Ground Swat

Would you ground swat a non-wounded game bird in a non-survival situation?

  • Yes

    Votes: 52 64.2%

  • No

    Votes: 29 35.8%
  • Total voters
    81
Shooting a bird sitting on the ground. Could be extended to a bird perched in a tree.

I should add, Turkeys are obviously excepted from the poll as they are rarely shot on the wing.
 
If ground swat means shooting it on the ground, I've done it before (when i was a kid) but it's considered to be unsportsmanlike behaviour
 
If you are hunting birds, that can be legally hunted with a rifle( in B.C. , grouse, ptarmigan and turkey), my answer is yes. But for birds that must be hunted with a shotgun, shooting them on the ground ,I believe is not legal and a possible waste of meat because of the damage done ( depending on distance).
 
I've often thought it curious that the same people that claim to never take a 100% shot on big game, will only take a shot at a bird when the chances of missing, wounding or killing and losing are highest. I like to shoot my birds out of the air because it's fun,and shooting on the ground is boring but have never quite understood the rational that shooting them on the ground is somehow unsporting. Is shooting a standing deer unsporting?
 
Only if I can manage to fit most of its head inside the barrel before firing.... I figure I've given it enough of a sporting chance by then. Hell, if it hasn't tried to run by then, I'm just cleaning up the ole gene pool.

And you don't loose alot of meat that way either. :D

I have gone after pheasant when they really really didn't want to move though. Walk right up to them in the snow drift and poke them with the barrel. It's poke, poke, warning shot, opps, too close, pick up what's left.
 
Im sorry, but Ive been grouse hunting in pretty thick woods in Alberta,when I see him, I take the shot, you often would never get a chance to shoot if you waited for him to take off, the woods are sooo thick.If Im walking down an open trail, I'm not going to just shoot a bird standing there obviously(no fun anyway)I guess it all depends on the situation.
As far as a waste of meat goes, um,a clean aimed head shot on the ground would probably have less chance of wasting meat then a body shot in the air!
 
Last year I witnessed my friend catching a pellet with his face when a former aquaintance fired at a downed bird that was between them. The idiot pulled the trigger even though my buddy was in line with the shot and was heard screaming "Don't shoot, don't shoot!".

I mention this because I would still shoot a bird on the ground, but only when nobody else is around. Any ground shots come with the risk of a ricochet, including the possibilty that a pellet will come straight back at you. It goes without saying that you should always be wearing eye protection whenever shooting a firearm.

I don't shoot at birds on the ground very often. It's not illegal in any way. Nor is is unethical or unsportsmanlike, IMO. It's just more satisfying to take a bird on the wing because it takes more skill.
 
I'll take grouse on the ground with a shotgun. Put the bead on his head, lift 2", and let her buck. Very rarely do I miss the bird, or put pellets into the breast. Don't get me wrong, I'll take them in the air too, but the odds of putting a pellet into the breasts increases.
 
I shot any grouse within shotgun range.

Sometimes my wife questions if I'm even out hunting, cuz I hardly bring any grouse home when they are on the wing...
 
Dogleg said:
I've often thought it curious that the same people that claim to never take a 100% shot on big game, will only take a shot at a bird when the chances of missing, wounding or killing and losing are highest. I like to shoot my birds out of the air because it's fun,and shooting on the ground is boring but have never quite understood the rational that shooting them on the ground is somehow unsporting. Is shooting a standing deer unsporting?
Click to expand...

good point
 
I haven't groundswatted but would never say never. I have shot roosting pheasants from trees during an end-of-season clean up shoot at a preserve.

Wingshooting is far more satisfying.
 
When I am out grouse hunting with a shotgun and I come across one on the ground I shoot it, I have even lined up Ptarmigan heads before shooting 3 at once on the ground, if they happen to fly it is more fun though.
 
First time I hunted grouse, not that long ago actually, my friend took me out and we drove around until we saw one on the side of the road. He stopped. I got out, loaded my shotgun and started walking toward the grouse. It fluffed up its feathers then ran behind a bush and disappeared. My friend watched all this. He didn't say anything for about 100 meters or so after I got back in the truck, but you could see he was having control problems. Then he said; "You were waiting for it to fly weren't you?" I answered in the affirmative. Then he said; "Up here we call them chickens." and cracked right up! Next time I ground sluiced it. OK! OK! I felt guilty but....
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom