For your consideration... the murder of a grackle...

While I prefer this species of bird to

pigeons, pups and I noticed at our new location an assortment of grackle activity that
amounted to pilfering of the dog food, just like the god-forsaken pigeons. So it was that
Pups and I undertook the unpleasant task of planning a way to send a clear message to the
noisy grackles concerning their extrication of undesignated dog food to their bottomless
pits. I tried the nice guy approach, which seldom works in matters involving foul or in
politics for that matter. The shot across the bow would consist of several rounds of ball
shot fired from a wrist rocket slingshot. While highly inaccurate, the blasted grackles
should have gotten the message that their advances on the dog food were unwelcome.
Needless to say the grackles didn't get the message. So it was that the next step was
taken. I loaded a pellet into the Crossman and pumped it seven times. Within a short
period of time a grackle appeared and stared at me from the picnic table while eyeing the
dog food. I opened the door and took aim with intention to graze. It was a perfect shot
and merely grazed the wing. I noticed the bird jump off the table and start attending to
the graze wound on its left wing. It didn't look too bad, so I gave it time to get it together
and vacate the premises. Some time later I went out and noticed it in the corner of the
yard and went over to have a closer look. The wound didn't look too bad so I pursued it
in an effort to encourage flight. Only at this time Pups had spotted the perpetrator and
took to immediate pursuit. In short order she had fetched the foul that emitted terrible
screeching noises as pups delighted in her new toy. Betsy watched with jealousy. The
other grackles emitted shrieks of horror and contempt as pups took her time in getting as
much bemusement as could be had out of one bird. She did not take any pleasure in
depluming the wretched wretch, but hours later merely carried it around the yard as a
prize until I took it away and gave it to the piles of rubbish that were cleared from the
yard that day.