Fin explains his Grouse Slooshing - Guest on another podcast

[shrapnel]

Well my photo was not staged. I shoot birds for field trials and hunt test. I have a lot of practice. Sorry you don't have a better trained dog.

I’m not, that’s why we were leaving him out in the prairie. That egg sucker isn’t worth a single dog biscuit.

I continue to kill lots of grouse, probably more than you for the time spent in the field, but my snobbyness is left in the pickup.

PS I probably shoot nicer guns than you too...

 

[rwc101]

 

[Deleted member 38069]

Who’s Rachel?!

 

[Steelsearchin]

You might be legal depending on the zone to hunt with that 30.06. But if you get caught shooting at birds in a tree with a high powered rifle you are more than likely going to get written up...

Again, your post is well intentioned, yet incorrect as far as the law is concerned.

FWIW, at no point did I state i was limb swatting grouse with an '06.

As for the legality of it, it is 100% legal to shoot a grouse, squirrel, rabbit, etc. with a 30-06 or any other legal rifle in southern michigan. Cartridge restrictions only apply for gun deer season and deer hunting. Some state game areas and townships have weapons restrictions against centerfire rifles, but the old school "rifle line" only applies to deer hunting, not small game.

 

[BuzzH]

Exact reason I pretty much have given up on bird hunting and fly fishing...too many holier than thou types for me.

Growing up fly fishing in Montana everyone carried a wicker basket to hold dead trout they bonked on the head, caught on a fly.

Now, the same crowd thinks they're decorations...and killing a trout in a river is frowned upon.

They forgot, or never even realize, where fly fishing came from. It wasn't 1k fly rods, size 16 flies, and $500 a day guided catch-and-release trips for over-populated trout . It was a size 4 sandy mite, double rigged, bamboo fly rods and we killed trout, big ones. Actually had to know what you were doing to catch them too.

Growing up in Montana, I didn't know a single person that used a bird dog for mountain grouse. Most didn't shoot them with a shotgun, and even then, they only wing-shot birds they couldn't pound on the ground.

Its 100% fact that my family has killed wayyyyy more mountain grouse on the ground than in the air.

My first firearm was a .410 winchester 37A youth specifically for head shooting grouse off stumps, trees, and from the ground. Worked great and still have it. IIRC I've shot one pheasant and one grouse (that took off before I could shoot it) from the air with it and a handful of ducks before the lead ban.

This thread has inspired me to start packing that thing again...

Anyway, long way of saying I think some are in need of history lessons on shooting grouse and trout fishing...

 

[Steelsearchin]

Yup, paid for part of my college tying bugs. Still have some friends on the "in crowd" but I still toss a few on the smoker or in the bacon grease.

Everything in moderation has been my motto, with the exception of grouse killing- I show no mercy. They are too tasty not to shoot, and the dog doesn't care if the bird is killed off the wing, on the ground (when safe of course), or off a branch when they fly out from under a point.

 

[JLS]

I Won't shoot a deer that is swimming or sleeping.

I'm not sure where those two qualifiers came from. I wouldn't shoot a swimming deer either, there are no vitals exposed and they are moving. Quickest two rifle kills I ever witnessed were bucks my daughter shot that were sleeping. Neither one even kicked. I figure if she's good enough to get within range, that's as clean of a kill as you'll get.

First bird I shot for my current dog was a ruffed grouse out of the top of an alder tree.