RE: Shooting Pheasants on the Ground???
OK, I know I'll most likely take a beatin' for this but....
I often hunt ALONE W/O a dog on land that gets zero upland
pressure. It's not stocked by any agency and there are no
large fields or crops. THat said, If I come across a pheasant
that happens to be running and there's no chance I'll be able to flush him, YES I will take him on the ground! Not because I can't hit'em flying (because I CAN!). As far as unethical, who's to say?
I'm not a "slob hunter" And I have alot or respect for the game
I take. The birds I've taken on the ground (they were few [3or4])
were a couple of seasons old and knew better than to flush!
I shoot rabbits on the ground and have stalked them with a .22!
I shoot turkeys on the ground, IF I'm hunting with friends that
own dogs I won't shoot birds on the ground for safety reasons.
There are days I walk all day w/o dogs and see nothing, never fire a shot. I never shoot into squirrel nests and take offense at such a broad accusation. I AM an ethical hunter in spite of what others think. I have been raised in house that always had begals and hunted
alot of rabbits without ever hitting a dog. Yet I will not shoot birds
on the ground when hunting over dogs. I guess that covers my feelings on this.