Disgusting display of sportsmanship

gitrdone · #1 10-27-2012, 08:10 PM

Well all, I hate to say it but I am totally disgusted with what I witnessed today.
I decided to go hunt some pheasant today and after pounding alot of ground for the morning with no success I made my way over to the Millicent release site as a last ditch effort. What I witnessed was the worst display of sportsmanship I've ever seen.
Upon arriving I saw guys standing around on the road as if waiting for a pizza to be delivered. So I parked, unloaded my dog and gear and started walking out.
A few minutes later I saw the reason why these lazy lums were waiting about. A flat deck truck with pheasant boxes on the back. So never actually seeing a release before I stopped to watch. The "Hunters" on the road readied their shotguns and waited yet again.
I'm sure the man releasing the birds were just as discussed as I was as he opened the boxes and the "Hunters" opened fire from on the road and just inside the wire. After the second box was opened I half expected these "Hunters" to start yelling Pull!
After witnessing this I packed up and headed out taking extra caution not to get shot on my way back to the truck.

This kind of behavior can not be legal and if it is, that must change.

.308 · #2 10-27-2012, 08:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gitrdone

Well all, I hate to say it but I am totally disgusted with what I witnessed today.
I decided to go hunt some pheasant today and after pounding alot of ground for the morning with no success I made my way over to the Millicent release site as a last ditch effort. What I witnessed was the worst display of sportsmanship I've ever seen.
Upon arriving I saw guys standing around on the road as if waiting for a pizza to be delivered. So I parked, unloaded my dog and gear and started walking out.
A few minutes later I saw the reason why these lazy lums were waiting about. A flat deck truck with pheasant boxes on the back. So never actually seeing a release before I stopped to watch. The "Hunters" on the road readied their shotguns and waited yet again.
I'm sure the man releasing the birds were just as discussed as I was as he opened the boxes and the "Hunters" opened fire from on the road and just inside the wire. After the second box was opened I half expected these "Hunters" to start yelling Pull!
After witnessing this I packed up and headed out taking extra caution not to get shot on my way back to the truck.

This kind of behavior can not be legal and if it is, that must change.

Would that not be interfering with the release of wildlife? or shooting to close to the public...not sure just does not sound right. Did you gate plate #s and pictures just incase?

Lefty-Canuck · #3 10-27-2012, 08:13 PM

They should release the birds under the light of the moon....keep the "shopping carts" from filling there limits without the excercise.

LC

gitrdone · #4 10-27-2012, 08:19 PM

-No I did not get plate #s, I should have though.

-I totally agree this should be done at night as a way of preventing this from happening!

gitrdun · #5 10-27-2012, 08:23 PM

You're right. Whether or not legalities were broken, it's a poor display of sportsmanship. Sad state of affairs indeed.

Big Daddy Badger · #6 10-27-2012, 08:23 PM

Isn't there a minimum distance from point of active release that needs to be observed?

You'd think that would have been considered...

bigshell · #7 10-27-2012, 11:22 PM

That is absalutly shameful! I woulda been sick...

catnthehat · #8 10-27-2012, 11:29 PM

If they released after 14:00 hours when that site is closed , they would not have that problem.
I cannot for the life of me figure out why they release during hunting hours!

Cat

icefisher11 · #9 10-27-2012, 11:35 PM

Thats Crazy.. How is that even Fun ? it isn't Hunting at all
If i needed Meat that bad i would just go to safeway/Butcher..
I go hunting to actually Hunt, That just wouldn't do anything for me

catnthehat · #10 10-27-2012, 11:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by icefisher11

Thats Crazy.. How is that even Fun ? it isn't Hunting at all

Yeah, when we were there last week at a different area, one of the fellas told us that some idjit shot three on the ground!
I guess the other people around him whent viral on him and reported the guy!
Serves him right , too!
Cat

elkhunter11 · #11 10-27-2012, 11:39 PM

Quote:

If they released after 14:00 hours when that site is closed , they would not have that problem.
I cannot for the life of me figure out why they release during hunting hours!
Cat

The closures don't apply on Saturday, but the people releasing the birds should know better than to release birds when the release site is open to hunting.

That still doesn't excuse those slob hunters that shoot the birds as soon as they leave the crates though.

Pincherguy · #12 10-27-2012, 11:46 PM

They are not hunter, they are a--holes. I am at a loss for words.
PG

elkhunter11 · #13 10-27-2012, 11:55 PM

Quote:

They are not hunter, they are a--holes. I am at a loss for words.
PG

Unfortunately, they are not alone, as there were reports of similar scenes at other sites last year.

http://www.outdoorsmenforum.ca/showt...t+release+site

fishunter77 · #14 10-27-2012, 11:59 PM

Too bad. Not much hunting involved there. They should release them in different areas and not tell anyone.

gitrdone · #15 10-28-2012, 02:32 AM

It was almost like they all called each other while the release was happening. By the time I got in my truck, there were probably 10 more guys out shooting the birds (if not more)

Inexcusable.

finsnfeathers · #16 10-28-2012, 03:02 AM

Unfortunately, the acts of these bottom feeders reflects horribly on sportsmen. Somehow we need to protect this pheasant program and our pride. I can think of several options.

A- Hand out regulation books over an inch thick, crammed full of more rules and regulations that only the gifted are able to comprehend.

B- Make sure release times are after 2 PM on any day of the week except Saturday.

C- Wait till someone gets shot, and lose our pheasant release program all together.

Imagine the outcome if PETA got ahold of this and filmed these nostril flaring idgits brandishing scatter guns, blasting birds coming out of cages!! Maybe F & W needs to be involved? Sad to think that would be necessary, and that sportsmanship can be blemished so severely by these primitive, knuckle dragging, cave dwellers. How many or few makes no difference, it's apparently becoming the norm at these sites.

dantonsen · #17 10-28-2012, 03:27 AM

hmmmm, this would assume that using a gun to shoot something is sportman like in the first place lol. I hunt with guns but my hat goes off to the bow guys/gals, they are actually hunting. Me.. I am just some person who can pull a trigger at the cross hairs in the scope that assists my human vision

pattycr125 · #18 10-28-2012, 03:30 AM

really not surprising in a day and age where they advertise values on tv commercials and I'm not talking mcdoubles.

we're hooped

NewAlbertan · #19 10-28-2012, 06:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by elkhunter11

The closures don't apply on Saturday, but the people releasing the birds should know better than to release birds when the release site is open to hunting.

That still doesn't excuse those slob hunters that shoot the birds as soon as they leave the crates though.

I always thought that the closures were FOR the releases... so what's the point then?

rccam1 · #20 10-28-2012, 06:38 AM

I helped with the release of Pheasants here in Southern Alberta for the last few years where there are no official release sites so hunting behind my trailer was a normal activity for allot of "not real hunters". We are volunteers and have really no choice but to release during legal hunting hours. On most days when you were getting close to the areas of releases you could see the vehicles waiting for you to arrive. The same people most of the time. At times I would drive right on by to find another area but they would just follow. And it's gets better. Some, even after trying to shoot just released birds with no success "great hunters" had the balls to call and complain that birds were not being released. It's a very sad world out there at times. I would think to myself at times. Hey, don't shoot me I'm just the messenger but there were days I could hear the pellets.

kayaker · #21 10-28-2012, 07:07 AM

I have never been to a release site but I have never heard a good story about them, it seems poor manners and gun safety are common complaints.

dickinsonpw · #22 10-28-2012, 07:21 AM

I was speaking with a few hunters that went down to the Taber release. They said the phesants were not moving at all - you could walk up to them and they wouldn't move. they said even with a dog they wouldn't fly.... Are these caged pheasants getting to domesticated?

If anyone knows of a Big Buck release site - please let me know...skunked so far this year!

elkhunter11 · #23 10-28-2012, 07:48 AM

Quote:

I always thought that the closures were FOR the releases... so what's the point then?

The point is to release the birds after the site is closed for the day, so that the birds have a chance to disperse over the site a bit before the next morning. In that way the result the next morning, is something that at least resembles a hunt, rather than the slaughter at the truck that often happens now.

These morons could care less about hunting or sportsmanship, they just want free pheasants, as quickly and with as little effort as possible to get them.

Taco · #24 10-28-2012, 07:50 AM

Probably the same crew that follows the fish hatchery truck around.

ram crazy · #25 10-28-2012, 07:52 AM

The guy's releasing the birds should have just drove away without dumping any birds, and these birds should have been released before the season started to give them a chance.

gilbertslake · #26 10-28-2012, 08:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ram crazy

The guy's releasing the birds should have just drove away without dumping any birds, and these birds should have been released before the season started to give them a chance.

We have done our own releasing. The birds are released one at a time and 'put to sleep' by tucking their head under the wing and laying them on their side or back. Then we park the truck and have a couple cups of coffee before starting to hunt.

By the time we start hunting, the pheasants are up and active and most are not where they were actually released. And we still end up walking about 4 or 5 miles as we release in different areas on the 1/4 section.

I can't understand why they just want to shoot them as they are released from a crate............pure laziness and not sportsmanship

bessiedog · #27 10-28-2012, 08:19 AM

Hmmm.. I was told that the trucks would release the birds for the taber thing the night before. Pheasants suffer from being yummy and having some 'hunting status' as they are reputed to be a Wiley prey.

Guys like easy yummy and status pics.

I've read other threads where the same is sought an obtained... And lots of guys are ok with it

Gd, it is a shame. I don't see those people as hunters.

But I'm afraid it is legal.

I hate to derail a bit, but it's stuff like this that we hunters need help correct.

And it's also why I fume at this board when people go and say 'hey it's legal .. To each their own'.
That behavior paints me.

You don't think that the locals and the land owners see this behavior??
I wonder if this behavior affects our access.

I know I'd probably tell hunters to GTFO if I was a landowner and saw this.

On a brighter note.. At our Taber sight, all our birds were good runners, alot of runners and some hunkered down inthe cattails.

Dog caught one big rooster, I checked it out, let it fly and it went... Loong ways..!

All in all good flying birds, we had to work for them (walk cat tails for the most).

GoneFishin' · #28 10-28-2012, 09:01 AM

I don't live out there & don't really know a lot about this, but this "Isn't Sportmanship or Hunting". I'd be ashamed to even know someone who went out and 'hunted' like that.

cover · #29 10-28-2012, 09:31 AM

To those "shooters" shooting pheasants right out of the release : If you just want to shoot your gun there is a activity you might want to look into. It's called "trap". You don't even have to walk much ! There's even a thing called "skeet" ! The targets come out of a tower ! Now if this is not to your liking maybe "sporting clays" would be just the thing your looking for. You have to walk a bit more , but it's like a mix of golf and pheasant shooting !
It's a win/win !! You get to shoot your gun lots and there are roosters left for the hunters and their dogs to find !!

jackrabbit000 · #30 10-28-2012, 09:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ram crazy

The guy's releasing the birds should have just drove away without dumping any birds, and these birds should have been released before the season started to give them a chance.

Agreed. Pretty stupid on his part to release them right in front of these clowns.