Messed Up Hunt--Dissappointed At Myself

kiotehntr

kiotehntr

Super Moderator
So I messed up big time this past weekend. We were walking a small draw and my GSP went on point. 2 hens busted first and I saw the grass moving up ahead so I knew that the rooster was running. Kody got him locked down, I walked up and flushed the bird. Boom, crap I shot under him, Boom he dropped like a rock. I started praising Kody as I shoved another shell into my gun. About that time a bird flushed behind me and to the left. I swung, saw a long tail but got partially blinded by the sun, pulled the trigger and dropped my second bird of the morning. I looked over at my buddy and asked "that was a rooster wasn't it?" He said "yeah it was but it hit the ground running" I got Kody over to hunt dead and he finally went on point about 25 yards ahead of where the bird dropped. I approached the tuft of grass, kicked around and no bird. Kody dove in at my feet and pulled a hen out from under the snow. I shot a da** hen, first time in my life I have ever done that and I felt like crap. I looked at my buddy and asked him " I thought that you said that was a rooster", he said "It sure looked like it was to me, the sun blinded me too but I saw a long tail and it cackled when it got up" I can't believe that I messed up like that, but I guarantee that it will never happen again. How many of you have ever messed up like that?
 
We'll let's just say that I won't admit to anything publicly... :eek:

It happens... if you live by the cardinal rule "If your not 100% sure, don't shoot"
 
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Yes, I shot a hen ONCE. I almost quit hunting over the deal. I remember unloading my gun, throwing it, and walking back to the truck. Someone brought the gun back for me, but I still didn't hunt for the rest of the day. People make mistakes.....not everyone has to repeat their mistakes though.

At least you made it out one more time. I sat at home sulking about having such poor luck this season. There seems to be more birds in KS this season than there have been in a long time. I usually shoot somewhere around 50 birds per season. I barely made it to double-digits this season. I understand that it's not all about how many birds you harvest, but many more seasons like this one and the sport will be down 1 more hunter. My poor dogs must think I'm incapable of finding birds for them. My pup now thinks we're just exercising. Catfishing is sounding better all the time.
 
Yeah, the guns are already cleaned and put up for now. Turkey season is coming up soon though!!! I got my fishing poles out and started to break them down and strip the old line off and respool them. Our first fishing tournament is coming in a little over a month so I get to look forward to that. Yeah I was upset as he** about what I did but I realized that it was a mistake and it won't be repeated...:thumbsup:
 
Many long years ago in Minnesota, I had this happen. My dog went on point, about 30 yards in front of me. As I walked to him, the bird jumped cackling onto a tree branch just over the birds head. It no more than touched the branch and I dropped it. I walked over it to where it was on the ground and it was a hen. That was the first time I had ever heard a hen cackle. It really woke me up to make sure what it really is before I shoot.........Bob
 
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Guilty...mine was flying dead away with the sun to my back. Looked like a monster rooster; bang, coyote food courtesy of JMc.
 
That's tough Kiote, I have not killed one yet, but the law of averages is against us all. I am sure I will feel just as bad as you did and probably still are. You most likely will never have that happen again in your lifetime. It would only worry me if you did not feel any remorse. You will be o.k. Now go get some coyotes!!!!
 
birdshooter said:
We'll let's just say that I won't admit to anything publicly... :eek:

It happens... if you live by the cardinal rule "If your not 100% sure, don't shoot"
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Dido, Hey if it makes you feel better, we shoot the heck out of hens all day at training.:D Don't worry about it.It has happened to everyone. If it hasn't it will. I wonder how many wild birds stroll accross the fence at the local shooting preserves. Anyone who has been to one has a chance that they may have shot a wild hen.
 
I shot one my first time pheasant hunting. I think I was 14. It was the second bird that got up in front of me. I dropped the first which was a rooster and the second which was a hen. I was so excited I forgot I couldn't shoot hens! Needless to say only my unlce saw that it was a hen and we never found it among the tall grass. It hasn't ever happened again, if I'm not a 100% sure its a rooster I don't shoot. But if there are a bunch of hens busting up in front of me I always say the next dang hen that gets up in front of me I'm dropping it. Usually that scares them enough to push a rooster out first.
 
I had one bird this season that I identified as a rooster when it got up, I shot it, and then as it fell from the sky I didn't see anything but drab brown and short tail. I started thinking, "Oh S###!" and really kicking myself. I was really relieved when the dog brought back a rooster. It was just the light and shadows playing tricks on me as the bird fell. I was really anxious until I knew for 100% sure. I've never shot a hen outside of a preserve before, but I know I would be really pizzed at myself.

Also, 2 years ago I had three hens get up to my left and fly in front of me and towards my buddy who was off to my right. I was still watching the grass where they got up to see if a rooster might flush. Off to my right, I hear BANG!!! So I holler, "where did the rooster come from?" He says, "The third one was a rooster." Yeah,,, well... it wasn't.:eek: Make sure to call out "hen" for your buddies who might not have as good of a view of the flushing birds. I didn't think I needed to since they were "my" birds, but if I had then there would have been one more hen laying eggs last spring...:mad:
 
Toad said:
I had one bird this season that I identified as a rooster when it got up, I shot it, and then as it fell from the sky I didn't see anything but drab brown and short tail. I started thinking, "Oh S###!" and really kicking myself. I was really relieved when the dog brought back a rooster. It was just the light and shadows playing tricks on me as the bird fell. I was really anxious until I knew for 100% sure. I've never shot a hen outside of a preserve before, but I know I would be really pizzed at myself.

Also, 2 years ago I had three hens get up to my left and fly in front of me and towards my buddy who was off to my right. I was still watching the grass where they got up to see if a rooster might flush. Off to my right, I hear BANG!!! So I holler, "where did the rooster come from?" He says, "The third one was a rooster." Yeah,,, well... it wasn't.:eek: Make sure to call out "hen" for your buddies who might not have as good of a view of the flushing birds. I didn't think I needed to since they were "my" birds, but if I had then there would have been one more hen laying eggs last spring...:mad:
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Good point about yelling out the birds. I usually lose my voice from yelling "rooster" or "hen" all day.
 
Early in the season sometimes you get those young roosters that are barely showing any color, and it can be real difficult. I listen for the cackle, but sometimes they won't do that. What catches my eye the most is the white on the neck as even some of the late hatch roosters are showing a glimpse of white. Still... to play it safe it's better to let them pass if your not sure.
 
birdshooter said:
Early in the season sometimes you get those young roosters that are barely showing any color, and it can be real difficult. I listen for the cackle, but sometimes they won't do that. What catches my eye the most is the white on the neck as even some of the late hatch roosters are showing a glimpse of white. Still... to play it safe it's better to let them pass if your not sure.
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I have passed on many roosters because I was unsure of them. I heard this one cackle and saw long tail feathers before I got the sun in my eyes. It flushed straight away from me and I saw what I saw, fired a shot and realized my mistake.
 
What Happens . . .

kiotehntr said:
So I messed up big time this past weekend. We were walking a small draw and my GSP went on point. 2 hens busted first and I saw the grass moving up ahead so I knew that the rooster was running. Kody got him locked down, I walked up and flushed the bird. Boom, crap I shot under him, Boom he dropped like a rock. I started praising Kody as I shoved another shell into my gun. About that time a bird flushed behind me and to the left. I swung, saw a long tail but got partially blinded by the sun, pulled the trigger and dropped my second bird of the morning. I looked over at my buddy and asked "that was a rooster wasn't it?" He said "yeah it was but it hit the ground running" I got Kody over to hunt dead and he finally went on point about 25 yards ahead of where the bird dropped. I approached the tuft of grass, kicked around and no bird. Kody dove in at my feet and pulled a hen out from under the snow. I shot a da** hen, first time in my life I have ever done that and I felt like crap. I looked at my buddy and asked him " I thought that you said that was a rooster", he said "It sure looked like it was to me, the sun blinded me too but I saw a long tail and it cackled when it got up" I can't believe that I messed up like that, but I guarantee that it will never happen again. How many of you have ever messed up like that?
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Haven't you heard? What happens in the field stays in the field. Everybody shoots a hen once upon a time, don't they?
 
BritChaser said:
Haven't you heard? What happens in the field stays in the field. Everybody shoots a hen once upon a time, don't they?
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Yeah I suppose, but I'm not afraid to tell the truth and suffer the consequences. It helps being 6'3" and weighing in right at 265lbs though, not to many people give me a hard time.....:D :D
 
Maybe you didnt shoot a hen, this weekend I had the same thing happen. Cant find the bird and we look and look and the dog goes on point and jumps into the brush and pulls out a hen. I think I knew that bird was a rooster. Take the hen and put it back in the brush and start walking to the car. About 50 yards walking in the wrong direction dog snaps on point and I stomp and stomp and the dog picks up a live rooster. I have no idea if the hen was hurt or just holding tight or was it the rooster that was hurt or holding tight. I also was hunting with a group of guys at Glen Elder and one of the kids shot a hen right in front of the game warden, and he saw it happen. He comes over and said who shot the hen and what did you do with it. The boy admits it was him and he said he left it in the field. The game warden says that was the right thing to do in that it is not illegal to shoot hens only to possess them. Never looked it up but he seemed like he knew what he was talking about and he did not write a ticket.

zeepo
 
I've never heard of anything like that before but I think that I will place a call to the KDWP and make sure. I can't think why shooting hens and leaving them is a good idea, only feeds coyotes and rodents. Good post Zeppo, it really gets you to thinking....:thumbsup:
 
kiotehntr said:
I've never heard of anything like that before but I think that I will place a call to the KDWP and make sure. I can't think why shooting hens and leaving them is a good idea, only feeds coyotes and rodents. Good post Zeppo, it really gets you to thinking....:thumbsup:
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I remember when I took hunters safety about 15 years ago the words of wisdom the game warden gave at the time was that it was illegal to shoot a hen, but if you did do not pick it up because you will get in trouble for posessing it.

I think on technicality he stated that for leaving the hen in the field they could cite you for Wanton/waste - but Im sure you would have to be a complete ass to the Warden or breaking other laws for them to cite you for that.

Mistakes happen. Ive done so twice when I was first starting out over excitement. I dont recall doing it since I was 15 or 16 though. Happens to everyone.
 
Several years ago,we where walking a milo field pushing several birds.Just as expected,the last 50 yards was very active with birds busting all over.At the last 10 yds,a nice group got up going every direction ,with several roosters involved.For some reason,I was watching instead of shooting,and the damnest thing happened,I saw a hen fly straight into a electric pole guide wire,hiting that thing going 40 mph,doing about 3 flips around the wire,falling dead to the ground.Of course some guys starting yelling about "someone shot a hen",and not beliveing my story,so I peeled the skin of the bird to show them,no pellet wounds. To the best of my reckoning,thats the only "dead hen" that we have been involved in,oh one time a dog caught one on the ground,both those birds where consumed by our local farmer,which I thought was very risky,but he is good friends with the local game warden and wasn't to concerned.
 
gsh lover said:
Several years ago,we where walking a milo field pushing several birds.Just as expected,the last 50 yards was very active with birds busting all over.At the last 10 yds,a nice group got up going every direction ,with several roosters involved.For some reason,I was watching instead of shooting,and the damnest thing happened,I saw a hen fly straight into a electric pole guide wire,hiting that thing going 40 mph,doing about 3 flips around the wire,falling dead to the ground.Of course some guys starting yelling about "someone shot a hen",and not beliveing my story,so I peeled the skin of the bird to show them,no pellet wounds. To the best of my reckoning,thats the only "dead hen" that we have been involved in,oh one time a dog caught one on the ground,both those birds where consumed by our local farmer,which I thought was very risky,but he is good friends with the local game warden and wasn't to concerned.
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I actually saw 2 hens out of the same field hit the electric wire a few weeks ago in the Hill City area...First time to see them hit the wires.
 
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