uplandchessies

People are going to hunt the way they want, regardless of our opinion. I don't hunt to fill my freezer -- I hunt because of the dog. Shooting a bird on the ground (or water) is being discourtious to the dog, which is the whole purpose for me being in the field or on the water. If you "ground sluice" with me -- it would be the last time we hunt together! However, I would not condemn them for it.

seahonk

well then i gess you all dont hunt turkey right we shoot them on the ground and they can fly why not ? i can see the safty issues and the law issues but we as hunters have a right choose we pay for it when we buy our license's i never shot pheasant's on the ground and my buddys dont end of story .

ohiohunter01

First of all to clear up a comment made by nulle...
There areHuntersand there are Sportsman.
Sportsman are out for the enjoyment of shooting something that gives fight/ challenge...
Hunter's hunt to eat & for the self gratification of being able to provide a great meal for his family...
I do not hunt with dog's therefore i would not miss the chance to shoot the first pheasant i seen just standing there in front of me, i do have confidence in my ability to hit a moving/flying animal, however why risk not having nothing... I'f i had fido (dog) with me, then i would be out for the sport & would not shoot unless airborne...
Also what ever happened to the ethic of IDENTIFYING BEFORE YOU SHOOT?
P.S. It is not illegal in Ohio...If it is where you live, then ofcourse you DON'T do it
Just My Opinion

Red Hawk

I never shot a pheasant sitting on the ground or running, but then again pheasant hunting isn't that great where i am. There was this one time that i found a rooster and wasn't sure if he was wounded, scared, or just plain stupid since he wasn't making any attempt to get away, so I just kicked him in the butt(not hard, just to get him the extra lift up he needed) and he flew away, then i got him. I am not sure if its illegal to shot pheasants on the ground here in Cali. I just think its unsportsman like to do something like that. Sure kicking one wasn't legal but at least it made him fly *l*

<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote<font size=1 face='Verdana, Arial, Helvetica' id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote>Live to hunt, hunt to live, be the eyes of the hawk <hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote></font id=quote><font face='Verdana, Arial, Helvetica' size=2 id=quote>

nulle

Why Sould We Care? Because what we do as individuals reflects on the lot of us. If I saw a slob hunter shooting pheasants on the ground the first thing that would enter my mind is &quot;where is this guy from&quot;?
If a vehicle is sitting in the area a quick look at the plates would give the answere and to me that reflects on others from that area. Granted this is not the right way to think but do you see where I am coming from?
By the way if the fellow was from SD I may yell at him about his ethics and if from out of state I would just blame it on not noing better.
That's why we should ALL care about what we do in the field especially when a guest in another state

curt nulle

Shaggy2

I don't believe it is illegal here in Iowa. I hunt with dogs as many do here and would never risk shooting the dog. My experience tells me that pheasents don't normally present a good shot on the ground that would allow for a quick clean kill. Unless there was a recent storm and the birds are held up very tight.

When i first started hunting I witnessed my grandfather grab a live pheasent while hunting which I thought was very impressive and I have never seen that done again.

Why would you want to shoot a pheasent on the ground, flush the bird and et a good shot, give the bird a chance

drdan

Redhawk, do mean there is actually a CA law about kicking pheasants in the butt? I know CA is kooky but really! LOL

seattlesetters

Shooting any game bird while it is on the ground is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard. Shame on that man and whoever taught him to &quot;hunt&quot;. <img src=icon_smile_angry.gif border=0 align=middle>

Good Dogwork and Good Hunting

jerseyboy

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 &quot;slob hunter&quot; 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.