Which one of you was it?

[Trigger]

I have personally talked with three groups who have had their goose decoys shot at while they were laying in them by a guy with a rifle who stopped on the road. They got lucky and are still around to tell the story. I've heard about it on a lot of forums too. If it were legal to take fowl with a rifle it would happen a lot more often. I know that I'd give up field hunting.

People don't hide around or in their deer decoy when they use them so that example is not comparable.

I've never heard of one guy have that happen and I lived in NoDak, the land of Dbag field hunters/road hunters/rifleman, I guess you know some very unlucky people, or liars. If I were you I would quit field hunting just based off the odds of knowing three groups who have had it happen.

I'm not even saying taking waterfowl with a rifle should be legal, I don't really care either way, but to look at the people who do it as low life poaching scum is wrong in my eyes. Fowler is a known downwinder, sure its not illegal, but he has ruined more hunts for ethical hunters than a guy killing a goose with a rifle, yet he thinks these "poachers" are beneath him because they "poached", thats what I disagree with.

[StuStiltman]

The answer to both of your questions is never. When was the last time you saw a bunch of decoys in a field, saw a truck parked on the edge of the field and thought those are real geese!
Should we ban deer decoys? Deer are shot with rifles, if a slob sees a deer decoy is he more or less likley to pull over on the side of the road and lob a bullet out towards it than a slob after geese?[/quote]

I have personally talked with three groups who have had their goose .decoys shot at while they were laying in them by a guy with a rifle who stopped on the road. They got lucky and are still around to tell the story. I've heard about it on a lot of forums too. If it were legal to take fowl with a rifle it would happen a lot more often. I know that I'd give up field hunting.

People don't hide around or in their deer decoy when they use them so that example is not comparable.[/quote]

I hunt fields about half of the season, especially during deer season which is almost always during or after freeze up, never been shot at. I don't doubt your friends account but I've never experienced it.
If a deer hunter is inline with a dummy shooting at his decoy he is inline with the potential bullet. The example is 100% comparable. I don't see the need to ban hunting opportunities that could potentially end badly. Why not ban late season duck hunting over water, I bet if a study was done we would find that more hunters die from exposure to harsh weather than to accidental shootings. Should our goal be to make being outdoors, in the fall while using firearms as safe as possible?

[Nershi]

Trigger you sure say some dumb stuff on here. My point was people get their spreads shot at now on rare occasions. If we allowed people to take fowl with rifles it'd happen a lot more often. If they made it legal I'm sure I'm not the only one who would quit field hunting.

Stu I still don't think it's comparable. When you field hunt you put your decoys within feet of you and you are laying on the ground. Most guys who deer hunt are up in stands not sitting next to their deer decoy. Doing a ground set with a deer decoy during rifle season is pretty risky IMO and even more so if you are by a road, which is almost always the case with field hunting fowl.

I'm all for more liberal game laws but restricting rifle hunting fowl is there for good reason.

[StuStiltman]

[quote="Nershi"]Trigger you sure say some dumb stuff on here. My point was people get their spreads shot at now on rare occasions. If we allowed people to take fowl with rifles it'd happen a lot more often. If they made it legal I'm sure I'm not the only one who would quit field hunting.

Stu I still don't think it's comparable. When you field hunt you put your decoys within feet of you and you are laying on the ground. Most guys who deer hunt are up in stands not sitting next to their deer decoy. Doing a ground set with a deer decoy during rifle season is pretty risky IMO and even more so if you are by a road, which is almost always the case with field hunting fowl.

Good points, still I think there is room for waterfowl to be safely shot with rifles (22 and under). But it won't ever happen so........no point in arguing about it.

[triplecurler]

Why use a field point? Must have walked in front of their practice target.

[emptymag]

Good points, still I think there is room for waterfowl to be safely shot with rifles (22 and under). But it won't ever happen so........no point in arguing about it.

Would you still need steel "shot"? I shoot a rooster or 2 every year with a .22.

[gimpfinger]

Good points, still I think there is room for waterfowl to be safely shot with rifles (22 and under). But it won't ever happen so........no point in arguing about it.

Would you still need steel "shot"? I shoot a rooster or 2 every year with a .22.

I get a few that way also. I consider it bleaching the gene pool since they are to dumb to run away.

your mom...

[h2ofwlr]

A couple of things.

The guide in Quebec that was killed a few years back while snow goose hunting was with a .22 and was from a bit over 150yds as I recall.

I think some here think that 30-06 are being used. (God forbide if they were) But from the accounts I have heard in MO and SD of guys going after the collars they were using varmint rifiles, .223, 22-50, etc. Get a good accurate gun and nice scope, and I bet most guys within 100 rounds could hit a grapefruit sized target at 300 yds with it. It really is not that hard to hit a stationary target while using a tripod. Ask the varmint hunters that hit fox which are smaller than a honker and about the same as a Snow goose for the kill area.

[tyler]

trigger this is almost as wack as your reasoning for why old people bail on duck hunting.

[Trigger]

trigger this is almost as wack as your reasoning for why old people bail on duck hunting.

Thanks brah. Now explain yourself. It should be easy seeing as how "wack" I am.