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Old November 13, 2002, 10:32 AM   #26
Coronach
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I agree...I want to lend a hand in helping him get rid of these birds.

I'll bring my FAL.

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Old November 13, 2002, 05:44 PM   #27
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How about building a bird feeder around a bug zapper.
Hang it in the middle of your small pond.
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Old November 13, 2002, 05:47 PM   #28
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I'm gonna stick with the shotgun to the head trick I would have some slugs in the back of the magazine in case they don't hurry up and die.

Here you go for recipes:
http://www.justgamerecipes.com/emu/index.shtml

mmm mmm good
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Old November 13, 2002, 06:49 PM   #29
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I would think #4 Buck would work just fine. with a modified choke
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Old November 13, 2002, 09:53 PM   #30
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just be glad emu are small
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Old November 13, 2002, 11:44 PM   #31
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If you must use shot then 000 Buckshot.

Other than that Slugs or a 170 grain .30 Cal bullet impacting at 2400 FPS or so should be the ticket.
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Old November 14, 2002, 08:43 AM   #32
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A buddy of mine was given about forty of the darned things. He fed them some sort of alfalfa pellets.

They gentle down pretty easily. The main thing when approaching is don't come at one from front or rear, since they can inflict serious damage when they kick. Approach from the side, out of the "line of foot".

Heck, make up one of those South American "bola" deals (You can play like you're a Gaucho on the Argentine pampas): Something like a two-ounce fishing sinker; three of them, each tied to two-foot cords and then all tied together at the center. You throw them so they spin, at the legs.

Or lasso the silly things.

Once you've caught one, just put a sock over its head. I'm serious! When they can't see, they become quiet. Well, maybe after things calm down a bit...

But with a shotgun, a load of any size shot at the head from ten or fifteen yards will kill. I killed a bobcat with a load of 7-1/2 at 25 yards from my old full-choke Model 12.

The meat's a little on the dry side, so bake and baste will do...

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Old November 14, 2002, 10:55 AM   #33
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Quote:
I killed a bobcat with a load of 7-1/2 at 25 yards from my old full-choke Model 12.

The meat's a little on the dry side, so bake and baste will do...
out of respect, i tend not to eat other predators



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Old November 14, 2002, 01:39 PM   #34
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ok i have not actually done this so it is just a sugestion, shotgun with #4 - #1 buck, aim at where the neck meets the body.
i have eaten emu mixed with allagator in a chille but i made it so hot really could not tell you what it tastes like (chicken?).
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Old November 14, 2002, 02:10 PM   #35
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Art: good advise on approaching them from the side

Brief update.

Florida Agr Enforcement (FAE) has no feral emu policy, they are considered ag livestock. And this was a surprise - if they were not considered livestock they would have been subject to the Fed Migratory Bird Act. Even though their native range is Australia and they can't fly.

It was not easy to get a straight answer from FAE to my simple queston, but i persisted.

-------

me: (After describing my problem) - Can i shoot them ?

FAE: Well sir as a doctor of vet med i cannot advocate killing animals, but as a matter of policy this department takes no position on the matter of feral emu populations as we consider these livestock. If you desire to capture them live and retain them we might be able to provide some assistance in that arena but i'm not certain of the extent of assistance we could provide. Also we would urge extreme caution ...(this answer continued on for several minutes)

me: Uh, so i *can* shoot them ?

FAE: As i said, sir, this department would take no position on this matter....if you wish to...to...um..harvest the animals in the manner in which you have described.

me: So, i can shoot them ?

FAE: Well,... you see, ....er, uh......yes.

------

No "emu sign" for the past week. From my reading-up on them their ranges are large, ten+ square miles. They could be foraging, following the river bank or the coyotes might have gotten them by now.

There is a large state park a mile from where i last saw them so they may be there, especially now ie hunting season. Guess i should let the park biologist know about them.

Frani (my Franchi Aristocrat O/U), some No. 4 and I await their return. If i have to go it alone i'll also have some .45 ball ready for CQ.

Got the photos back, but they were slides so i'm having prints made to scan and post.
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Old November 14, 2002, 02:42 PM   #36
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{ Once you've caught one, just put a sock over its head. I'm serious! When they can't see, they become quiet. Well, maybe after things calm down a bit...}

This is 100% true. Why they can't see they are very calm.


{Fed Migratory Bird Act. Even though their native range is Australia and they can't fly.}

LOL migratory bird.
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Old November 14, 2002, 05:38 PM   #37
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Ric, good luck. IMO, a 100 lb bird in good health has little to fear from a 40 lb coyote or two.

Hope that Number 4 is number 4 BUCK. Number 4 shot is better suited to mallards.

HTH, and let us know how they taste...
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Old November 15, 2002, 02:12 AM   #38
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Well I've enjoyed this thread, no emu's here...umm 100# bird?
So it sounds as if non toxic shot is NOT required.

I'm Thinking 10 ga. 18 pellets of 00 or 24 pellets of 1 buck.
dunno , but these tend to pattern well out of a 10 ga.

12 ga, #1 buck, #4

Interesting, look forward to the 'roundup".
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Old November 16, 2002, 12:47 PM   #39
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About 3 years ago, on a friend's rural private range...

I was going out to the range to meet my father. The range is really just a natural berm created by some erosion. I drove my pickup around the edge of the berm and saw my father reloading his Browning High-Power .40 near the target stands. He saw me, and smiled with a slight wave with his off hand, the Hi-Power still in his shooting hand.

About this time, Dad noticed the rather odd expression on the faces of me and my friend, also in the pickup. We were noticing a giant, um? What the heck is that thing?-- stalking up on my father from behind. The range is set in rural cow pasture, and there were no fences for a few hundred yards. The bird had simply come from over the horizon. It had its head down low, and was approaching my dad from the rear.

Just as it got within about 10 feet of my father, its motion managed to catch my father's peripheral vision. He spun around, .40 at the ready, and stopped. This will be one of those tableaus burned in my mind that I will take with me to my grave. Of course, it's blurred somewhat by the tears that were streaming from my eyes, I was laughing so hard. The emu took off, recognizing that it was outgunned. It did a stalk around us in a semi-circle about 150 yds in radius.

Dad got on the phone with the landowner, who expressed his astonishment that the bird had not yet been eaten by the local coyote population. He'd seen the bird for the first time about 2 wks prior, when it had just wondered on property, from an escaped flock of them of a raiser who had gone bust. Dad asked if he wanted to keep the bird, and he said "Good lord, why? You want it?"

At about this point, I popped it from about 150 yds with a 100g .257 Rbt Nosler Ballistic Tip, down-loaded to about 2600 fps. Shot hit the spine just behind the point where the neck reached the body. Bird went down, and a cloud of dust went up from the tall grass where it fell. We went up there and found a rather frightful scene of the serpentine head flailing around and the legs tearing up the dirt as the bird's body came to accept that it was dead. Think of what a chicken does when its neck is wrung, but apply it to an 80 lb 5 ft tall bird. We didn't get close for 3 or 4 minutes.

The meat turned out to be surprisingly good and red. We also found it to be pretty moist, actually. Closest thing I could compare it to would have to be beef. Go figure. Also surprising: NO breast meat. NONE. All the meat on the emu came from the legs and the "oysters" area, the counter-balanced rear side of the bird. We made lots and lots of good jerky, and smoked the drumsticks, which went roughly 5 lbs ea, and about 2 feet long.




The only dangerous part of the bird is the legs, which have amazing 4-toed (three in front, one in back) clawed feet. I can see why this bird had no trouble with coyotes; it could likely kill one. But I don't think that any heavy armament would be necessary. Heavy 7.5 shot bird loads aimed at the head or the joint of the neck and the body would work great. If you shoot one with a rifle, pop it in the high front of the body, where the lungs are. The lungs are surprisingly small when empty, but perhaps they're bigger when the bird breathes in. The diaphram is pretty high in the chest, too, though. As I say, there's no breast meat, so you don't have to worry about spoiling it with a body shot like you would a turkey. Just keep your shot forward of the the legs and above the thighs. I personally think that these would be great handgun game. I almost got to see what a magazine full of .40 FMJ's would do to one!
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Old November 16, 2002, 02:33 PM   #40
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Are you SURE you want to do that?

You have a pair, correct?

IIRC, a breeding pair of ostriches goes for about $20,000. Never have priced emu's, but I would expect a breeding pair of them to be worth a few thousand dollars.

You SURE you want to eat them?
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Old November 16, 2002, 04:57 PM   #41
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Emu Breeding Pairs - - -

Re: tex_n_cal's questions about value of breeding pairs of emus.

In late 1980s and early-90s, this part of Texas was considered emu heaven. All kindsa people getting into "the business." Newly landed yuppie scum, speculators who'd never had anything to do with ANY like of livestock, even some old-line ranching famblys--Were putting BIG bucks into buying up breeding pairs, stud roosters, certified fertilized, great bloodline eggs, the whole nine meters. The fence builders loved it, some of the vets loved it, the feed supply places couldn't keep Ekanuba Flightless Bird Diet and Purina Emu Chow in stock.

The Sheriff's Office handled a couple of complaints a week for excessive road noise and low-flying aircraft sending the oh-so-sensitive big burds into catatonic seizures. The Highway Patrol Troopers became weary of working motor-vehicle-vs -avian collisions, and ROR (ran off roadway) accidents avoiding same.

Then, slowly, like high speed photography of soap bubbles bursting, the whole "industry" began to come apart. It dawned on owners that, as with the cattle bidness, for every super-valuable stud bull and breeding mama cow, there HAD to be hundreds — probably thousands — of head sold to slaughter houses, just to make ends meet. While there's much good to be said for emu meat, you don't change the beef-pork-chicken diet of generations overnight. Sure, there were lots of emu burgers sold, particularly at outdoor festivals and county fairs. But you don't sell emu drumsticks like you do turkey legs at a renaissance faire or race track. Tout it how you will, people cook emu burger for novelty value, but not for regular consumption when it's thrice the price of good ground beef.

It mostly turned out that the breeders and raisers were doing business with one another, buying, selling and trading with other speculators. As with so many other areas of investment, those who first recognized the downward trend made out best. They sold out of the business early on, and went on to something else. The small-time, get rich quick types who hung on to the bitter end, did not fare well. Rather than keep on feeding birds from which they would never get rich, they sold out at a big loss, gave the birds away, or slaughtered ‘em and filled up their freezers with this good, wholesome meat. And the freezers of their extended family, and their friends, and their cousins-step-neighbors-in-law.

And, finally, those who ate too much emu filet and stew and ragout, got tired of it. There were also those who couldn't face ACTUALLY KILLING AND EATING their near-pets. So, many emu (emus??) were simply turned loose.

You can still get a few bucks for a live emu in this area, but hardly enough to pay for the hassle of maintaining and transporting it. Emu meat is still good, nourishing, grub. But the bloom is gone from the rose, at least around here . . . .

Best,
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Old November 16, 2002, 05:15 PM   #42
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Like I said, my buddy got 40 emus free gratis fer nuttin'.

dZ, I didn't eat that bobcat but I can tell you that mountain lion is some of the finest meat you'll ever taste! Plumb yummy scrumptious! I can sure see why the old-time mountain men wrote of its great flavor...

Art
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Old November 16, 2002, 08:59 PM   #43
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Tex_N_Cal,
A breeding pair of rattites used to be worth big bucks. You can't hardly give them away now. Rattites (Large flightless birds) much like yaks, Lamas, Alpacas, Buffalo, Chinchillas, Peacocks,Water Buffalo, Nutria, Jojoba Bean Farms, and countless other agricultural pyramid scehmes have or are in the process of fizzling out.

Beef it's what's for dinner .

As far as weapons of choice I'd take no chances with a Magnum chicken on steriods use enough gun! Please read on!!!!!

As he stared at me across the shimering grassy plain he had a distinct and agressive expression in his eyes and a sneer on his bright yellow beak. For a moment I could hear the ox pecker birds chirping ,and then he came head up stubby wings outstreched this was not a bluff but a determined death charge.

As I snicked the safety off and shouldered my .500 jeffrey express rifle I remembered thinking do I have enough gun.................When I pressed the trigger the first time I distinctly remebered dust and a huge ball of white and gray feathers explode off the rabid rattites chest. The Cock was not fazed as he pressed his attack true and accurate....................

(As quoted by Pedro Stickcap) The lesser known dangerous bird hunter of South America, Africa and Austrailia.
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Old November 16, 2002, 09:33 PM   #44
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Ahem, well, I expect a .500 Jeffery would be adequate...with expanding bullets.

To answer the original question of the thread, I would vote for a load of #2 lead shot, like one would use for turkey. One shot to the head, repeat if required. Less edible meat damage.

The hides worth anything? My Luchese smooth ostrich skin ropers are my favorite boots
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Old November 16, 2002, 11:07 PM   #45
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Holandaise Hunter....
Thank you.

Sam
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Old November 17, 2002, 06:16 AM   #46
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Thanks,Don,I guess great minds do think alike(G).
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Old November 18, 2002, 01:56 PM   #47
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{a breeding pair of ostriches goes for about $20,000.}

Are you sure?

My father investigated herding Ostriches at one time and they didn't fetch that much. They only thing they have over beef are; quicker and cheaper to get to market weight, better than beef ( health wise) , & extra $$ for Ostrich skin, feathers,eggs,etc............ vrs all you get from a cow are Leather and Beef and maybe a few other parts.

"But they are funs birds to watch" and taste pretty good.

fact: One Ostrich egg can make enough scramble eggs for 4 to 8 people. They also fetch anywhere from $50 to $1000 for painted decorated eggs. Feathers are good for $15.00 per pound or higher in certain areas
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Old November 18, 2002, 03:37 PM   #48
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Surely not chicken or turkey but more like a stringy beef but it is not 100% like beef either. It all depends on how you cook and prepare it. But its very similiar to most red meat beef with no fat to trim. I had it prepared both grilled ( texas BBQ) and roasted in oven. It has less calories, low cholestrol and over all less fat. Very good taste for a bird with minimal seasoning. We applied dry rub to the Ostrich "steaks" and grilled them over Mesquite timbers added 1/2oz of soy sauce with garlic olive oil and onions. It can be use in any dish that requires beef but remember to cook it slowly and it does cook quick IIRC.

Some say the Ostrich ( native to SA ) and Emu ( native to OZ ) are cow meat subsitutes. I still perfer a Beef brisket or Sirloin tip over any Ostrich any day of the week.

Nothin like 100% beef.

If you find a exotic meat seller buy a lb or two and check it out.Their's quite a few Ostrich farms in SE/S Central texas and as far up as Arkansas.

btw: Never eaten the egg but have seen it cook. Quite interesting but I still wouldn't eat a egg from a ostrich and perfer a brown egg from a free-roaming chicken.
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Old November 18, 2002, 03:41 PM   #49
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I will second lockandrock's opinion - ostrich tastes sorta like beef, but leaner. Pretty good, but very expensive - of course, what isn't in California
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Old November 22, 2002, 06:12 PM   #50
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