# Starling Supreme



## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

I'm waging a battle, a losing battle I think, with a flock of marauding starlings that hang in my back yard every day gorging themselves on bird seed, bird suet and crabapples. Geeze, when the seed feeders go empty they'll peck holes in the thistle feeder socks dumping all the expensive thistle seed out on the ground. And they chase the songbirds away, especially the woodpeckers. I love woodpeckers, uh not to eat, to watch.

So that's it, I've started a Starling Management Program (SMS). Now I have to add that when you get older you struggle with killing animals and not putting them in the freezer. I'm not hunting coyotes or prairie dogs much anymore let me tell ya. But I can stomach a starling every now and then so them (**&%tards are in big trouble.

Europeans have eaten starlings since the Roman era, maybe earlier, so it's easy to find starling recipes surfing the web. I couldn't find anything I liked though so took an easy way out: just wrapped them in bacon, stuffed with cream cheese and baked them in the oven.

In my opinion starling has some flavor to it, not bland like sparrow - a little stronger flavored than dove. To me starling tastes just like crow and like crow it can be tough. Cooking "low n slow" works well.



*Instructions:*
> Place the starlings in a Zip-lok bag and add 1/3 cup or so of soy sauce.
> Soak for 2 or 3 hours, turning the bag over once.
> Preheat oven to 375°.
> Rinse the birds and pat dry.
> Stuff birds with cream cheese.
> Wrap with bacon.
> Bake until the bacon is done. Don't over cook.

Pickled n diced jalapenos in the cream cheese:

Wow


Gawd


Nothing's better with a juicy fat starling than Zucchini: 

A meal of 2 starlings is not enough for me...although it's 2 too many for Mrs Goob.


I don't mind the "earthy" flavor of starling but they can get a little dry. Like with any small bird, be careful how long they're cooked.

The next time we do starlings they will have the skin on them. I'll scald them and pick them. And I think it's only fitting that I make a crab apple-based starling dish like a casserole or starling in a bed of crab apple dressing. Next fall, when our crab apples are ripe and before the starlings eat them all, I'll share a starling n crab apple recipe.



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## Dunkem (May 8, 2012)

I have a crab apple tree and like you have a mess of them around and they are bossy, mean, and just downright messy (**** everywhere). That looks much the way I do whole doves. Still can't find my pellet gun-O,-.


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

Dunkem said:


> I have a crab apple tree and like you have a mess of them around and they are bossy, mean, and just downright messy (**** everywhere). That looks much the way I do whole doves. Still can't find my pellet gun-O,-.


I'm thinking of a trap. Have to sort out all the rules and regulations first. Probably have to have a permit to start with. Good grief.

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## LostLouisianian (Oct 11, 2010)

A good load of #9 shot from a 3" magnum 12 guage with cylinder bore will do a hurt on a flock in a hurry. Nothing like 1 5/8 oz of #9 shot to wake you up in the morning


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

LostLouisianian said:


> A good load of #9 shot from a 3" magnum 12 guage with cylinder bore will do a hurt on a flock in a hurry. Nothing like 1 5/8 oz of #9 shot to wake you up in the morning


Lost

I live in the slums, the ghetto, down in the Boondocks, the po' side of town, the other side of the tracks, under the bridge, next to the crack house, the ******* hood, north of the river, in the projects, in low-income housing, in no-income housing, Smith & Wesson Heights, and on the street with no name.


If I discharge a firearm in my backyard one of the neighbors will shoot back.


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

wyogoob said:


> Lost
> 
> I live in the slums, the ghetto, down in the Boondocks, the po' side of town, the other side of the tracks, under the bridge, next to the crack house, the ******* hood, north of the river, in the projects, in low-income housing, in no-income housing, Smith & Wesson Heights, and on the street with no name.
> 
> ...


You need to put a silencer on them firearms, then your neighbors won't know what is happening besides birds are falling out of the air.


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

Critter said:


> You need to put a silencer on them firearms, then your neighbors won't know what is happening besides birds are falling out of the air.


ah, ha, ha, hoe, hee, hee

You're right. Hey, I got a suppressor on my air rifle and the thing is really noisy.

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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

Jimmy Stuber is THE starling guru chef.

Check him out here: http://www.zieak.com/2011/01/25/jimmy-stubers-starling-recipes/


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## Al Hansen (Sep 7, 2007)

Dude. I need to take you out for a burger and a cup of coffee !!!


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

*Dude?*



Al Hansen said:


> Dude. I need to take you out for a burger and a cup of coffee !!!


OK, bring a cooler.

Evingston or Kemmerererrer?

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## BPturkeys (Sep 13, 2007)

Game Pie historically has been the mainstay for consuming small game like starlings, sparrows, quail, etc. Usually the game is de-boned and chunked, blended with some veggies and gravy. Any good chicken pot pie receipt could be used, substituting your choice of small critter meat for the chicken.
I love soups and would think some of these harmless little creatures would make fine soup fillings, especially in cream soups. 
I think too many times we go straight to the grill and bacon...I know, grills are quite manly...when soups would be more appropriate. Goob???


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

BPturkeys said:


> Game Pie historically has been the mainstay for consuming small game like starlings, sparrows, quail, etc. Usually the game is de-boned and chunked, blended with some veggies and gravy. Any good chicken pot pie receipt could be used, substituting your choice of small critter meat for the chicken.
> I love soups and would think some of these harmless little creatures would make fine soup fillings, especially in cream soups.
> I think too many times we go straight to the grill and bacon...I know, grills are quite manly...when soups would be more appropriate. Goob???


Yes. Where I come from there were a number of people of Belgium descent that raised pigeons, and other birds. It wasn't uncommon for them to eat pigeon and pigeon pot pie was one dish that was often prepared. Most of those people were two generations ahead of me, born around the turn of the century, neighbors and pals of my grandparents. I had a Belgium great uncle that raised pigeons and every game bird specie you could imagine.

My generation wasn't too hip on eating pigeon. Pigeon was served at the game feeds and then some of us would do squabs during haying season when the barn got full of hay and we could reach the pigeon nests.

We shot a fair share of pigeons, usually at dusk on a cold winter day. Just beat on the side of barn with a shovel and all the pigeons will fly out. Usually they'd circle the barnyard a couple times and then come back in to roost. It was fun n fast shooting. The pigeons lived on grain so they were pretty tasty I thought, as good as any dove.

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## bowgy (Oct 10, 2007)

Sing a song of sixpence,
A pocket full of rye.
Four and twenty blackbirds,
Baked in a pie.


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## 35whelen (Jul 3, 2012)

This kestrel nailed a starling in my driveway today. Took a while but the kestrel won the struggle. Something musta spooked him cause Whe I looked out the window he left it's headless corpse behind. I hope he got his fill. Took him bout 30 mins to kill it.


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