Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Grouse Are So Thick You Need A Dump Truck

Paddler, here's hoping you had a nice enough day.

For the moment we seem to have established that taking a grouse, incidental to the pursuit of other game, or some other activities, is at least somewhat "sporting". Correct?

First, do you know for sure that the OP was using bird shot? If so, is it really a big deal as it seems more "sporting" than a cast or jacketed bullet because the range would be limited and therefor relatively more sporting, no? Another poster also mentioned this I believe.

Second, do we know for sure that the OP was riding around specifically to shoot grouse that day? Perhaps Shrapnel was scouting for other game, riding fence, sightseeing, testing a rebuilt motor on the ATV.. There could be numerous reasons for him to be out in the woods.

Third, do we know Mr. Shrapnel's physical state. Is he capable of walking miles for a few grouse? If no, should he give up hunting them? If yes, and he is capable, how far from his mode of transportation (outside of legal requirements and hunting from "public" roads as in some states) must he be before shooting a grouse (with any chosen method) in order to meet "sporting" guidelines? 100 feet? 100 yards? a mile?

Fourth, your statement:
"It's also more difficult to kill a grouse with a bow than the way that fellow killed his" Is it really?

Do we know his skill level with that revolver? Do we know the accuracy of the load he was using in that revolver? Have we established a distance to each of the birds taken by Mr. Shrapnel? Perhaps a seasoned archer taking a grouse with a blunt while practicing estimating distances has an easier shot at 10 yds or so than a man with a 4" revolver at 25 yds? Is it more dificult to kill one with a rock, as you state you have, if the rock thrower is an accomplished or practiced ball player?

Fifth, your statement:

"Your suggestion assumes the guys here are reasonable, thoughtful individuals. Their behavior doesn't support that assumption"

Yes, I tend to make that assumption first, then decide on the basis of evidence as to which ones aren't. Many seem to be. Some, I agree with a lot of what they say, but not all. A few I really, really DO NOT want to meet. Some of them I especially do not want to meet in a dark alley!

The majority seem to me to be like most folks I know. They tend to be reasonable to a point, thoughtful enough, but don't p--s them off or they get cranky. Their behavior mostly supports my assumption. As long as I do my part to not offend them.

I was questiong your behavior, the manner in which you address them and call into question their behavior (specifically Mr Shrapnel's shooting of grouse with a revolver). It is entirely your choice to use whatever method of communicating your displeasure you think best. I do tend to hold to the old adage of "flies and honey". If you are attempting to sway their thinking and thereby changing their behavior, you may be going about it the wrong way.

You might have noticed I don't do too bad a job of communicating with what limited knowledge of the English language I have. I'm not always good at using it well, my wife is always telling me to "use your words". I have been known to use a certain limited spectrum of the dictionary, that part usually "not used in polite company", too frequently in conveying an idea. I used to use physical means (throwing crap!) to make my displeasure known. I try not to engage the folks here in that kind of discourse, as it tends to rile them (and me) up. And frankly, I don't like losing. Some of these fellas are way better at it than I am!

Discussions about "sportsmanlike" conduct seem to me to be like the one about pornagraphy... "I can't describe it but I know what it is when I see it".

Unfortunately, your eyes, their eyes, and my eyes tend to see thing differently.

In the spirit of politeness, I wish you the best in your field pursuits, even if your ideas of "sportsmanship" differ from mine.

Please forgive any typos and msipleinngs.

Geno

PS, Field Grade, I AM NOT pontificating. Blathering on like a gray haired ol' fool maybe, but definitely Not pontificating. No No NO.

PPS, Paddler and others: Because fishng has been mentioned already, is it ethical and sporting to practice "catch and release" fishing? Essentialy, one is releasing a tired and wounded anlmal back into nature. Sometimes with the idea that one might catch, wound, and release it again in the future? Would you stalk and "blunt" a big game animal, or shoot it with a non-lethal paintball type gun, assuming of course that it was within the law to do so?

There's 14 pages? dang, I musta missed something. I'll have to go back an re-read it again.

Geno

Didja have to put stilts on him so he could retrieve?

Kudos, to the "dog" for helping out today. A liver or gizzard seems in order.

Nice smile too Shrapnel. I like seeing happy faces around here.

Geno

Was thinking the dog is SUPER DOG!

It might have been hard for me to resist. Turkey is good eatin'

Good luck on your deer stand.

Geno

Pontification aside ...that's a great question...and one I love hearing asked of the "purist" fly fishermen around here.
They usually mumble something about "irrelevance" and walk off.

Shhhhh,

he's really a "mogwai".

ALIEN technology you know. Tells Mr Shrapnel "right" where them grouses is.

Before the folks with regular dogs can find them.

Geno

Ahh..gotcha.

There's an ecological bent to that question too. Around here, as you know from living nearby, there is excellent smallmouth bass fishing on the Snake River. It just so happens that there are endangered salmon smolts, along with their non-endangered cousins, in the river at various times of the year. What do smallmouth like to eat? and yet, some of the bass fishers would never consider keeping any smallmouth, especially a large one that just loves to eat smaller (endangered?) fishes.

And our fisheries agency PAY people to fish for native pikeminnow, which the salmon co-evolved with (assuming evolution of course).

Ah, the old "irrelevance" ploy, it works when one doesn't have an anwer I guess.

Have a nice evening, they're about to "blow taps" here (day is done....) and I do actually have some work to do before my relief comes in at 1800.

Geno

PS, for those readers wondering, smallmouth fillets laid in a greased baking pan, slathered with some Mayo, and sprinkled with paprika, baked until flaky, are delicious. Also great deep fried for fish and chips. Help out a salmon! Eat a smallmouth.

I'm guessing Paddler would be okay with this photo.



but this one might make his head spin...

Looks like a Shi Tzu.

He tells Shrap that "there's a grouse right over there, I Shi Tzu not."

Shrap does his thing, they both are happy.

this^^^^^^
Multiplied a few times. Good thing I wasn't chewing my dinner.

Thanks Vic

Geno

Had a very nice afternoon. Convinced my wife, who is by no means an outdoorsy type, to go for a ride to see the Fall colors. She even allowed me to take the dog and a gun along. I took her up to the mountains east of here, about 9500'. She took the photos. First, a good dog on point:



Next, a funny looking guy with a dusky grouse of the year, taken on the wing with a SxS, just like God intended:



Last, a lovely little 20 gauge Piotti Westlake. This isn't as ornate as a King I, but is every bit as well made on the inside where it counts. It just may be my favorite gun:



To answer a couple of previous questions. No, I don't catch and release much. I fish for just a few types of fish, all of which I like to eat. When I catch them, they go for a boat ride. We put about 600# of albacore in my boat in two days of fishing this year. Could have caught more, but I only have a limited cooler space and ice capacity. Since tuna can be 25F warmer than water temp, cooling is extremely important in order to produce sashimi grade fish. That means a flake ice/salt water slurry, so ~15 fish is all I can hold.

Two, I like Ruger Number 1s. I had own two of them, a 257 Roberts and a 375 H&H. Couldn't tolerate the vertical stringing and so sold them. Cool guns, though.

Hey Piddle




Shrap,

congrats on a nice day out and thanks for sharing.

Damn - those aviators take that pic over the top!

-Elmer Keith "Sixguns"

Classic suburban Utard.

Expensive rigging, no common sense.

Too bad you can't buy class.

I think we have all learned something from this thread...

Valsdad aka Geno is hilarious!