An question about procedure...

[macknnc]

I read an article written by a fellow whose upland experience was with the Western variety of quail; the scaled, and the Gambels, rather than bobwhites. Now he said it was prefectly proper to shoot quail on the ground...bobwhite hunters will lynch you for even thinking that...and I do know that Dan Holland, in his "Upland Game Hunters Bible' said plainly that any that any bird (and he included turkeys) had to be wing shot to count as 'sporting'....so I've seen two opposing views...which is the most common?

[azshtr]

For me... in flight only. And the dog needed to perform the correct way. A nice steady point, steady to shot, and then she gets to have the bird. Of course I'm just transitioning from training birds to real birds. She is learning to deal with wild birds who move much more. I don't want her to learn she can flush them... sorry probably not what your after.

[oz31p]

I almost never hunt quail behind a dog. But I've found that while they may be less " sporting" on the ground they are more "edible".

[macknnc]

I almost never hunt quail behind a dog. But I've found that while they may be less " sporting" on the ground they are more "edible".

Okay, question here...I know it may not be sporting...and it may not even be legal...but...for an example..here in NC, a great way to hunt cottontails is to try to pop them on the run with .22 semi auto....that seems a vaild way to take running quail too...(since western quail are known as runners...) so yea or nay?

[gonehuntin]

I guess it depends on why you are hunting, I shoot them for the grill and have no problem shooting running quail.

[joeeden]

I almost never hunt quail behind a dog. But I've found that while they may be less " sporting" on the ground they are more "edible".

Okay, question here...I know it may not be sporting...and it may not even be legal...but...for an example..here in NC, a great way to hunt cottontails is to try to pop them on the run with .22 semi auto....that seems a vaild way to take running quail too...(since western quail are known as runners...) so yea or nay?

If you can shoot Gambel's quail this way, not only is it legal, but very dang impressive. I like the birds to get up first. However, a great way to do that is to shoot one that's running.

[macknnc]

Joeeden, that just popped into my head...my score with cottontails like this is not impressive...My biggest question was is it 'kosher' to shoot at scallies and gambels on the ground...

[Guest akaspecials]

I've always been taught that if hunting behind a dog you don't shoot anything on the ground for the safety of the dog.

 

That being said, I normally hunt without a dog and I ground sluice birds all the time. I figure if I'm hunting big game I don't try to get them to run before I shoot, why should I do it with birds?

[BigMoqui]

When I was ten years old on my first quail hunt I heard my father yell something as he was chasing some quail over a small rise " If you're gonna' run like rabbits your gonna' die like rabbits!" So I live by that motto and it tends to get more quail in the vest pouch.

[trphyhntr]

my dad grew up in south dakota and he only shoots birds out of the air(way better shot than me), i grew up in AZ and i'll shoot gambels off the ground.

[Scooter]

"Sporting" kills are for snobby old dudes wearing all that pretty Filson hunting gear. Shoot them wherever they can be killed cleanly and recovered. That's sporting.

[trphyhntr]

"Sporting" kills are for snobby old dudes wearing all that pretty Filson hunting gear. Shoot them wherever they can be killed cleanly and recovered. That's sporting.

like deer in my headlights too?

[Workman]

I don't always go quail hunting, but when I do, I shoot them wherever they give me a a shot.

[Scooter]

"Sporting" kills are for snobby old dudes wearing all that pretty Filson hunting gear. Shoot them wherever they can be killed cleanly and recovered. That's sporting.

like deer in my headlights too?

 

Once it's in the freezer... it don't matter.

[Flatlander]

One of my favorite ways to shoot quail as a kid was to sandblast them with a 9mm round in the gravel about a foot short of them. I have been trying to arrow one the last couple of years. Neither of those methods are effective on flying quail.