Lets pick up those shells and bird carcases

[PRDATR]

The area I hunt was nice and clean on opening day. Yesterday I saw a couple of guys stanging on the side of the paved creating a pile of feathers and tossing their cleaned birds on the ground so I walked over and talked to them about it to no avail as they soon departed with a heck of a mess laying there.

This morning I watched a group of three hunters shoot a bird that flew into a bush about 75 yards away and they made no attempt to shag it.

When they adn the little kid who was chasing down birds left I looked over and there was a mess of shells on the ground where they had been shooting with one guy sitting in a lawn chair. They may not have been responsible for the mess but they should a least make an attempt to keep the area clean.

 

When I left today there were a couple of places on the shoulder of the road where dead birds were scattered all over. To one dads credit he did pick his up after I talked to him for a minute. G&F has been driving around but not stopping each morning I have been out. I don't want to see this area get shut down too.

[bigorange]

The area I hunt was nice and clean on opening day. Yesterday I saw a couple of guys stanging on the side of the paved creating a pile of feathers and tossing their cleaned birds on the ground so I walked over and talked to them about it to no avail as they soon departed with a heck of a mess laying there.

This morning I watched a group of three hunters shoot a bird that flew into a bush about 75 yards away and they made no attempt to shag it.

When they adn the little kid who was chasing down birds left I looked over and there was a mess of shells on the ground where they had been shooting with one guy sitting in a lawn chair. They may not have been responsible for the mess but they should a least make an attempt to keep the area clean.

 

When I left today there were a couple of places on the shoulder of the road where dead birds were scattered all over. To one dads credit he did pick his up after I talked to him for a minute. G&F has been driving around but not stopping each morning I have been out. I don't want to see this area get shut down too.

 

Agree 100% I always feel bad when I can't find a bird and I usually spend a lot of time looking for them to no avail. Amazing how easily those things disappear in the desert when they go down. Best thing I've taken along lately was my 5 yr old who loved collecting my empties as well as all kinds of other stuff she found that others had left behind.

 

Quickest way for areas to get shut down and keep giving hunters a bad name is to leave a mess behind.

[ThomC]

Yes the opener of dove brings out lots of slob shooters. This year the long weekend will make it worse. I stay home till the slobs are done. For the next two years the opener will be on the weekend. :unsure:

[CouesWhitetail]

Good point, let's hope everyone works to keep hunting areas clean....even if it's not your mess, you may benefit by picking it all up if it means the area stays open to hunters.

[tjhunt2]

Glad to see this posted and thank you PRDATR. I picked up hundreds of spent shells last year. So far I haven't seen the mess as in the past but will continue to pick up if I see them. I put my birds on ice and clean them at home. Thanks to all that take the time cleaning up even though it isn't your mess. I know it makes me feel better knowing I have helped alittle.

 

TJ

[Elkhunter1]

Glad to see this posted and thank you PRDATR. I picked up hundreds of spent shells last year. So far I haven't seen the mess as in the past but will continue to pick up if I see them. I put my birds on ice and clean them at home. Thanks to all that take the time cleaning up even though it isn't your mess. I know it makes me feel better knowing I have helped alittle.

 

TJ

I also take my birds home to clean them but I pick up empties as well. My dad and I reload all calibers we hunt or shoot with, so their left-overs becomes my shells for next year. Good job to all who clean-up after the @$$holes of the world.

[PRDATR]

The place I hunt doesn't belong to me and I am grateful it is there. I don't have to pay admission and the virtual gate is always open. I therefore kinda take some ownership and feel like a steward of the land and an ambassador of the hunting community and don't like to see the place get disrespected.

I have no doubt that the goal for some is to shoot a limit, it sure is my objective but I try to see the bigger picture. I also know that few of us read the Regs so the whole cleaning birds and leaving the spoils wherever scenario never comes into play.

I feel like making up a few signs to post and building a dove cleaning station or two and volunteer time to show people how to clean them.

[Scooter]

I clean all of my birds in the field, but the carcasses go in a garbage bag all the way home with me so that I have proof of species and number. Good post, shell hulls especially. That's just so entirely disrespectful to leave them out there since they have NO way of ever being reclaimed by nature as it is the case with dove carcasses. Those last only as long as it takes carrion feeders to find them.

[Scooter]

Resurrecting last year's thread because I've been picking up quite a few new red-hulls this year... I shoot yellow hulls- so I know they didn't get there from me! I have no issue leaving an area better than when I got there- but it'd be real nice if no one ever had to do that. Hulls are litter!!! Don't dump your garbage on AZ then call yourself a sportsman!

[CouesWhitetail]

Resurrecting last year's thread because I've been picking up quite a few new red-hulls this year... I shoot yellow hulls- so I know they didn't get there from me! I have no issue leaving an area better than when I got there- but it'd be real nice if no one ever had to do that. Hulls are litter!!! Don't dump your garbage on AZ then call yourself a sportsman!

 

+1!!! I am often picking up other people's trash! If you can pack it in when it's heavy, why leave it when it's empty! This applies to all kinds of things...shotgun shells, oil cans, food containers, drink bottles, etc...

[Scooter]

They're already going after a ban on lead shot- why give them a reason to ban non-biodegradable hulls? I bet somebody out there is already cooking up a biodegradable waxed paper hull shotshell with a non-toxic payload and a natural fiber wad... Guess how much a box of those would cost ya!!!

[Elkhunter1]

Resurrecting last year's thread because I've been picking up quite a few new red-hulls this year... I shoot yellow hulls- so I know they didn't get there from me! I have no issue leaving an area better than when I got there- but it'd be real nice if no one ever had to do that. Hulls are litter!!! Don't dump your garbage on AZ then call yourself a sportsman!

 

+1!!! I am often picking up other people's trash! If you can pack it in when it's heavy, why leave it when it's empty! This applies to all kinds of things...shotgun shells, oil cans, food containers, drink bottles, etc...

I have even packed out sleeping bags left behind by the drug smugglers that do "over watch" and spot for the mules. ((double satisfaction there))

[Scooter]

That's gutsy, but good on ya!!!

[Rutha73]

Good post! This is only my second year dove hunting, and I think it's about as much fun as you can have in the desert! I take all my birds home to clean, the regs say to have at least one feathered wing till you get home so I figure its easier to just do all the cleaning at home. And so far I have about twice as many spent shells as I have shot. Now I just need to find someone that reloads and make a deal with them!

[Jimmyc]

Rrrrrrrrrrrr. Went to 36b after work to attempt to fill my archery tag. I was there yesterday. Today the road was littered with shot gun shells for at least a mile. When the shells were no longer on the road. There was a sheet of plywood on the side of the road shot to hec by bird shot. Not cool people. Not cool.

Thanks for the post. I couldn't agree you more.