I have seen many hunters shooting at (and missing <img src="https://forums.accuratereloading.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_smile.gif" alt="Smiler" width="15" height="15"><!--graemlin::)--> ) doves sitting in a tree or bush. I've always believed that it was illegal and unsporting to shoot a sitting dove ( or any bird )<BR><BR>What do you guys think?It is OK to shoot game birds on the ground or in a tree?It's legal in my state and that's OK with meIt's legal in my state, but I don't think it is Sportsman like.It's illegal in my state and that's the way is should beIt's illegal in my state, but I think the law is wrong.

I can't find anything in the rules booklet, so I need to call F&G on Tuesday and find out.

I think it is illegal out here. Not the way I would want shoot doves legal or not. Not very sporting to me.

The question needs to be modified. I have seen lots shot out of trees that were previously wounded. That is a big difference.

quote:

Originally posted by larryshores:
The question needs to be modified. I have seen lots shot out of trees that were previously wounded. That is a big difference.

Great point. I've done that myself several times I can think of and that seems different to me.

On wounded doves in trees, many times if you wait til the hunt's over you will find them dead on the ground having fallen from the tree.

On commercial quail preserves it's been my experience that pen-raised birds will light in trees wounded or un-wounded and unfortunately you have no choice. You can expect that about one of every ten. They won't fly from the tree no matter what anyone does. And you can't just leave them. The guide is charging you for the birds he's released for you, so that would get complicated. And the bird would not survive til morning without being eaten by predators.

Anyway, that's not what anyone wants, however, it's either that or forget quail altogether. They are basically extinct in the wild in this area. The wild quail almost never lit in trees.

My state and surrounding states have no prohibitions on any of this. They are frankly not particularly interested in what the bird is doing when he gets it. They are more interested in other aspects of the taking. But, fwiw they do require all reasonable efforts to bring to bag wounded game and they prohibit waste of edible meat. I like that rule.

Everyone here including myself always tries to shoot gamebirds only on the wing, but there are exceptions and I don't think a "one size fits all answer" applies. I didn't vote for that reason.

Here's another twist. I let my 6yr old shoot 2 out of a tree and 2 on the ground this past weekend with her single shot .410. She was thrilled, as I knew she would be. She absolutely does not have the strength or motor skills to effectively shoot at flying birds. It absolutely birthed the desire in her to shoot more/hunt more which was the intention. Should that be illegal??? I think not. Would I want her doing it at age 12? No. But for now I think it is fine.

Perry

I was thinking the same thing. My son's first dove will likely be with a pellet gun, and I see nothing wrong with that. My first duck and most of my first ducks were cripples on the water that I was allowed to finish off. Grown man shooting a wild bird while sitting is a no no in my book. All depends on the situation. Don't think it's legal to shoot a sitting bird in Louisiana though.

Very subjective question. I have hunted birds on six continents. What may seem normal to us may be really frowned upon in another country and vice versa.

In general, it is ok to let kids shoot their first bird sitting in a tree (or water-swatt a duck).

To give you another perspective, there are wild birds that will run, run, run and just would not fly. Case in point Great Bustard, there is no way in hell that sharp-sighted monster will let you come close to him. So they are hunted on the gorund (where legal) with flat-shooting rifles at ranges of over 250 yards. Which makes it quite challenging.

Same thing with ostriches, those things can't fly. So usually they are hunted on the ground with rifles.

I'm with shooting any cripple bird, however it's done (including wringing a neck -and, yeah, I didn't like it -not ever) I did see spruce grouse in a tree in New Brunswick -and was invited by the "guide" to shoot which I refused to do. (I mentally compared a spruce grouse to my Northeast US ruffed grouse -and was appalled as to how the two birds could be related)

In KS where I used to live, it is illegal to shoot any bird unless it's in flight; therefore trukeys are classified as big game.

As an adult I can only remember shooting one dove from a tree. I'd stepped back under a tree to relieve myself, and a whitewing landed right over me. I figured it was asking for it, and shot it right after I finished peeing.