What do you think about shooting *stocked* pheasant on the ground?

[BizCT]

As I said, G-Man, it is a personal thing. It really doesn't bother me the least if you shoot turkeys out of the roost or ducks on the water. It is legal and that is your choice.

It's just that I grew up learning from my Dad and other role models that gamebirds ( other than turkeys, which are more like big game) should be shot on the wing, and that is the way I prefer to do it.

Concerning shooting roosted turkeys, once again, I prefer to shoot birds that I have called in. I have shot well over 100 turkeys, and the great majority of them were coming to my call, both spring and fall. It's just the way I prefer to do it.. I'm not passing judgement on anybody else , as long as they do it legally.

You shot well over 100 turkeys? 1 of 3 things:

1. You're very old and shot 2-3 turkeys every year for the last 30-50 years?

2. You hunt multiple states for Turkeys every single year

3. You illegally shot quite a few turkeys.

which one is it? just curious....

[steve863]

You shot well over 100 turkeys? 1 of 3 things: 1. You're very old and shot 2-3 turkeys every year for the last 30-50 years? 2. You hunt multiple states for Turkeys every single year 3. You illegally shot quite a few turkeys. which one is it? just curious....

Yeah, Pygmy is pretty old so it's possible. It probably won't be long until it's time to make a mummy out of pygmy. LOL

I know I am not so lucky to kill 2 to 4 turkeys each year, though. They can be way tougher to get than deer. They might be on your land one day and 3 miles away the next, so they are not as territorial as deer and not as easy to bag.

[G-Man]

I've gotten over 60 birds.. in 24 years of hunting.. for a dedicated turkey hunter 3-4 a year is very possible! The man that taught me how to turkey hunt is well over a hundred and is 71...and still gettin 3-4 birds a year!!

[Pygmy]

You shot well over 100 turkeys? 1 of 3 things:

1. You're very old and shot 2-3 turkeys every year for the last 30-50 years?

2. You hunt multiple states for Turkeys every single year

3. You illegally shot quite a few turkeys.

which one is it? just curious....

It is not #3...The closest I ever came to taking a turkey illegally was one year when I shot a bird and realized that I did not have my tag with me. I took the bird home and tagged it, but if Officer Ferndip had caught me hauling it into my truck, I may have gotten a ticket.

I am an old fart . I killed my first turkey in the fall of 1965.

I killed my first spring gobbler in 1975 and have killed at least one every year since then. Several years I killed 3 or 4 turkeys...

I hunt NY, PA and Ontario Canada evry year. I have also hunted turkeys in Georgia, Virginia, Kentucky and Maine, and was successful everyplace but Georgia.

I'm counting fall birds as well as spring gobblers, although the majority of my birds were gobblers. I have shot 6 adult gobblers in the fall. All but one of them were called up. The other time I shot over a flock of longbeards to break them up and when they flushed one of them made the mistake of offering me a good flushing shot, and I dumped him like a grouse.

[jusputtn]

Interesting. Ethics discussions are part of DEC's hunter ed training. Here's example used in class:

A guy states how he shoots geese that have landed in front of his blind. Others go on and tell him how it's unethical. He replies that he's not that good of a shot so by shooting them on the water he's most assured of getting a clean one shot kill.

The last partridge I shot several years ago was on the ground at about 15 yards. I wouldn't have taken the shot 'cept it was still challenging as I had a 12 ga. with a foster slug, iron sights to boot. Took his head clean off. So if you see one of those ground pheasants, perhaps you could try shooting from your off hand.

All kidding aside, ethics are debatable so do what feels right to you (as long as it's legal).

[Tio1]

I've shot them (grouse) on the ground with .22 and shot birds flying. Just got new GSP 1 1/2 and I'm having blast hunting pheas with him. Haven't hunted birds with a dog since I was in my teens now 40s. I have been bow nut and forgot how much fun it is to work the dog you trained working birds. Shoot them sitting/flying - just enjoy.

[erussell]

It would be real interesting to find out where some of these unwritten ethical rules come from. For example, what exactly is wrong with shooting a pheasant that is on the ground? We shoot turkeys that aren't in flight all the time. We shoot rabbits that are on the ground. What is so horrible about shooting ducks that are on the water? Some people get all weird about shooting a bedded deer. And I guess shooting a sitting rabbit is also supposed to be something that is un-sporting. And on and on....... Some of these I can almost stretch my imagination and see where they might not be as sporting as the more acceptable ethical rules, but some of them just seem to be quite arbitrary and make no sense to me. It would be interesting to see what the history behind some of these little rules is.

Ive shot plenty of rabbits on the ground but I'd really like to see someone shoot a rabbit out of the air. I wounder if they make a rabbit flinger

[ny hunter]

Are rabbits like cats,always hit the ground on there feet and running?

[Pygmy]

It would be real interesting to find out where some of these unwritten ethical rules come from. For example, what exactly is wrong with shooting a pheasant that is on the ground? We shoot turkeys that aren't in flight all the time. We shoot rabbits that are on the ground. What is so horrible about shooting ducks that are on the water? Some people get all weird about shooting a bedded deer. And I guess shooting a sitting rabbit is also supposed to be something that is un-sporting. And on and on....... Some of these I can almost stretch my imagination and see where they might not be as sporting as the more acceptable ethical rules, but some of them just seem to be quite arbitrary and make no sense to me. It would be interesting to see what the history behind some of these little rules is.

I suspect that many such unwritten ethical ideas such as shooting birds on the ground come from our British and European heritage.

Hunting traditions are very strong in The UK and Europe. In many places over there if you show up for a driven pheasnt hunt with a COLONIAL contraption such as a repeating shotgun, you won't be allowed to hunt. Side by sides are the norm, although they may begrudgingly allow an over/under.

I'm not saying it makes a lot of sense, but I think that some of the traditional ideas of "fair chase" as it applies to hunting have thier roots in the British and European heritage that many of us share.

[bkln]

Pygmy is on the money it's a "fair game" act :-) But like few people said also, if it is legal then why not? Especially for the younger hunters, getting a thrill of harvested game is awesome as long as it is legal. After 30 birds enact a "fair game" act if you bored, its more of a suggestion than a law is the way I look at it.

[nyantler]

for me it's turkeys on the ground.. pheasants in the air only... just more fun that way