So it's ok to mingle quail or pheasants into a common pile (since they're not tourists) and sort them out when you clean them, but you can't do it with doves or ducks (because they are) and if you do, the feds are bound to p1$$ in your cornflakes. Makes sense now, thanks.
Hey, Waterspout, I've been doing that for years, too. Seems like I go through about 6 hats a year.
Wow. Some of you guys are more strict than I am and I've always considered myself very strict. I think it comes down to knowledge of the rules in most cases and just common sense in the others. I've never seen a game warden give a ticket when guys are cleaning birds if the stack of birds is not more than the combined number of hunters present could legally kill in a day. My dad is a JP and I am almost certain he wouldn't agree with that type of policing. I would argue that profusely if I were to encounter such a warden. And a lost bird is a bird you never shot. If you count lost birds then you should also count every bird you knocked a feather off of and every bird that changed directions after you shot because they probably all flew off and died later anyway. Counting a lost bird as part of your bag limit makes no sense to me. That being said, an honest effort should be made immediatly after downing a bird to find it, irregardless of how many other birds fly over your head and laugh at you while you're looking for their buddy.
So, heres a question. Most people just "breast" the bird out by cutting the wings off, peeling back the breast area and removing its entire breat plate. This method is tried and true and seems to be the accepted method of the law and most hunters. Theres not enough meat on the rest of the dove to consider this a wasteful method. On the other hand, I prefer to peel the breat area back and filet the meat from each side of the breast. This leaves me with two bite sized pieces of meat and is much easier to eat. This process could be done later at home, but, I prefer to do it right there in the field when cleaning my birds even though it takes a little longer. Some people think that a game warden would have a problem with this. I can't see why. What do you think?
"hunters are encouraged to leave plumage on all doves other than mourning dove, white winged dove, and white-tipped dove (e.g. exotic collared-dove) for species identification"
I like to leave one wing attached to each breast till I get home, so there's no question about what species of dove it was.
it only takes 5 minutes at home to cut off wings with a pair of shears - it's a lot cheaper than a ticket and easier than trying to convince a game warden of what you really shot.
Philippians 4:6
Linear Mode
