Group hunting

Well, west, my GF and I are (legally) "party hunting" every time we go afield. She works as hard as I do every hunt, so why shouldn't she be entitled to a bird or two just because she isn't a very good shot?

We have never shot 2 full limits in a day, though -- that would make for too much bird cleaning at the end of the day when we are anxious to get going on dinner. :)

If anyone wants to hunt in a large group, that's fine. Several years ago I had a very, very nice guy standing about 10 feet away accidentally blast a divot between my right boot and my shorthair's left front foot, when that space was only about 18 inches wide. The guy got sick to his stomach just thinking about what he had almost done, and it pretty much changed my attitude about who I will go afield with forever.

I also knew a guy who was seriously injured by another guy I knew when he took a low shot on a rooster while "group hunting" in SD. "Dick Cheneyed" him.

I know, a lot of people do it for years and never have a problem, but all it takes is once. May your luck hold out.
 
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Al Bonkers said:
Well, west, my GF and I are (legally) "party hunting" every time we go afield. She works as hard as I do every hunt, so why shouldn't she be entitled to a bird or two just because she isn't a very good shot?

We have never shot 2 full limits in a day, though -- that would make for too much bird cleaning at the end of the day when we are anxious to get going on dinner. :)

If anyone wants to hunt in a large group, that's fine. Several years ago I had a very, very nice guy standing about 10 feet away accidentally blast a divot between my right boot and my shorthair's left front foot, when that space was only about 18 inches wide. The guy got sick to his stomach just thinking about what he had almost done, and it pretty much changed my attitude about who I will go afield with forever.

I also knew a guy who was seriously injured by another guy I knew when he took a low shot on a rooster while "group hunting" in SD. "Dick Cheneyed" him.

I know, a lot of people do it for years and never have a problem, but all it takes is once. May your luck hold out.
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I guess I don't follow your logic. Your wife is definitely entitled to a bird a two.
 
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westksbowhunter said:
"Party Hunting" is not legal in many states so it isn't odd to have an opinion on a controversial way of hunting. That doesn't mean you can't hunt in a large group, but let's face it, any large group is really party hunting. They just divide up the birds at the end of the day. Someone who shoots 5 birds is in violation in Kansas, just no way to prove it when the birds are divided up.
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I guess I didn’t intend my comments to have anything to do with party hunting. I assumed following the law was a given.
 
Al Bonkers said:
My point was she would not be entitled to any birds in Kansas. The "party limit" rule does not affect only large groups.
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You can give anyone a bird, you just can't shoot them for someone else once you have reached your limit. My son wasn't a seasoned hunter when he was young, so I would leave my gun in the truck in hopes he would get the best shots.
 
I have a friend who is an DNR enforcement officer. They said they have never given a ticket for party hunting and it would take an unusual situation to issue one due to it being very difficult to prove. Short of an admission of guilt there isn’t much to go on.

But, sportsmanship requires a person to follow the law regardless of the chances of being caught.

Iowa allows it for deer and I think that is all, and then I guess only for residents.
 
westksbowhunter said:
You can give anyone a bird, you just can't shoot them for someone else once you have reached your limit. My son wasn't a seasoned hunter when he was young, so I would leave my gun in the truck in hopes he would get the best shots.
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But that is what I am talking about -- under SD party limit rules I can shoot my limit and then shoot birds for her, if we want more. Seems to be a good rule to me.
 
Let's see if I can cover this in one last post and, keep in mind, I didn't have an opinion on anyone else's hunting method. Why would I, unless it included illegal tactics or activities?

1. We do not drink and hunt.
2. When a hunter in the group has his three birds, he's done or he becomes a retriever. So, no "party" hunting. Been hunting SD for close to 30 years and don't even know if party hunting is legal there.
3. We have eight or nine farms we hunt (for free) and the farmers usually join us for some of those hunts.
4. It is a rule that each hunter wears orange hat and eyewear. No loaded guns in or on the trucks.
5. We always pull into the fields so we never park on the roads, ever.
6. We do not road hunt. If there is a less than attractive hunt type for me, that would be it but to each his own as long as its legal.
7. The group has only been checked by game warden twice but zero tickets or warnings.
8. We enjoy the social part of the hunt as much as shooting at and harvesting birds.
9. We hunt all wild birds.

That's our five days of early season hunting with a group. Some of us go back later in the year in a two or three person group. We are rule followers for sure. You don't get to hunt the same farms for that many years by abusing any part of the experience. We have seen other hunters come and go out there with other farmers and many do not put the sport or the landowners first. We usually don't see those folks again. Enjoy the sport. My group does!!!!
 
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dawgs14 said:
Let's see if I can cover this in one last post and, keep in mind, I didn't have an opinion on anyone else's hunting method. Why would I, unless it included illegal tactics or activities?

1. We do not drink and hunt.
2. When a hunter in the group has his three birds, he's done or he becomes a retriever. So, no "party" hunting. Been hunting SD for close to 30 years and don't even know if party hunting is legal there.
3. We have eight or nine farms we hunt (for free) and the farmers usually join us for some of those hunts.
4. It is a rule that each hunter wears orange hat and eyewear. No loaded guns in or on the trucks.
5. We always pull into the fields so we never park on the roads, ever.
6. We do not road hunt. If there is a less than attractive hunt type for me, that would be it but to each his own as long as its legal.
7. The group has only been checked by game warden twice but zero tickets or warnings.
8. We enjoy the social part of the hunt as much as shooting at and harvesting birds.
9. We hunt all wild birds.

That's our five days of early season hunting with a group. Some of us go back later in the year in a two or three person group. We are rule followers for sure. You don't get to hunt the same farms for that many years by abusing any part of the experience. We have seen other hunters come and go out there with other farmers and many do not put the sport or the landowners first. We usually don't see those folks again. Enjoy the sport. My group does!!!!
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I think its #8 that is what some guys are really there for. I personally enjoy being out with the guys. I'd prefer to hunt with my friends. whether its 1 or 5 of my friends. We have a earlier season SD hunt that has friends from across the country come. Going on 20 years, no one or dog has been shot. We are organized. Hunt Larger food plots and CRP. Obviously we aren't getting into a 1/2 acre slough. Deer hunting has got to be more dangerous statistically.

Late Season, we hunt some very large pieces that I don't care how awesome your dog or 5 dogs are, you aren't getting a rooster up or out of the unless you can strategically attack it from different angles. Its too big.

It is possible to have a group of like minded individuals be safe around each other, it happens every day. I say hunt however you want, come home safely and get a kid out there so this past time lives on. The way we as hunters and fisherman (outdoorsmen) treat each other will be our demise. We are our own worst enemy
 
dawgs14 said:
Let's see if I can cover this in one last post and, keep in mind, I didn't have an opinion on anyone else's hunting method. Why would I, unless it included illegal tactics or activities?

1. We do not drink and hunt.
2. When a hunter in the group has his three birds, he's done or he becomes a retriever. So, no "party" hunting. Been hunting SD for close to 30 years and don't even know if party hunting is legal there.
3. We have eight or nine farms we hunt (for free) and the farmers usually join us for some of those hunts.
4. It is a rule that each hunter wears orange hat and eyewear. No loaded guns in or on the trucks.
5. We always pull into the fields so we never park on the roads, ever.
6. We do not road hunt. If there is a less than attractive hunt type for me, that would be it but to each his own as long as its legal.
7. The group has only been checked by game warden twice but zero tickets or warnings.
8. We enjoy the social part of the hunt as much as shooting at and harvesting birds.
9. We hunt all wild birds.

That's our five days of early season hunting with a group. Some of us go back later in the year in a two or three person group. We are rule followers for sure. You don't get to hunt the same farms for that many years by abusing any part of the experience. We have seen other hunters come and go out there with other farmers and many do not put the sport or the landowners first. We usually don't see those folks again. Enjoy the sport. My group does!!!!
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While I generally disfavor these larger group hunts, it sounds like you take the correct precautions and ethics when you participate in them.

Unfortunately, not everyone does. And it only takes one negative experience to make a guy never want to do it again. Or worse, someone becomes a statistic.

Individual results seem to vary wildly on this one. I honestly don't even KNOW that many people who upland hunt. It's definitely a dying breed these days.
 
westksbowhunter said:
LOL You can bet I will be hunting. My dog and I doing it the right way!
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gim said:
While I generally disfavor these larger group hunts, it sounds like you take the correct precautions and ethics when you participate in them.

Unfortunately, not everyone does. And it only takes one negative experience to make a guy never want to do it again. Or worse, someone becomes a statistic.

Individual results seem to vary wildly on this one. I honestly don't even KNOW that many people who upland hunt. It's definitely a dying breed these days.
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I was raised quail hunting in the south, before the fire ants did in the wild quail so I used to hunt with two and sometimes three people. Hard to quail hunt behind dogs with more than about three people.
 
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I look forward to our group hunt every year. We have guys from Illinois, Wisconsin and South Carolina all meet for 4 great days together. We have a blast. Being together in the rental house, having dinner and recapping the events of the day is priceless.
I hunt solo or with a single partner the rest of the year. The group hunt is something I look forward to and wouldn’t change a thing.
 
westksbowhunter said:
When I think of group hunting, this is what comes to mind: https://forum.ultimatepheasanthunting.com/threads/pheasant-slaughter-near-liberal.537
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Since you want to keep this going, let me describe a two-person, plus dog, scenario I experienced one day several years ago. My group of seven or so hunters, and dogs, were sitting on tailgates while on the farmer's property, just off the gravel road. We were done for the day. There are two ditch hunters and their dog 100 or so yards off when we notice them. We are interested so we are watching when a rooster comes out of the ditch 50 yards from us. The bird flies our direction. Both hunters take aim and fire. We all react with a quick turn which in reality is too late if you have heard the shot already. The shot from 75ish yards hits hard on the trucks but none of us luckily. The farmer was not happy and let them know it. Anyway, I'm a group hunter and that's my horror story experience with two-person hunt teams. Shall I pigeon hole you in with the two I described above? Of course not.
 
dawgs14 said:
Since you want to keep this going, let me describe a two-person, plus dog, scenario I experienced one day several years ago. My group of seven or so hunters, and dogs, were sitting on tailgates while on the farmer's property, just off the gravel road. We were done for the day. There are two ditch hunters and their dog 100 or so yards off when we notice them. We are interested so we are watching when a rooster comes out of the ditch 50 yards from us. The bird flies our direction. Both hunters take aim and fire. We all react with a quick turn which in reality is too late if you have heard the shot already. The shot from 75ish yards hits hard on the trucks but none of us luckily. The farmer was not happy and let them know it. Anyway, I'm a group hunter and that's my horror story experience with two-person hunt teams. Shall I pigeon hole you in with the two I described above? Of course not.
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I thought you wanted to keep this going since you keep responding. Your group of 7 isn't the same as a group of 50. I thought that is what we are talking about. A group that kills 150 plus birds in 2 days. Surrounding a section so a bird has no escape route, isn't fair chase hunting, I thought that is what the thread was about, not a group of 7. When can all cite instances where a single hunter or a group of 2 do something stupid, but the thread is about large groups.
 
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This thread doesn't resemble my opinion above any more. I gave my support to hunting with a few friends.......
 
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