No Choice?

roy reali · November 12, 2007, 04:36 PM

This past weekend they had a charity pheasant hunt here. A friend and I participated. We both got our allotted(2) birds. Today I decided to hunt one of the planted areas to see if I could could get lucky and snag any left-overs.

I did get lucky. I did bag one pheasant. But, I did it in an unconventional way.

My dog and I had just crossed a fence. There was a tree with some brush just beyond it. My dog bee-lined into the brush. A second latter I heard a cackle and I heard a flush. The pheasant flew up into the tree. It landed on a branch about 15 feet up. He stood there right in the open. I then decided to walk towards it and shoot it when it flew. He decided to just stand on that branch. I jumped up and down, yelled at it, waived my cap, and threw assorted objects at it. That bird was not going to budge. My dog was even under him barking. After ten minutes I made up my mind.

I backed about ten or so yards away from the bird. I aimed my shotgun and blasted him out of the tree. I know this is unethical and unsporting, but this bird wasn't going to budge.

I felt kind of bad. I wanted a flying shot to give it a chance. I felt like I had no choice.

What would you have done?

**Art Eatman** · November 12, 2007, 07:16 PM

That bird was just too dumb to live. Evolution works. A passive Darwin Award candidate, as it were.

Art

FirstFreedom · November 12, 2007, 07:30 PM

Quote:

That bird was just too dumb to live. Evolution works. A passive Darwin Award candidate, as it were.

Yep, I agree - that's a cull bird there.

Boris Bush · November 12, 2007, 08:07 PM

I used to get it from some guys when I would shoot them if they ran instead of fly. My reply was always, "run like a rabbit, die like a rabbit"......

Of course I only did it if the dog was nowhere near it and it was running away from my hunting partner (I only ever hunted pheasants with one other person).

SavageSniper · November 12, 2007, 08:15 PM

I will agree with the "dumb bird" theory. It was certainly not unethical, sound like you killed him dead to me!

Dirty_Harry · November 12, 2007, 08:28 PM

I bet he was the tastiest dumb bird ever.

Scorch · November 12, 2007, 08:47 PM

Oh, that is cruel, inhumane, and inconsiderate. It also adds weight to your game bag.

BTDT

Taste good, don't they?

Wild Bill Bucks · November 12, 2007, 08:57 PM

When I was about 8 or 9 years old, I got to go hunting with a man named Jim, who was probably in his 40's. He was one of those guys who never shot anything he couldn't eat, and never wasted a shot he could keep from.

We had been walking across a field at my grandads farm, when suddenly a quail ran down a cow path in front of us. I threw my .410 up and almost immediately, Jim pushed my barrel down, and said "Don't shoot that bird".

I thought that was kind of strange, because, that was what we were hunting. But I started running with Jim, down the trail, chasing this bird, and he stopped again. I again started to shoot, and Jim stopped me again. We chased the bird down the trail some more, and all of a sudden, it ran into 6 or 7 more birds in a bunch. I remembered what Jim had said about not shooting the bird on the ground, and did not even try to shoot. Then all at once I heard Jims 12 guage go off, and there were 5 birds, laying dead in front of us.

I guess I looked pretty suprised, and Jim turned to me and said "There ain't enough meat on one bird for all of us, so you gotta wait till they bunch up".

This happened back in the 50's when there was a lot more hunting going on for the meat rather than the sport.

I don't bird hunt and haven't for 40 years, but I guess the point to my story is, those quail sure did taste good, know matter how we got them.

langenc · November 12, 2007, 11:28 PM

As Jerry Clower used to say-- "can they fly?"

FrontSight · November 13, 2007, 12:02 AM

um, I'm supposed to shoot them when they FLY??

lol

Drop em as you spot em!

Andrew93 · November 24, 2007, 10:31 AM

one of my friends was pheasant hunting and it was raining and the birds wouldnt fly. His dad put one of the birds on his foot and kicked it into the air. My friend shot it at about 6 feet with a 12 gauge. He said it sort of liked popped.

November 12, 2007, 04:36 PM	#1
roy reali Senior Member Join Date: August 23, 2005 Posts: 3,248	No Choice? This past weekend they had a charity pheasant hunt here. A friend and I participated. We both got our allotted(2) birds. Today I decided to hunt one of the planted areas to see if I could could get lucky and snag any left-overs. I did get lucky. I did bag one pheasant. But, I did it in an unconventional way. My dog and I had just crossed a fence. There was a tree with some brush just beyond it. My dog bee-lined into the brush. A second latter I heard a cackle and I heard a flush. The pheasant flew up into the tree. It landed on a branch about 15 feet up. He stood there right in the open. I then decided to walk towards it and shoot it when it flew. He decided to just stand on that branch. I jumped up and down, yelled at it, waived my cap, and threw assorted objects at it. That bird was not going to budge. My dog was even under him barking. After ten minutes I made up my mind. I backed about ten or so yards away from the bird. I aimed my shotgun and blasted him out of the tree. I know this is unethical and unsporting, but this bird wasn't going to budge. I felt kind of bad. I wanted a flying shot to give it a chance. I felt like I had no choice. What would you have done?

November 12, 2007, 07:16 PM	#2
Art Eatman Staff Lead Join Date: November 13, 1998 Location: Terlingua, TX, USA Posts: 20,944	That bird was just too dumb to live. Evolution works. A passive Darwin Award candidate, as it were. Art __________________ You're from BATFE? Come right in! I use all your fine products!

November 12, 2007, 08:15 PM	#5
SavageSniper Senior Member Join Date: November 25, 2005 Location: Crawfordville, FL Posts: 494	I will agree with the "dumb bird" theory. It was certainly not unethical, sound like you killed him dead to me! __________________ This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights!

November 12, 2007, 08:28 PM	#6
Dirty_Harry Senior Member Join Date: January 11, 2006 Location: Grand Rapids, MI Posts: 629	I bet he was the tastiest dumb bird ever. __________________ "The only purpose for a pistol is to fight your way back to the rifle you never should have laid down." "I won't be wronged, I won't be insulted, and I won't be laid a hand on. I don't do these things to other people and I expect the same from them." -John Wayne

November 12, 2007, 08:47 PM	#7
Scorch Senior Member Join Date: February 13, 2006 Location: Washington state Posts: 11,039	Oh, that is cruel, inhumane, and inconsiderate. It also adds weight to your game bag. BTDT Taste good, don't they? __________________ Never try to educate someone who resists knowledge at all costs. But what do I know? Taylor Machine

November 12, 2007, 08:07 PM	#4
Boris Bush Junior member Join Date: September 7, 2007 Posts: 921	I used to get it from some guys when I would shoot them if they ran instead of fly. My reply was always, "run like a rabbit, die like a rabbit"...... Of course I only did it if the dog was nowhere near it and it was running away from my hunting partner (I only ever hunted pheasants with one other person).

November 12, 2007, 08:57 PM	#8
Wild Bill Bucks Senior Member Join Date: December 28, 2005 Location: Southeastern Oklahoma, Next door to Sasquatch Posts: 1,232	When I was about 8 or 9 years old, I got to go hunting with a man named Jim, who was probably in his 40's. He was one of those guys who never shot anything he couldn't eat, and never wasted a shot he could keep from. We had been walking across a field at my grandads farm, when suddenly a quail ran down a cow path in front of us. I threw my .410 up and almost immediately, Jim pushed my barrel down, and said "Don't shoot that bird". I thought that was kind of strange, because, that was what we were hunting. But I started running with Jim, down the trail, chasing this bird, and he stopped again. I again started to shoot, and Jim stopped me again. We chased the bird down the trail some more, and all of a sudden, it ran into 6 or 7 more birds in a bunch. I remembered what Jim had said about not shooting the bird on the ground, and did not even try to shoot. Then all at once I heard Jims 12 guage go off, and there were 5 birds, laying dead in front of us. I guess I looked pretty suprised, and Jim turned to me and said "There ain't enough meat on one bird for all of us, so you gotta wait till they bunch up". This happened back in the 50's when there was a lot more hunting going on for the meat rather than the sport. I don't bird hunt and haven't for 40 years, but I guess the point to my story is, those quail sure did taste good, know matter how we got them.

November 12, 2007, 11:28 PM	#9
langenc Senior Member Join Date: August 19, 2007 Location: Montmorency Co, MI Posts: 1,187	As Jerry Clower used to say-- "can they fly?"

November 13, 2007, 12:02 AM	#10
FrontSight Senior Member Join Date: September 9, 2005 Posts: 1,711	um, I'm supposed to shoot them when they FLY?? lol Drop em as you spot em! __________________ To kill something as great as a duck just to smell the gunpowder is a crime against nature. - Alan Liere Democracy is a device that ensures we shall be governed no better than we deserve. - George Bernard Shaw

November 24, 2007, 10:31 AM	#11
Andrew93 Senior Member Join Date: August 23, 2007 Location: sneaking up on you Posts: 106	one of my friends was pheasant hunting and it was raining and the birds wouldnt fly. His dad put one of the birds on his foot and kicked it into the air. My friend shot it at about 6 feet with a 12 gauge. He said it sort of liked popped.