They rode Cheney’s ass about it but for those of us who quail hunt, Whittington broke several cardinal rules….lucky he didn’t get killed.
What's so different about quail hunting where the shooter doesn't bear responsibility for his actions?
I'm curious what these cardinal rules are in quail hunting. I knew they were always an uppity bunch but this sounds good! Do tell
The hunters “on the ground”, ie: the shooters, not the ones riding in the wagon, stay in a group at all times. Usually two guys with guns and one guide between them to keep everyone in a safe position while the dogs are working. At no time do you leave the guide, staying within a few steps at the most. Dogs on point….guide maneuvers the two hunters to the covey, while positioning them where the shooters will be shooting in a safe direction on the covey rise. No bird buggy in the line of fire, etc. All common sense stuff. On very few occasions will a guide allow more than two guns on the ground. Usually they’ll allow three shooters only if they are satisfied that all three are experienced shooters that have shown the guide that they are conscientious enough to be 110% trustworthy.
Cheney was one of the shooters on the ground. The man who eventually got shot broke the most cardinal rule ever for a quail hunt. He separated from the hunters on the ground (you NEVER do that), moved ahead of the hunters (never ever) using a ditch that for all intents and purposes kept him out of the line of sight, popped up out of the ditch directly in the line of fire just as the quail flushed catching the shot string of the VP. The idiot was at fault for his gross stupidity. The guide would share some of the blame as well for lack of situational awareness. But, the VP is the one that ultimately pulled the trigger.
