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mstand

mstand

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This weekend I got a call from a friend of mine who was just about in tears. They had received an email from a guy who had bought a puppy from them about 13 months ago.
This guy had taken the pup on its first hunting road trip. When they got there they met up with a group of guys and went on their hunt. During the hunt a bird erupted from the cover and one of the guys took a shot far to low and killed the pup on the spot.
I read the email that the guy sent and it brought tears to my eyes. The description was intense. He left the hunt and made the long drive home with the pups head laying in his lap. He was in shock and did not know how to explain the event to hi wife and kids.
Folks, there are no birds in the world worth putting a human or canines life in danger. As a dog owner I dont know how i would have reacted, but the rage i feel right now towards the individual is pretty intense.
Hunt smart. If your hunting with a dog, make sure you know where it is. Even a well trained dog can get caught up in the moment.
 
I have seen it happen before, tho the owner shot his own dog when it leaped to garb a bird. Was at a pheasant shoot. Alledgedly he has not picked up a gun since. Very sad.
 
A dog owner's worst nightmare for sure'
We remind each other constantly to be vigilant when a bird gets up with the dogs close
DT
 
So very, very sad. All of us that have dogs can feel the emptiness and sadness

Some here may recall a post input out not long ago. About a guy ground swatting in front of my dog. I called her off bird and loudly announced my dog was done for the day and I put her in the truck

Accidents happen but many of thee situations we avoidable. Lesson number 1, if it is your dog others will hunt behind then YOU make the ground rules. Announce them before you go afield and remind your group, no matter how seasoned or experienced, that ground swats and low shots are not acceptable

My prayers to that guy and his family that lost their hunting buddy.
 
What a heart breaker. Best therapy is to get another dog and it give a good home and life.
 
Geez, are you kidding me

Number one rule when we hunt as a group. Blue behind the bird, or we don't shoot. We say it every morning before we start. Saves the dogs and the guys.
 
I always say it before a hunt, "Make sure you see sky under the bird before you pull the trigger." Simple sentence but make it stick in everyone's brain. No bird, dog or human worth the risk. Sometimes it doesn't hurt to remind a guy as you are walking when the dog gets birdy to let them know they have time and wait for the bird to fly!
 
davidtodd said:
A dog owner's worst nightmare for sure'
We remind each other constantly to be vigilant when a bird gets up with the dogs close
DT
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One of the worst = no doubt, but there are many other situations that prove to have the same ending. Most are avoidable to some extent.

Traffic (farm trucks don't slow down), conibear traps, heat stroke, and blue-green algae to name a few. I agree gun dog owners must be vigilant at all times.
 
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You see the hunting shows in South Dakota, where they lecture everybody before the first field. Good Policy. I wouldn't hurt all of us to have this conversation even in informal hunts. I have been shocked by experienced hunters who shoot to close to a dog, or to you! I make it a point not to hunt with idiots or their friends. But you get a friend of a friend, or some relation who wants to go. We might be better to inform them in advance, regardless of experience. something like, " have you hunted with a bird dog? ", l here's what to expect.....let the conversation follow from there. Thank heaven I have never seen it, it might make me swear of the gun myself. I'm going to be the early morning lecturer/ killjoy from now on, and feel safer about it!
 
I guess you could also decide if you want to hunt with someone if they are more interested in how many birds they are going to kill than how much good dog work they will see or just the enjoyment of being outdoors. Did that come out right? I think you know what I mean.
 
Very well said oldandnew.
I have a 11 month old GSP who is currently only steady to flush and i have a conversation every time i take a friend of mine out with us. We discuss when and how to flush the Bird shot selection ect.
No Bird is worth shooting a Dog for or someone else for that matter.
We went out a couple days ago and on the first two Birds we flushed they flew low and He decided not to shoot for fear of hitting the Dog. I thanked him and we went on to take 4 birds.
 
mstand said:
I guess you could also decide if you want to hunt with someone if they are more interested in how many birds they are going to kill than how much good dog work they will see or just the enjoyment of being outdoors. Did that come out right? I think you know what I mean.
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My experience is that these people become water fowlers, target shooters at the country club, or join in on the 30+ guns foray to the "lodge" annually to hunt pheasants. Sure thing is they don't own a dog, to much bother, or little Miss, won't have one! Some people are better to leave on the sidelines. Now if they dog along, with no shells, lugging water bottles, feed the dog before they feed themselves, clean the birds, drive the 5 hours to hunt, and back......now that's a guy/or gal to hang on too!
 
A couple of years ago, hunting at a preserve south of Minneapolis, a fellow hunter pulled up with his gun, just as my dog was about to grab a bird - early flight. He didn't see the dog until the bird was in the air.

Fortunately he didn't shoot, but the impulse was there...
 
Know who you are hunting with. If someone has a tendency to pop off shots my dog and I will be hunting somewhere else.
 
tough deal

the bottom line I think is that we were not there so don't really know the scoop. if you can't handle an accident, stay home and even then pray. I tell all the people I hunt with and it's not many, the rule is we do not shoot birds on the ground and that my dogs can't fly. you don't have to kill the bird, be careful. that said, when bogey died he had a couple of pellets in the top backside of his head, I could feel them when ever I rubbed his head. in this case I could not see bogey cause of the deep cover, I was shooting a rising rooster at 40 yds, imp. cly. while the bird was about 10ft over the top of the weeds, he was still hit by a couple of flyers. didn't seem to bother him and I didn't know of the problem for several days later, but, it happened and there is a saying that covers that.

cheers
 
mstand said:
I guess you could also decide if you want to hunt with someone if they are more interested in how many birds they are going to kill than how much good dog work they will see or just the enjoyment of being outdoors. Did that come out right? I think you know what I mean.
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I have some acquaintances that I work with, and friends of some very good friends of mine that I will not hunt with for various reasons- one is the overwhelming need to shoot a bird whether it is on the ground or flying!

There is absolutely no reason to shoot at anything until you are sure another hunter or dog or tractor is not in the line of fire, be it in between the target or beyond!!

Every hunt starts the same - with a safety reminder to all us.
I got accused of being overbearing one time on a farm shoot and explained that this is as much to remind me as others of the dangers of taking gun handling practices for granted . This by the way, was the guy's first pheasant hunt, let alone over dogs!!
He ended up shooting at a runner with a dog about 20 feet from it, it was the first last time I hunted with him ( 5 years ago) although we remain friends.
I can't and won't abide this type of attitude in the field
DT
 
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