Unpopular opinion - dog caught a hen

KEOutdoors said:
Ethical it is. Moral is iffy. If you did the so called "right" thing to do, the CO would donate the bird to someone else he checks that day or to someone who needs it. The CO is not going to throw it in the trash or ditch...

You can take the "high" ground if you want and think that is right, but if you are caught in possession of the hen you are paying a ticket and losing the hen and the judge you are wasting the time of is going to agree unless you can convince him its a rooster... Note he isn't going to get you for illegal take, but illegal possession.

If you call it in you will 'probably' get no ticket and the bird taken as well and given away to someone to eat.

Only difference is the ticket you may/may not get and the fact you arent going to eat the bird but someone else is. Guess you have to decide in your mind if you should be getting the reward (food) for your dog killing an illegal bird and you not getting caught with it that day.
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Which state are you referencing on the "call in a hen your dog killed"? I called the SDGFP local office and asked the question. The guy laughed when I asked if people are supposed to call it in. He said their office is spread beyond thin and wouldn't bother. Concluded by saying the only way a person would get in trouble for having a hen in their possession that the dog killed was if it turned out the hen got lead poisoning before the dog got it or if there were other game violations being committed.

It's a grey area, he acknowledged. Which is why there is no clear protocol about what is to be done. I'm sure different jurisdictions approach the matter how they see fit.

I shoot a few pheasants each season and don't need the "reward" of another set of pheasant breasts, legs, heart and gizzard in the freezer. I keep the bird because it was killed in the course of my hunt. I wouldn't toss a rooster in the weeds, so I guess I don't see where I should do the same with a hen.
 
Golden Hour said:
I keep the bird because it was killed in the course of my hunt. I wouldn't toss a rooster in the weeds, so I guess I don't see where I should do the same with a hen.
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I understand your point, its a waste issue.

However, in the event you are caught with a hen in possession, you might have some explaining to do. I think you've already stated your position on this, as you would simply deal with the potential consequences. Some of us aren't willing to take that risk, including me. I'm specifically talking about when the dog catches a hen here, not shooting one.
 
Highvoltage said:
I just read the SD regulations, and it says nothing about it being illegal to shoot a hen pheasant. It only says it is illegal to possess one.
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I think the majority of pheasant hunters would agree that in order to keep natural reproduction of wild pheasants going, you need hens. That alone should be enough of a deterrent when in consideration of shooting one.
 
A5 Sweet 16 said:
Of the 1000s of birds I've shot at in my life, there was only 1 hen...one!...that I thought was a rooster. I was sure of it. Unfortunately, I didn't miss. Boy was I surprised.
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That is bs.nobody has shot thousands of pheasants. Everybody has shot hens.
 
Really I would have no problem at all talking to the game warden if the dog caught a hen. One thing about this whole scenario, what's your odds you can get ahold of the warden? My guess, not very good. Now if you're hunting familiar ground and have the personal cell number on speed dial it's one thing. Iowa from what I've seen you got the best odds, their DNR has always been great about answering phones AND the wardens cell numbers are published. I know in MN, good luck, unless you have their cell number, which is not published. You can find an office number that goes to voicemail, and you might get a call back days later. I'm often hunting new places and new counties in MN, IA, and SD. It can be difficult to get hold of a C.O. on the fly, I've tried before when witnessing poachers in the act, no luck. Last time I was in Iowa Skye caught a tweety bird out in the forbes. I didn't call the DNR or the Sheriff, I simply made her drop the bird and it scurried away on the prairie. Soft mouth. True story.
 
Lotta angst over a dead hen or two.

I’ve lost count of the ones I’ve seen fly into a phone or power line and break their neck.

Always seems to be the hens. I think I’ve seen only one rooster hit a line.

Since it’s usually the dogs that flush them into the lines, is that the same as catching/killing one? Best to call the warden?


<tongue in cheek >
 
Of all the time-wasting, superfluous, inane "moralistic" threads I've seen on here, this one has to take the chew-face cake Sometimes, shooting a hen happens, and when it does, just like the shotguns we shoot, the loads we use or the dogs we run to retrieve the unfortunate hen, what we do is our OWN PERSONAL CHOICE. For all those playing God out there, just let it pass!
 
Wolfchief said:
Sometimes, shooting a hen happens, and when it does, just like the shotguns we shoot, the loads we use or the dogs we run to retrieve the unfortunate hen
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If you read the title of the thread, its really not about "shooting a hen and then having the dog retrieve it." Its about the dog catching a hen alive.

The two subjects are not intertwined for me. Hens are illegal (to shoot or possess, whatever you want to refer to it as), and they are clearly and obviously different in color than a rooster. Its the same dead horse over and over again, if you cannot identify the target, you do not shoot. They teach everyone that in firearms safety training.

A legal buck must have at least one 3 inch antler to be considered a buck. A legal turkey must have at least a one inch visible beard in the spring to be considered a legal male. All of these go hand in had. If you are shooting hens, I have to wonder what else you are shooting "on accident." Verify the target before pulling the trigger. There should not be any confusion on this at all.
 
It’s a hunting dog thats trained to hunt pheasants and it hunted so well it caught one. Just try and release the bird and move on. If it’s dead well that’s unfortunate but it happens. Leave it and move on. It’s no body’s fault. Don’t want to have one in possession. Just part of it sometimes. Geez guys. Our dogs growing up would kill critters and a few cats sometimes out back that weren’t in season. I can assure you calling the warden never crossed our minds. Now if you are hunting in some heavy snow and it happens a few times on one hunt might be best just to head in for the day and try to keep the bigger picture in mind.
 
Goosemaster said:
My cousin has shot some hens, and so have I. Everybody has.In montana, you used to be able to shoot them legally.
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Springer22 said:
It’s a hunting dog thats trained to hunt pheasants and it hunted so well it caught one. Just try and release the bird and move on. If it’s dead well that’s unfortunate but it happens. Leave it and move on. It’s no body’s fault. Don’t want to have one in possession. Just part of it sometimes. Geez guys. Our dogs growing up would kill critters and a few cats sometimes out back that weren’t in season. I can assure you calling the warden never crossed our minds. Now if you are hunting in some heavy snow and it happens a few times on one hunt might be best just to head in for the day and try to keep the bigger picture in mind.
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Excellent post. Finally some common sense. My springers have all been trained for a hard flush, the bird is either flying out of the cover or it's coming out in the dogs mouth. Roosters go in the vest and count towards my limit, on the rare occasion it's a hen its dropped in the weeds and we continue on. Never is hen kept, as that action is a deliberate choice to violate the rules and regulations.
 
Wolfchief said:
Of all the time-wasting, superfluous, inane "moralistic" threads I've seen on here, this one has to take the chew-face cake Sometimes, shooting a hen happens, and when it does, just like the shotguns we shoot, the loads we use or the dogs we run to retrieve the unfortunate hen, what we do is our OWN PERSONAL CHOICE. For all those playing God out there, just let it pass!
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Even more than the possession limit thread? 🤣🤣🤣
 
My dog caught a hen last year. Retrieved it to me, I picked it up and looked her over. Then released her and she flew out of sight. About 2 weeks later, she did the same thing. I released the bird again. My dogs are force fetched and taught to retrieve with a soft mouth. Same dog brought me 3 or 4 baby rabbits this summer, all went back to the nest and survived just fine.
 
Gimi--You're splitting hairs again, as usual. No matter how the bird is "acquired" (dog caught it, hunter/dog found it dead, hunter shot it by accident or whatever), it's obvious that the real question becomes "what does the ethical hunter do with it?"As expressed above, there are various scenarios that could affect that choice.The question won't---and maybe shouldn't --be settled on this forum so let's just move on. I'm done with it.
 
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