# Sparrow Surprise



## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

European Sparrows were introduced to North America in New York City in 1852 to control the Linden Moth. Since then the little birds have done well, spreading across the continent. They've done especially well on my bird feeders so well some sparrow "management" was warranted.

Europeans have eaten sparrows, and starlings, since ancient Roman times, maybe longer. In the book _Unmentionable CUISINE_ author Calvin W. Schwabe has no less than 15 recipes for sparrow and other small birds. Schwabe describes small bird casseroles, broiling, grilling, soups and stews, sparrow pies, and crunchy deep-fat fried sparrows that are just popped in the mouth eaten whole, bones and all! Schwabe says "In the Middle East and elsewhere, the smallest broiled birds usually are not drawn and are eaten bones and all. Uh...I'm just gonna skin mine for now, thank you.

I've put a few things together with stuff laying around in the fridge and pantry. I'm calling it "Sparrow Surprise".

*
Sparrow Surprise*

*Ingredients:*
5 - house sparrows, skinned whole
12 oz - ground pork sausage
5 - sweet mini peppers, tops removed and cored
2 - sweet mini peppers, diced
1/2 tsp - fresh thyme, minced
1/2 tsp - fresh Rosemary, minced

*Instructions:*
· Soak the birds overnight in lightly salted milk.
· Preheat oven to 350°
· Blend the diced peppers, thyme and Rosemary with the sausage.
· Pack 1 tbsp of sausage into the bottom of each mini pepper.
· Tightly stuff 1 tbsp of sausage into the body cavity of each bird.
· Push a stuffed bird into each pepper "head first". 
· Fill any voids between the bird and the pepper shell with sausage.
· Form a ball with the remaining sausage and place in a small casserole dish or bowl. 
· Position the stuffed peppers on the ball of sausage.
· Bake in oven for 30 minutes or until the peppers are done. 

*Comments:*
· Can substitute sweet peppers with jalapenos or pablano peppers.
· Leave the heart, lungs and liver in the body cavity if you like.
 
Not too complicated:


Soak the sparrows overnight in some lightly salted milk:


Mix this with the pork sausage:


Don't overcook:


The meat is mild-flavored, not "birdy" like dove or starling:


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## AJ13 (Apr 28, 2015)

That's nasty sorry. -O,-


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

AJ13 said:


> That's nasty sorry. -O,-


Too much Rosemary?

.


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## willfish4food (Jul 14, 2009)

I don't know... That looks pretty freaking funny to me! I may give that a go. There's also a few fields that I can get plenty of starlings out of. Hmm...


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## willfish4food (Jul 14, 2009)

But I'm pretty sure the wife and kids won't go near anything with feet hanging out. Just as well. More for me. :EAT:


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

Goob, I have one question for you:

Did your wife know what she was getting into when she married you?


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

Critter said:


> Goob, I have one question for you:
> 
> Did your wife know what she was getting into when she married you?


Yeah I think so. 

We come from a culturally different part of the country so what people out here find odd we take for granted.

.


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

I don't see it as odd but I can just imagine my ex-wife if I would of told her that we were going to have sparrow surprise. 

I know one thing, I would love to be your neighbor just to try everything that you cook up.


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

willfish4food said:


> I don't know... That looks pretty freaking funny to me! I may give that a go. There's also a few fields that I can get plenty of starlings out of. Hmm...


Cool. IMHO sparrow eats better than starling. Starling is tough and strong-flavored, kinda like crow.

Maybe I'll do a starling dish.

.


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## Dunkem (May 8, 2012)

Now that is a fowl variation of stuffed peppers!:mrgreen: Actually sounds pretty good.


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## johnnycake (Jul 19, 2011)

I ate a robin once. Once. 

but a sparrow...I might just give that a go now.


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

Critter said:


> I don't see it as odd but I can just imagine my ex-wife if I would of told her that we were going to have sparrow surprise.
> 
> I know one thing, I would love to be your neighbor just to try everything that you cook up.


Oh, OK.

Hey, if you're ever in Evanston be sure to bring a cooler with you. :smile:

I think the first month Mrs Goob and I were together she cooked up some calf nuts. Neither one of us thought anything of it though.

She use to do pigeon but won't do sparrow though.

I had quail one time at a fancy restaurant. They cooked the birds whole, naturally, but left the feet on the birds! It was so cool. I've eaten a lot of quail but those were the best! Uh...had to pay extra for the feet though.

Hey, speaking of pigeon, I make the best pigeon pot pie this side of the Big River.

.


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

johnnycake said:


> I ate a robin once. Once.
> 
> but a sparrow...I might just give that a go now.


Robin is good. For some reason birds that eat nightcrawlers, like robin, snipe and wood****, are good.

Uh...that's what I've heard. Robins are protected songbirds.

.


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

*the legs and feet are handles*



Dunkem said:


> Now that is a fowl variation of stuffed peppers!:mrgreen: Actually sounds pretty good.


These tasted as good as any dove I ever ate. They oughtta be good as much bird seed as they ate every day.

Having the birds "surrounded" by sausage kept them moist though. I was careful not to over cook them but still could have shortened the cooking time some.

There's just not much to them.

.


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## neverdrawn (Jan 3, 2009)

wyogoob said:


> Hey, speaking of pigeon, I make the best pigeon pot pie this side of the Big River.
> 
> .


I wouldn't doubt that for one second! Probably the best in North America and you're just being humble. I love how open minded you are, wish I had your abilities in the kitchen and your willingness to try new things.


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## Loke (Sep 7, 2007)

Any recipe from 'goob with "surprise" in the title makes me a little nervous. Ok, it scares the **** out of me.


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

neverdrawn said:


> I wouldn't doubt that for one second! Probably the best in North America and you're just being humble. I love how open minded you are, wish I had your abilities in the kitchen and your willingness to try new things.


Thank you, kind words.

Back in the day in the Midwest there were small grain farms everywhere. Each one had a big barn or two full of pigeons. There was cracked corn, oats, wheat and millet all over. The birds were fat with grain, tasty, as good as any dove, better than any duck. We shot a lot of them. It was cheaper, and a lot less work, than messing with clay pigeons. :smile: What we didn't eat went to the hogs.

Growing up back then was like a scene from a Norman Rockwell painting. Those were the days and I miss them so.

.


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## sawsman (Sep 13, 2007)

Wow!

This is my favorite thread!


.


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## gdog (Sep 13, 2007)

Little revenge for the crab apples eh? This is great!


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## 3arabians (Dec 9, 2014)

That is the DAMNEST thing I have ever seen!!!

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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

gdog said:


> Little revenge for the crab apples eh? This is great!


Naw, it's the starlings that ate all the crabapples. :smile:


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## 2full (Apr 8, 2010)

That is sick and wrong .....:shock:


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## Clarq (Jul 21, 2011)

So... how does one dispatch something as small as a house sparrow without destroying all the meat? :O•-:


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

Clarq said:


> So... how does one dispatch something as small as a house sparrow without destroying all the meat? :O•-:


One would use a pellet gun if it wasn't against a city ordinance.

.


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

Clarq said:


> So... how does one dispatch something as small as a house sparrow without destroying all the meat? :O•-:


Head shot, iron sights.

.


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

willfish4food said:


> But I'm pretty sure the wife and kids won't go near anything with feet hanging out. Just as well. More for me. :EAT:


Stuff them feet first and you'll be fine.

.


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## AF CYN (Mar 19, 2009)

I used to like eating small birds. As kids, we would try to survive a whole day in the woods eating birds roasted over little fires.


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

AF CYN said:


> I used to like eating small birds. As kids, we would try to survive a whole day in the woods eating birds roasted over little fires.


And here I thought that I was one of the few that did that. Along with shooting lizards with my BB gun (iron sights only) and roasting them up. One day we got a cuckawala and thought that we had hit the jackpot.


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## CPAjeff (Dec 20, 2014)

So that's why you have a bird feeder... Thanks for the recipe - looks awesome; I plan on using it when the in-laws come to visit!


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## LostLouisianian (Oct 11, 2010)

In Cajun Louisiana they're called "tee gree" and I've probably eaten a million of them as a kid. Tee Gree jambalaya anyone??? Tee Gree translates in Cajun French to "little gray"


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## swbuckmaster (Sep 14, 2007)

Goob will never go hungry lol. 

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## swbuckmaster (Sep 14, 2007)

I might actually try this one

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## Airborne (May 29, 2009)

oh my hell Goob!! what will you think of next! I can't stop laughing at the little legs poking out of the peppers--hilarious! I'm waiting for ****roach poppers next, with the antennas and legs sticking out both sides :mrgreen:


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## LostLouisianian (Oct 11, 2010)

wyogoob said:


> One would use a pellet gun if it wasn't against a city ordinance.
> 
> .


Benjamin tootsie roll pump gun and or crossman pump gun....but I wouldn't know anything about either of those. :EAT:


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## AF CYN (Mar 19, 2009)

Critter said:


> One day we got a cuckawala and thought that we had hit the jackpot.


That is awesome!


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## Dunkem (May 8, 2012)

Showed this to my wife, now she has hid my pellet gun somewhere!-O,-


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## swbuckmaster (Sep 14, 2007)

Dunkem said:


> Showed this to my wife, now she has hid my pellet gun somewhere!-O,-


Wait a few months and tell her it's quail

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## Loke (Sep 7, 2007)

I think I'll get my wife a bird feeder for Christmas......


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## colorcountrygunner (Oct 6, 2009)

Critter said:


> And here I thought that I was one of the few that did that. Along with shooting lizards with my BB gun (iron sights only) and roasting them up. One day we got a cuckawala and thought that we had hit the jackpot.


I think you mean a chuckwalla. Cucks are something totally different and it is a fetish that I will never understand. Used in a sentence it might look something like, "Those liberal cucks in Sweden are letting their country be ruined by radical immigrants." Anyway, this is an awesome thread. Gonna have to try some roasted sparrows soon. My cousin used to go out in the hills with a handful of matches and some salt and pepper and he and his buddy would build small fires and roast the sparrows they shot with their bb guns. I ate a pigeon I shot with him one day.


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## johnnycake (Jul 19, 2011)

colorcountrygunner said:


> I think you mean a chuckwalla. Cucks are something totally different and it is a fetish that I will never understand. Used in a sentence it might look something like, "Those liberal cucks in Sweden are letting their country be ruined by radical immigrants." Anyway, this is an awesome thread. Gonna have to try some roasted sparrows soon.


This go along with your twinks?


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## Idratherbehunting (Jul 17, 2013)

I used to shoot a lot of sparrows on the dairy farm growing up, but they always fell in the green mud when they died, so I never tried to cook them. 

Seems like a person could about starve to death living off of sparrows, but it sure is an awesome looking recipe!


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## colorcountrygunner (Oct 6, 2009)

johnnycake said:


> This go along with your twinks?


If you like Twinks check out the new flavor of the month Sage Northcutt. That is some serious man candy!


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## johnnycake (Jul 19, 2011)

Now I'm actually scared. <<<pull it together johnny, it is 2016 for cheesus' sake>>>


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## Catherder (Aug 2, 2008)

Is this going to be on the lunch menu for the Evanston New Years day bird count? 


BTW, I think one of those was a House Finch.


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## sawsman (Sep 13, 2007)

I wonder how those little chickadees would work with this recipe. Have a few around right now..

Seems to me they would fit in the peppers a little better.

:?:


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## 2full (Apr 8, 2010)

On a positive note, I guess you could use the claws for floss/toothpick after dinner. 
:grin:


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

sawsman said:


> I wonder how those little chickadees would work with this recipe. Have a few around right now..
> 
> Seems to me they would fit in the peppers a little better.
> 
> :?:


Black-capped or Mountain?

.


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## sawsman (Sep 13, 2007)

wyogoob said:


> Black-capped or Mountain?
> 
> .


Not sure, I can't tell the difference. Does one taste better than the other? Probably overpowered by the peppers anyway...


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## swbuckmaster (Sep 14, 2007)

This post reminded me of this video





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## 35whelen (Jul 3, 2012)

Awesome Goob! Always wanted to try eating lil birds. 
The French used to eat a lil bird called the golden orlotan. Traditionally you ate it with a cloth over your head, or so I read. 
They were all hoity toity with it though. Captured the bird, fed it on millet, drowned it in wine, ect. It might be controversial dish in recent times.


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## 3arabians (Dec 9, 2014)

swbuckmaster said:


> This post reminded me of this video
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Well, there is 1 minute of my life that will haunt me until the end.

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## trackerputnam (Dec 21, 2014)

I worked a a feed store in a small town in Wyoming. We always loved the first snow fall of the year. Upon arriving at work we would go out and drag our feet in the snow to create a little trough in the snow. Normally made it about 20 feet long. A few minutes later, the shotgun came out and we got real low to the ground and sighted along the barrel and straight along the trough we had made. That trough was now jammed with sparrows, eating the grain that was exposed by dragging our feet. I will admit I do not hold the record, but was only two from the record when I left to pursue other adventures. 63 sparrows dead with one shot. I am haunted now by the possible delicacies we missed by allowing the local cats to clean up the dead birds.


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

*eating small birds whole*



swbuckmaster said:


> This post reminded me of this video


For some reason I was thinking about this video today. Sick, I know. Two things come to mind:

First, If you're going to eat small birds I recommend removing the tail piece, that thing on the butt that has all the preening glands in it. Trust me on this one.

Secondly, prejudices against eating small birds come from not realizing, from ignorance, that they are edible, so edible in fact they can be eaten whole - bones guts and all - just like most of us do when we eat an oyster, sardine and some other marine animals.

Some day I'll do sparrows whole, sans the tail. Deep fat fry the little guys then grab them by the feet and dunk them in some zesty dipping sauce.

More later, gotta go fill the bird feeders.

.


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## NHS (Sep 7, 2007)

Dang Goob, I thought at least you would cut the feet off. I guess they would give you a good handle


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## Catherder (Aug 2, 2008)

wyogoob said:


> More later, gotta go fill the bird feeders.
> 
> .


Have any crossbills show up this year?


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

*crossbills*



Catherder said:


> Have any crossbills show up this year?


I wasn't home during the Spring migration.

During the Fall migration: A nice flock flew over and landed in the neighbor's fir tree during the fall migration. I seen them in my cottonwood tree a couple times during the fall migration but not on the feeders.

Always good numbers of them up in the Uintas in the summer. 10 miles either side of Bald Mountain is good.

Seen the usual numbers while hunting up in the high country in Western WY.



.


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## Dunkem (May 8, 2012)

Seen on Bizzare Foods-- fertile duck eggs, embryo developed, some feathers, cooked and eaten. Different--


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## NHS (Sep 7, 2007)

I helped my neighbor castrate a litter of pigs last weekend. They were 16 weeks old (it was a rodeo and I'm just now starting to be able to move my arms again) and were packing some substantial nuggets. I was tempted to save them for you to cook into some sort of delicacy, but his hound dogs got to them first. Maybe next time.


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## Catherder (Aug 2, 2008)

wyogoob said:


> Always good numbers of them up in the Uintas. Seen the usual numbers while hunting up in the high country.
> 
> .


I haven't seen any the past couple years in my (more limited than I would like) Uintas trips. Haven't seen any Pine Grosbeaks either and I used to see them all the time.

I do remember the pics you've posted of them in your yard too. Thought they were cool. (and hopefully off the menu ;-) )


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

*I still have nose ring pliers*



NHS said:


> I helped my neighbor castrate a litter of pigs last weekend. They were 16 weeks old (it was a rodeo and I'm just now starting to be able to move my arms again) and were packing some substantial nuggets. I was tempted to save them for you to cook into some sort of delicacy, but his hound dogs got to them first. Maybe next time.


Good grief man. We done 150-175 in the Spring and then in the Fall. No chute, held them up by hand.

Put rings in their noses at least twice before they went to market.


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

NHS said:


> Dang Goob, I thought at least you would cut the feet off. I guess they would give you a good handle


Actually in some parts of the world, even high-end restaurants, it's common to leave the feet on small birds like quail.

We would do it at the wild game feeds sometimes. We were all drunk though.

Hey, this is the first time I cooked birds with the feet on while I was sober.

.


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## johnnycake (Jul 19, 2011)

Heck, fried chicken feet are delicious! Why not crispy sparrow claws?


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

*St Croix chicken feet*



johnnycake said:


> Heck, fried chicken feet are delicious! Why not crispy sparrow claws?


Yeah, somebody was eating chicken feet on TV the other day. That Andrew guy. He's a sick ***** ain't he?

My youngest son eats chicken feet. weirdo

I worked in St Croix the Virgin Islands a lot and the locals ate chicken feet there.

.


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## Dunkem (May 8, 2012)

wyogoob said:


> Yeah, somebody was eating chicken feet on TV the other day. That Andrew guy. He's a sick ******* ain't he?
> 
> I worked in St Croix the Virgin Islands a lot and the locals ate chicken feet there.
> 
> .


 I used to have an Asian guy come in and buy them by the 40 lb box. Heck I even trayed some up and put them out to sell. My store director saw them and promptly had me remove them:mrgreen:


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

Well, I just boxed up 20 rounds of .25-06 for my coues deer hunt and didn't crimp a single one. Now to pack the rest of my gear and get ready to head to Arizona Saturday morning.


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

Critter said:


> Well, I just boxed up 20 rounds of .25-06 for my coues deer hunt and didn't crimp a single one. Now to pack the rest of my gear and get ready to head to Arizona Saturday morning.


Good luck, keep us posted.

.


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## Loke (Sep 7, 2007)

Have we decided if the 25s are manly cartridges or girly ones? Maybe manlygirl? or girlyman?


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## Catherder (Aug 2, 2008)

Loke said:


> Have we decided if the 25s are manly cartridges or girly ones? Maybe manlygirl? or girlyman?


Wait. I'm not the sharpest tool in the shed but I thought we were talking about sparrows.:der:

I think even Karl would agree that a .25-06 would be too much gun for a sparrow.


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

Catherder said:


> I think even Karl would agree that a .25-06 would be too much gun for a sparrow.


As long as it shoots a 200+grain bullet


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## Loke (Sep 7, 2007)

With a heavy crimp.


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

212gr 25-06 for Eurasion Collared Doves:


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

*we should move this thread to Big Game*



Loke said:


> Have we decided if the 25s are manly cartridges or girly ones? Maybe manlygirl? or girlyman?


Lets do a poll.

I have more 25s than 30s, so 25s are "what goobers use".

.


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## gdog (Sep 13, 2007)

wyogoob said:


> 212gr 25-06 for Eurasion Collared Doves:


That should work out nicely for your Spring Wy Gobbler too!


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

*a long bullet will get you closer*



gdog said:


> That should work out nicely for your Spring Wy Gobbler too!


Spring *UT* gobbler - I'm going iron sights so get me close.

.


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## bowgy (Oct 10, 2007)




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## johnnycake (Jul 19, 2011)

This is my favorite thread.


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

*Vegemite*



bowgy said:


>


Was that a can of Vegemite?

He's right, it tastes awful.

.


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