What to do?????

IRONWIREgwp

IRONWIREgwp

New member
I went to Phillips County today to chase some roosters, good day but tough, both me and the dog are resting our feet tonight. It was hot out there with very little wind so the scenting conditions were tough.

1st off I want you to know that I always try to leave the land better than I found it and follow all laws and regulations because I feel hunting is a privilege and I want to protect it for years to come.

So today my dog pointed a hen, nothing new there, and it was a perfect point from a distance, he held as I flushed it and stood and watched it fly off. Well this hen was not that smart and flew directly into some power lines and fell to the middle of the road in front of a farm house. My dog is waiting for the fetch command as the hen is twitching but obviously dead. What do you do?

I could just keep hunting and leave the bird, but since it is in the middle of the road in front of a house I don't feel that is right to do. Have my dog retrieve it but I don't really want it in my bag or on my person in case I get checked. I hate to see an animal that was killed (in a way by me since I flushed it) go to waste.

What would you do?
 
Years ago I was hunting sharptails with a warden and another friend. We watched a group fly across a road and landon property we had permission to hunt, we had been at it all day, and little to show but a lot of wear and tear, making all of us anxious. We approached as the long afternoon shadows cast across the pasture. Dogs point, birds get up in a picture perfect spread, all three of us shoot, 4 sharptails down, and instantly we all recognize our mistake, as one bird wobbles, obviously hit toward the ridge edge, a long drop to the river valley below. it was a young almost uncolored rooster pheasant, where no pheasant should have been. My english setter at the time was a determined meat animal and she never lost a bird, she was already gone over the edge in pursuit. We waited in silence and discomfort, for 10 minutes, the warden said," maybe she won't find it". My friend and I knew better, about that time here she comes proud as can be. Now were really uncomfortable! I knew I shot in that direction, I believe my friend had, and neither of us knew whether the warden had or not. We headed for the truck all birds in tow, we camped right there and dined on early season pheasant and regular season sharptails. Shared the meal and the blame, and donated $50.00 a piece to D.U. because it was the only conservation program around. Had the circumstances been otherwise, I would leave it where it fell, maybe still make a donation to Pheasants Forever now. But we were much more culpable than you were, one of us, or all of us shot that bird. You did nothing wrong, only thing legally wrong, would be picking up that hen. Seems a waste and a shame, but it's the only smart thing to do.
 
If you pick it up you better call DOW asap and turn it over or else they could hang ya. They can do a quick field exam and tell you did no wrong and let you on your merry way. Plus you may make a new friend with some leads. That's what I would do.
 
I think you have to leave it where it is. You didn't do anything wrong. The hen killed herself. You can't expect the game warden to believe your story. The bird won't go to waste because a coyote, raccoon, or hawk will eat it. Maybe one extra live bird gets to live because the varmint has a full belly.

I had a similar thing happen when I hit a hen while driving through Kansas last weekend. She was walking on the side of the road, then just flushed right into the windshield when I passed her. I just left her for the varmints. They only seem smart when you're hunting them.
 
Well today I was hunting in the Burlington area and being that it is Wed not many other hunters out, but did see one driving around. At which point i always wonder, did they just leave the field I am going to? For the most part that was not the case because I got birds up in all of the fields, except one. That area was a dry ravine with about twenty yards of CRP along the south side and ten yards of CRP along the north side with wheat and corn bordering the crp. It looked great. But my walk was pretty quite until the end when Copper was on the scent of a running bird. after 60 yards we caught up to it, it tried to flush but had a broken wing so the dog grab it. Yup a hen, that someone shot earlier in the day. So I had the dog drop it and it ran off a bit and I dragged the confused dog away. Yes tough decisions but as you guys say something will benefit from the meal, its just dampens a good day in the field.
 
My dogs have found 4 hens `1 wounded and 3 dead so far this year,, If you cant tell what it is DONT SHOOT....
 
keskam said:
My dogs have found 4 hens `1 wounded and 3 dead so far this year,, If you cant tell what it is DONT SHOOT....
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Found a hen sitting by the trashcan at the Cenex in Holyoke. What a joke! The slacker couldn't even hide it in the trash. Just set it on the ground. Nothing seems to go to waste out in the field though. Between all the falcons and hawks, and dang coons!

Keskam: what is the deal with the signature under your replies?
 
IRONWIREgwp said:
I went to Phillips County today to chase some roosters, good day but tough, both me and the dog are resting our feet tonight. It was hot out there with very little wind so the scenting conditions were tough.

1st off I want you to know that I always try to leave the land better than I found it and follow all laws and regulations because I feel hunting is a privilege and I want to protect it for years to come.

So today my dog pointed a hen, nothing new there, and it was a perfect point from a distance, he held as I flushed it and stood and watched it fly off. Well this hen was not that smart and flew directly into some power lines and fell to the middle of the road in front of a farm house. My dog is waiting for the fetch command as the hen is twitching but obviously dead. What do you do?

I could just keep hunting and leave the bird, but since it is in the middle of the road in front of a house I don't feel that is right to do. Have my dog retrieve it but I don't really want it in my bag or on my person in case I get checked. I hate to see an animal that was killed (in a way by me since I flushed it) go to waste.

What would you do?
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Hey Adam,
Funny story you've got there! As for me, I would have probably grabbed it and thrown it in the truck. If I got stopped, I would have told the warden what happened and I'm sure it wouldn't be a problem. Heck, I'd bet if you mistakenly shot a hen and got stopped most wardens wouldn't do anything as long as you fessed up. If you hid it and they found it, then you're probably going to get a fine.
 
sdtEvergreen said:
How come we never find the wounded roosters? Or do we and pretend we shot them?
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My pup brought me a wounded rooster last year. We were first in the field that day (just as the sun came up) so my guess is that it was shot the day before and somehow managed to survive the night.

I popped its neck, put it in the vest, shot two more and called it a limit.:cheers:
 
jflewis88 said:
Those are the titles that Kevin's dogs have earned. He's a top-notch breeder/trainer of pointing Labradors and his pups have a slew of titles.
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Wow, I am Honored!!:cheers:

I too have picked up 3 wounded roosters this year, 0ne was not cleanable.
 
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