Do they have to be in flight?

[Huntin Horseman]

I got into an argument with a "Non-hunter" this weekend about birds such as phesant, geese, and ducks. They said that they have to be in the air to be legal to shoot. my arguement was that you don't wait for a deer or rabbit to fly. I always thought it was eticate but I didn't think it was law. But I don't know for sure. Can anyone shed some light on this?

[Ferg]

for sure either - however, I believe that he is correct - and if deer and rabbit could fly - I bet we'd have to wait :-)

ferg....

[Bob S]

Boehr has answered this one before. They do not have to be flying.

[Todder]

It's not illegal but it is bad form.

I check the waterfowl booklet and could not find any reference to the issue.

[Big K]

I have actually asked this same question to a DNR Officer. He told me that they don't mind at all if you shoot them on the water. If you have the shot, take it. You get less cripples that way.

[Big Frank 25]

Hard to be a wing shooter if the birds are not on it! Safer for the dogs! More sporting!

Illegal? Nope!

[timj]

I have a buddy who actually prefers to shoot them on the water.
He feels that you get less pellets in the breast with the wings closed.

[Oct.1]

Be careful shooting on the water. Those BB’s will ricochet for a very long distance. If you ever get the chance, shoot a BB gun on the water and watch it. You’ll be amazed how far it will go.

[SALMONATOR]

Wow! I guess you learn something new every day after all. I was always under the impression that game birds (unless crippled or turky's) had to be on the wing to be shot leagally. Come to think of it though, I don't ever remember seeing that in print.

Al

[boehr]

When I lived in the UP I often shot grouse sitting on the ground because I used a pistol. Just take the head off.

[Banditto]

Boehr, did you air for the left eye or the right?

I don't know why, but that is a U.P. joke...

[Zeboy]

Legal??? sure. Ethical????

There's a reason it's called wingshooting!!!


They sell meat in the grocery store too.

[Kevin]

By the same logic, would you roust a reclining buck to a standing position before shooting?

:p

[Ferg]

shoot him laying down -

but the second he stood up - BANG

but i wouldn't roust him - I'd wait

ferg....:-)

[Zeboy]

Exactly my point Trout!!!

If you don't believe in fair chase and ethics . . . buy your meat at the store! Just because something is legal does not mean that it is ethical.

Just like snagging. It may have been legal for years, but it was NEVER ethical.

[n.pike]

I have no problem shooting geese off the water, first because they are a nuisance bird, second because they are not scared to swim near me, and third because I dont like having them on my lake. Is it ethical---ask yourself this---do you hunt pheasants on a preserve, grow or supply a food source for deer, or trout fish in a river that is ever planted? I do all three. Sure, when my buddies come over to goose hunt I would rather call them in to provide wingshots, but if they want to swim up to me, am I supposed to negotiate with them to fly?
Sometimes we stand and shout from our soapboxes just to make noise.

[Pinefarm]

If my stalk is good enough to catch the buck laying down, he gets it. If a grouse is running infront of me, he gets it. That forest chicken is the best tasting of any game! :)

[Hamilton Reef]

"If it flies - it's safe" describes my wing shooting, because I bird hunt so seldom. I've learned that in December the dark spot in the conifer tree is #1 red squirrel nest or #2 sitting grouse. Boom! Either way I've eliminated a red squirrel competition for my other squirrels or I've got my 1-2 grouse for the year.

When I lived on St. Mary's Lake (Mason Co.) I would watch the football game and the picture window for the late season diving ducks. Half-time! Run out to the end of the dock as a couple of duck dive underwater. They pop up. Boom-boom! Row fast, pick up ducks, grab beer, back in couch for 2nd half. Sure beats the heck out of freezing in wet duck blind.
"If it flies - it's safe"

[stevebrandle]

I've heard an old saying that if "birds want to run like rabbits, they'll get shot like rabbits" :D

Grouse will hang out on dirt roads (every hunter in the UP knows it) and I've known guys that swat them on the ground, but with .410's to the head to spare the meat. Legal?, yes. Ethical?, yes, they are quickly dispatched with a shot to the head or fly away with a miss. But, sporting?, not really unless you're a terrible shot.

My father-in-law, who grew up during the depression, told me shotgun shells were to expensive to shoot just one duck or goose with. He'd wait until a few lined up in a row and try to clip them all. This was honestly hunting for food, though.

Bottom line is if it's legal, so be it. How in the heck could the CO's police a rule making it illegal? There has to be some compromise in the rules, but if you really oppose the practice, you can decide who you want to hunt with and what is sporting to you personally.

[Huntin Horseman]

LMAO @ H.R.:D :D

[predatordave]

i shot my first goose while it was on the water. of course though i did walk out of the cattail and try to spook it up but it just looked at me. i think it thought i had some bread to feed it. so i fed it alright and now it will feed me.
last year we had some ducks swim by the dock so we grabbed our guns and tried to jump them well lets say they were so fat from everybody feeding them they could hardly fly. they wouldnt fly until we shot the first one on the water. then they were so slow we were able to shoot the rest too :D

later, dave

[Bow Hunter Brandon]

I brought this up to my parents and my wife as a bit of trivia. My wife instantly said yes it has to be flying. My parents ( both none hunters) were not sure. I told them the answer and my wifes reply was. " If you did that with grandpa be would of shot you." I never got to meet him but I guess he lived to duck hunt.
Sure wish I could of met him.

[fredbear50]

Wish i would have known this sooner. I wouldn't have wasted my voice trying to get ducks and geese to fly off the water. This year i'm just gonna blast them off the water, then maybe they'll decide to fly away instead of swim away.

[Bushwhacker]

Up here you can hardly get grouse to fly, and the bush is too thick when they do, so it's a shot in thr head with the trusty .22, I'll also spend some time sneaking up to geese for a head shot with the shotgun, but it's ducks on the fly.
Bushwhacker

[Hamilton Reef]

"Bushwhacker"? Hmm, for the grouse you got the right name. I couldn't resist.:D

[Bushwhacker]

You're right about that H.R., sneak up on em, and pop em before they know you're there. The other trick is, when there is a bunch of them in a tree, always take the lower one first, so that the don't spook the others when they fall.
Bushwhacker