats if they are not protected."
Call #3: "We're not sure and will let the county agent figure it out."
Error #1: Expecting the main office to know the law.
Turns out it is NOT legal to shoot bats in GA, nor is it in AZ:
"...all bats are protected through Commission Order 14, and cannot be taken alive or dead..."
Jeff did his homework and his actions were apparently legal.
I'm glad the contributors to this Forum want to abide by the game laws (even if we don't agree with them) rather than to enable or encourage violations. And we all learned something-which is a good thing.
BTW: in 2005, there were 1.5M deer-car collisions in the US with 150 deaths, and Michigan was state #2. We don't shoot deer out-of-season to fix that problem however.

Don't ask members of the BATCAVE for "face to face" or they might send "foot soldiers" of PETA after you.
You're up against Batman, Drakula, Haloween,........Some folks in NC luv bats.

Jeff, I think that if you had started your post out with what you said and then went on to say that there is a bat problem here in Michigan and that I looked into it and it is ok to shoot them. Then I think you wouldn't have been bashed so hard. I agree with Jim (Italiansxs) that maybe it did sound like bragging.
I think that getting rabbies by a bat would be far less than getting bit by a rabid raccoon or dog. I would think that the animal would have to be handled for that to happen, or it would have to be in a confined area.
Also someone had put a post about bug zappers killing mosquitoes, 99% of all bugs killed by them are not mosquitoes.

Just a suggestion, but I would take my address down. Too many wierdos out there to post where you live. Just My opinion of course. There was that guy about a month ago (I think) that drove 1000 miles to burn down some guys house that had insulted him on the internet. I don' think any of our members are this volatile, just giving an example.

As previous posters have noted, many of the comments remind me of late night bar 'beer muscles'. Threats of 'ratting'(not'batting'!)someone out? Man ,some of you fellas are really judgemental,and it seems quite possible you take yourselves WAY too seriously---I thought we left it to Dems to tell us all how to live our lives....THEIR WAY!!! Lighten up guys....as a much more qualified person then me once said "Judge not for ye shall be judged".

Just my opinion. Fire away.
Rick

So Rick,
If someone posts on this list that he has been out potting geese for the hell of it - in July - You would just surf on by right?

As someone much more qualified that me once said "stand up and be counted", or "take some responsibility", or any of a dozen other tidy phrases.

Frankly, I have my doubts about how much Jeff "researched" his little bat-blasting adventure's legalities. I have lots of doubts. But that's all they are. Nonetheless, bat blasting, esp, pitched the way he did is hardly condusive to holding hunters in good standing with the general public as well.

Brent

I also did some research. I looked up the Georgia DNR on the web, and found a listing there of endangered and/or protected species of mammals in the state. There indeed are three species of bats listed. 1. Rafinesque's Big Eared bat (rare), 2. Gray bat (endangered), and 3. Indiana bat (endangered.) In at least a dozen different references, the bat in the area I live near is identified as the "Little Brown Bat," and is not listed as protected.

Now, that alone I think is enough to settle my end of this, I believe, but I went further. The DNR office covering the area of the state where these bats are located is in Macon, Ga. I called there, told the receptionist what I wanted, and I ended up speaking to three different people there, two at once on one of the calls. The three do not agree as to whether the Little Brown bat is protected, two say yes, one says no, and cited the printout I have of section 391-4-10-.090 Protected Species of Plants and Animals (amended)as his evidence. They also say they really don't have an officer in this area on a regular basis, and any enforcement problems would be handled by the local Chief Law Enforcement Officer, which in this case would be the Sheriff. The sheriff has actually been on this site with my son, the owner, inspecting a layout for a firing range. Just a precaution to be certain the local law knows about a shotgun range on the site. He was very appreciative and said he might join us sometimes. Nice guy.

Now, to wrap all this up, if there is some possibility this Little Brown Bat (which everyone agrees is the species) perhaps might be on some protected list, no problem. As I said in my post earlier, but most of you seem to have overlooked, we can alter what we are doing. Consider it stopped. I certainly am not one to knowingly break the law. There's still considerable doubt here, it seems, as to whether or not I am actually breaking the law. When 2 out of 3 officers of the GA DNR say this species is not protected, that is some distance away from being positive, in my estimation. At any rate, we are through, we will do it no more.

No, to the REAL problem here. The behavior of a number of posters here has been absolutely horrible. The name calling and slanderous remarks have been pretty bad. I would go so far as to point out that our friend the reverend doctor is way over the top in turning the first poster in to the Michigan DNR even after being told it was legal to shoot the bats there, that's gotta' be horrible behavior for this bbs. To further bait me with a threat to do the same is no better. Jeff Hren says he has learned it is legal to shoot bats there. He gets turned in anyway as a law breaker??? That's stupid. I have just told you there is disagreement in the GA DNR whether this species is protected or not. Does that matter to the reverend doctor?? Folks this is ridiculous to the extreme. As the above poster says, lighten up for goodness sakes.

I can find entertainment shooting clays from an electric thrower just as easily, and even invite the local sheriff, who would be the one to arrest me, I guess, according to the DNR, if I were to be caught shooting bats. Ha, it's all ridiculous. Let's put this thread to rest now, you guys are amazing. I have lost an enormous amount of respect for more than one of you because of this post. And it all did not amount to a hill of beans. (pardon me, that's a Southern term some of you may not know.)

Bottom Line: I don't know about Jeff Hren, but I am through shooting the ever so cuddley little bats that you all seem to love so much. All you do gooders who pushed this thread to this point need to get your panties out of a wad and just lighten up. This has got to be one of the most absurd posts I have seen or participated in on this bbs. I am through with it as of now, and nobody has prooved me guilty of anything, and I have the DNR agreeing with me.

Chief, that protected species list at 391-4-10-.090 is not what I suspect you think it is. That's something Georgia has to keep up with to comply with the Federal Endangered Species laws. The listed organisms do have special protection, but the list is not intended to "open the season" on everything else.

Pick up a copy of the current Georgia Hunting Regulations published by the DNR: [http://www.georgiawildlife.com/assets/documents/huntingregulations/web_version.pdf]. Look on page 8 under the heading "Protected Species". For hunting purposes practically all wildlife other than specified game birds or animals in Georgia are "protected" and may not be harmed, captured, held or shot at for target practice. The only unprotected species for those purposes are listed in that section of the regulation guide and include armadillos, coyotes, rats, pigeons, starlings, poison snakes, and stuff like that.

Don't mean to dispute with you on this, but I thought your last post left the wrong impression in this regard. Like you I think its time for this thread to lead in more productive directions...Geo

I think this will all work out...

Cheif get you a bat identification book before you go shooting bats...Jeff you need to save those bat heads and turn them in to the DNR..

yOu guys becarefull

Holloween is just around the corner...We'd hate to see you guys mistake a little Trick-or-Treater for a Bat.

Bat identification book? That's a good That only works when one examines daytime cave hangers.

Last year I soptted a little brown bat roosting on my front porch when I came home from work. I thought it odd that it would be out in the open, I took a picture with my digital camera and saw him on several other occasions.
One night I got up for my 3 AM bathroom visit (an over 50 thing) and noticed some dirt specks on the bathroom floor directly under the combination exhaust fan/light. Didn't think much of it and went back to bed, about the time I'd returned to morphius land my wife let out a screech that about stopped the old ticker. "There's something flying around the room and it not a moth". When it flew into the bathroom she closed the door.
Armed with only a hinged shoe box I went in after it. In a few minutes I managed to captured the little bugger, passed the box thru the window and let it out.
I said "I hope I didn't hurt the little guy" to my wife... Wrong thing to say at 3:30 AM to a very upset woman!
Regarding snakes, I've always told my wife they are more afraid of her than she is of them... yea, right, add little brown bats to that list.
Craig

I don't post a lot on here, but I read here about every day. A man talks about doing something that he thought/thinks is completely legal, and gets attacked like he's the only june bug in a pen full of hungry chickens! So what if he didn't say it a little different than he did? Is that any reason for someone to take it on theirself to turn him in? Not to me it ain't. Have some of you never heard of taking somebody aside and giving him good counsel? I don't believe some of the attitudes in this thread. And Yes, I have been on the receiving end of at least one thread kinda like this, so I know what the original poster probably thinks. Some of you that have come down so self-righteous, do you have nail holes in your hands? I don't either. I have made mistakes too.
Curtis

How about being resonsible enough to do your homework before you pull the trigger?

Here's a picture of a friend that was in outdoor life a few months ago. I wonder what you guys will about Iron Man Phil Brown. The largest fox catch ever in the history of trapping. If you like it I'll give you all the details and many pics.

I for one would like to hear "the rest of the story" on these foxes! Please share it here or email the pics and the story to me. My email is rowboat(at)centurytel.net

Of course you will need to replace (at) with the @ symbol.

boxbirder... DETAILS please!

Thanks, Craig

That's impressive. I would guess there is close to 900 pelts there. That can't be from one season, and I would say that in the area that he is in they are over populated with fox. Hard to believe there are no Gray's in there.

I trap. There's no way I can imagine one man caught those fox in one season.

Why was I not surprised to see, after reading this quote, that Curtis is from Arkansaw??? I'm not sure why this seems so appropriate or why it struck me with the giggles but thanks for the laugh. made my day.

This has to be one of the silliest threads ever. Of course, I don't read the ones started by L. G.
Maybe we could have an interesting discussion about which choke works best for breaking beer bottles floating in your local favorite swimming hole. Whattya think?

Hope you know you could hit a protected fish doing that...Geo

He drives couple hundred miles a day checking his traps and has help with the balance. It's one season.

jack

I've wondered lately about shooting those jumping carp. You've seen those videos of the boats with carp jumping and the guys shooting with bow and arrow? Looks like a lot of fun with a shotgun!
Pile on!

I wouldn't be too hard on HRENEGADE and CHIEF. We have all done things that we have thought were perfectly legal and found out later they probably were not. It's a screwed up country that we live in, considering the fact that we need to have legal counsel to see if we are breaking some law. Knowing good from bad isn't enough. I go out with a map and GPS when hunting and occasionally find out that I have, despite my best efforts strayed on private property,but I am a hunter, not the county surveyor. My advice; make simple laws and keep them few and far between.

P.S. My advice to all hunters is to keep your mouth shut. Lots of people are just dying to get you in trouble. I have had people pretend to be friendly in the field and then turn on you. Don't tell nobody nuthin'

To every thing (see below for exceptions) there is a season. If there isn't and you're compelled to get up and do what needs to be done, IM's rec. of omerta is damn good advice.

jack

You guys have nothing on ol' Russ Ruppel. He used to shoot bats with a BB gun.

Did he wait for them to light ?

Taken directly from the "Handbook for Population Control of Helpless Critters", which is, of course, required to be memorized by all Georgia middle school students. They must also demonstrate proficiency in at least two of the disciplines before graduating to high school, where they will be taught, among other more academic regimes, how to run over every armadillo that ventures into the road ahead of their driver's education vehicle:

To kill lahge numbahs of bats widout causing a lot of ruckus, use a looooong whippy cane pole. Hol' hits' butt in one han' and grab hit about two feet up frum de' end wid de' other, holin' hit ez high ez you kin. Whip hit back 'n foath ez fas ez possible. Undah de yahd light is ez good a place ez dey is. De bats will fly into hit wid regulalahty ez hit messes up dey radah. Make sho' dey is dead good befoah you'uns picks 'em up. Dey will bite bad ez a mad cat squerrul. Stompin' is ez good a way to killem' ez enny.

Hope this helps the uninformed somewhat concerning education of Southern children in the ways of the great outdoors.

No, Joe, he hit them while they were flying. Of course I have yet to have anyone beating me killing 6 rabbits with one shot from a single shot .22 rifle. I don't think anyone will ever match that.

Jimmy truth is the bat probably flew into the BB thinking it was something to eat.

6 rabbits with one shot..that beats the heck out of 4 bats with 6 shots.

Stan how true....only a yankee would waste a good shotgun shell on a bat.
People in the South were taught(with the exception of Georgians) not to kill things they weren't going to eat....with the exception of flies and ticks.

Hey j0j0 - eat them crows you potshot?

I guess so, Joe. I forgot how those BBs resemble a butterfly.

Your right I don't have know how a BB shows up on a bats radar screen.

Now now Lowell...those crows were shot for a reason.

And I thought the French bashing thread was a waste of good electrons. This thread hits a new low! Some people have just too much time on their hands.

I agree...

the guys shooting the bats have too much time on their hands.

Besides, if you really wanted something hard to shoot at you'd try hummingbirds. They are the only bird that can fly backwards. Smaller too.

Thats why I have a hummingbird feeder! (just kidding)

They left early this year. I wonder if they now if it is going to be a cold winter.

Well I am Home a Day Early. Got My Elk!!
As Far as the Bat Issue here in MI, & to put the thing to bed. The Local Police chief& Local D.N.R. Are Coming out to shoot those poor RABID Bats with me.
Yes I Sent the head of One In That I Shot, It was RABID!!! acording to the LAB most likely there will be 1/2 to MOST of the Bats That Are Coming from the Same sleep Site will be Rabid!
in Conclusion: It IS Legal here in Michigan to shoot Bats. I am doing NOTHING wrong. The Local Police & D.N.R. are coming out to help with the Bat Problem!!!!
I didn't mean to come of as braging persay,it was more Luck than skill. To those of you that Ran your mouth's With Out doing the Research to find out its LEGAL to shoot bats In This State! You should probabley Keep Quite till You know what you are talking about.
In Michigan we get alot of the same responces from the D.N.R. the local D.N.R. officer had to call Lansing, The first Call he got back said its not legal, 10 minutes later they called back & Said hold it , were wrong, its legal. he called back a couple days later & said its Legal & shoot as many as you can!
Now the D.N.R. is coming out to shoot also. Good P.R. if nothing else.
I know MOST of you felt it isn't or wasn't legal. It IS legal. This post was'nt put up to start some thing like this has turned into. Bats Are EXTREMELY hard to hit. Getting as lucky as I was that night is rare. I have had nights were I have shot 1/2 a box of shells & not hit any.
As far as shooting clay birds if I had the $$ to blow $25- $50 to go shoot a round I would, I just don't have the $$ to do that.wal-mart sells low brass ammo for about $4.00 a box.

Thank you for the follow up. I spoke with a Conservation Agent Sun. am who said that he would need to confirm what the regulations were. Please let him know that he won't need to call me again.

Jeff ever hear the saying..."Just because it's legal doesn't make it right".

JoE, quit hounding this renegade. Personally I would put special "cage" on top of the chimney and be done with it. Let that guy waste his time and cartridges with those bats. This is what affluent call blue collar fun.

If he wants to shoot bats so be it...I just wish he would stop trying to justifie it.

How big was your elk? Aren't you going to share some pics from the elk hunt?!

This thread needs pulling before he goes to telling us he's eating the bats.

MMMMMMMMM, bat pot pie, bat stew, bat gumbo, bat chili, bat cacciatori, bat parmesan, bat sausage, bat a-la-mode, bat-ka-bobs, bat omelettes, bat stroganoff, black beans and bat, bat BBQ................

I could go on forever!! Bat is a delicacy in many tropical locations. Then again, those same places also eat spiders!!

What was the name of the Air Force "Chappie" in Dr Strangelove, with Peter Sellers.....Gen.Batt Gwaaaaaaa, damm the Slacum just fell into the beer mug....Some sort of bat-cave deposit????Can we say " Histoplasmosis"? As kids in London in the 1940s we nearly all inhaled Dried-up Pigeon crap. When we had our 'Boxed Bird Rings here in the USofA I enjoyed killing the"Winged Vermin". Now Doves, Fantastic eating,I've built many a Dove Special for Clients.We are now watching the Bats buzzing our Deck'Might have to "Stoke-Up" Old Purdey No 208, "Hit em, Cook-Em"Good Load of FFG,and No9 shot.(Wonder what they would really taste like?)Might give "Nugent" a Bell'. cc.

CC I don't think you should give Nugent any ideas..

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