Insect Hunting?

Trophy Game

We have all  most likely done some insect hunting at one time or another. Out there for hours and nothing is moving, maybe you're a little frustrated, bored, when a dragonfly comes into view, a big grasshopper, maybe a beetle running along the ground... a target of opportunity. I venture to bet that some big expensive loads are occasionally expended on such tiny prey.

When I was a kid with a BB gun I was always looking for new targets to prove or improve my shooting skills.  A wasp nest in the right place was a shooting gallery, I'd stalk a perched bumble bee or dragon fly... Insects were often the only plentiful, living, and available targets. I had great fun hunting insects.

"What goes around comes around!" Maybe I'm in my second childhood?  I recently spent the biggest part of an hour shooting perched dragonflies with my slingshot.  And! I'm not ashamed to say it was fun, even rewarding when I was accurate enough to hit maybe one of five shots.  I'm going for a flying/hovering shot next time.

This got me to thinking. Why do we hunt?

• To be out there in nature, for the fresh air, the scenery...
• For the challenge, to improve our skills, to discover...
• For recreation, to relax, to get away, as a diversion, to have fun...

People once hunted to eat! (My next post will be on how to field dress a dragonfly. ) Seriously, we should eat what we kill if possible, but not to many of us are out hunting today so we can have something to eat.  We're most often hunting because we enjoy it.

I'm calling it practice and I'm going out on a limb and saying that hunting insects is perfectly sane and fun thing to do.  The season is always open and the game is plentiful. You don't need any specialized equipment, and it's easy to find a place to hunt. 

My favorite tool is the slingshot. Even the simplest air gun is adequate for most shots. To take out a bug a lower power level is actually desirable because you can see your hit and that may add to the fun.  

It's also great fun to have a sophisticated super accurate air rifle with a high power scope to snipe little bugs with.  You may need a scope with AO (adjustable objective) as many scopes won't focus at short bug range.

I've shot flying dragonflies with a shotgun, but it's drastic over-kill.  For wing shooting at dragonflies loading a .22 with CCI shot shells is much more to scale and great fun.  

If insect hunting comes "out of the closet" I can imagine some manufacture jumping in the new nich with products such as the "super bug swatter combo package" with a thumb hole stock.  You can buy a shotgun with a thumb hole stock you know... and some think insect hunting is crazy!