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i dont phesant hunt much but someone once told me a bird in the hand is better than two in the bush
My family came from Italy. We hunted for MEAT, not for sport. My Father used to walk far behind the onslaught of hunters in Clinton WMA and find birds hiding that everyone passed up. He would cleanly shoot their heads off. To me, this is safer than guys sending dozens of shots skyward. The meat was in perfect shape and it was 1 bird, 1 shell. Very efficient. Later as we got more Americanized and got dogs and only shot them flying. So, if done right, shooting them on the ground is no less safe than shooting them in the air.
 
Discussion starter · #42 ·
You paid 40 dollars for a bird stamp .......... So in the name of 40 dollars you would risk injuring another hunter or his dog??? Too many pellets in bird shot and now with the ground frozen up the ricochet factor makes no ground shot a safe shot. And by the way 40 bucks is nothing to complain about for the length of the season and the amount of birds. Lol I hunt strictly public land mid days and non stocking days and have the place to myself and my dog. So far this year i have shot more birds then my buddies who pay 500 plus dollars a year to belong to an upland club. Plus I have no work weekends and no raffle tix to sell. 40 bucks is nothing for 45 to 50 birds a year. last season my 47 birds ran me 85 cents a bird. What private club is giving me that deal?
50 birds? You must retired
 
As hunters we are to show respect to our quarry, be it pheasant, waterfowl, bunny, deer, turkey, etc, and harvest (kill) that beast as quickly and cleanly as possible. And I am sure that all will agree that a stationary target is ideal for a quick clean kill. Yet it's perfectly acceptable to shoot at birds that can fly up to 60mph. And completely unacceptable to shoot at a deer that runs half that speed. So what is "sporting" ?
If you truly want sporting than why doesn't everyone hunt naked with their bare hands and kill their quarry that way? Why use mechanical devices that animals do not stand a chance against?
 
I have shot a few wounded birds on the ground. But IMHO not cool for a healthy bird. I always thought getting them to fly was the best part.... Man can they run! Once I got a dog didn't have to shoot the wounded ones he took care of that. Think he liked the spur fight as much as I like watching him work.
 
I never understood the rational behind only shooting birds in flight. It makes zero sense. Some people say it isn't "sportsman like". I think those folks need to re-examine what they are doing. They are basically hunting animals that have brains the size of peas and the most primitive of responses to their environment. They are doing so with a huge mechanical advantage ie firearms. There is no "sporting" about it.

I have guys that bird hunt near where I deer hunt. They bring birds in cages, dump them in the bushes, then come back later with dogs to scare said birds and fill them with lead. To each their own but at that point I have no idea why it matters how/when the bird is shot assuming it is a safe shot.

Duck hunters will buy decoys and calls and work their hardest to bring the ducks in real close. I assume this is because an ethical duck hunter wouldn't take a low % shot at a duck flying 100 yards away. Then if the ducks get close and stay in the water they will scare them so they take off and can be shot. It is counter intuitive. It's akin to grunting in a buck and then scaring him away so you can take a shot at him while he is hauling ass through the woods.
 
I never understood the rational behind only shooting birds in flight. It makes zero sense. Some people say it isn't "sportsman like". I think those folks need to re-examine what they are doing. They are basically hunting animals that have brains the size of peas and the most primitive of responses to their environment. They are doing so with a huge mechanical advantage ie firearms. There is no "sporting" about it.

I have guys that bird hunt near where I deer hunt. They bring birds in cages, dump them in the bushes, then come back later with dogs to scare said birds and fill them with lead. To each their own but at that point I have no idea why it matters how/when the bird is shot assuming it is a safe shot.

Duck hunters will buy decoys and calls and work their hardest to bring the ducks in real close. I assume this is because an ethical duck hunter wouldn't take a low % shot at a duck flying 100 yards away. Then if the ducks get close and stay in the water they will scare them so they take off and can be shot. It is counter intuitive. It's akin to grunting in a buck and then scaring him away so you can take a shot at him while he is hauling ass through the woods.
Good reality check!
 
Some people feel the need to get there pheasant any way they can, because they spent the 40 bucks they have to get there "moneys worth". its a sorry excuse to shoot a bird on the ground its dangerous and just plain stupid! up in a tree i dont feel so bad about it at least it is safe.unsporting but safe.
 
From strictly a safety aspect,someone please tell me why shooting a pheasant on the ground is any more un safe than shooting a rabbit? my lab flushed a pheasant last year and a careless hunter shot at it through a thick hedge row,almost hitting both of us. It's the hunters responsibility to know whats beyond his target in all situations.How about shooting at a running deer with a high powered rifle?As far as the sporting aspect,if it's legal,it is the individuals choice.
 
About 20 years ago I got hit with a pellet from some guy shooting at a bird on the ground. It was a riccochet or something because it didn't penetrate. It was like getting shot with an old Daisy BB gun. I had the guy by the shirt with my fist in his face, but it was an old guy (like I am now) so I didn't hit him.

Wow!! He let you get that close to him, to lay your hands on him, and threaten him with physical harm. All while he was clearly armed with a shotgun. Your a lucky man......I love the internet[eyeroll]
 
I do it all the time when not hunting with dogs or around them. It's a different kind of hunting where I usualy start out in the morning. Unfortunately, NJ is not South Dakota. I hunt over dogs whenever I get the chance but if I don't shoot them, someone else will and it also means not coming home with birds. Like I said though, I am very well aware of what is around me at all times. Also helps that the area I go to doesn't have many guys hunting with dogs and those that do usually go off on their own.
 
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