Do Crippled Birds Add to My Bag Limit?

December 13, 2012

Question: I was informed that a downed crippled bird that was not recovered, even though a true effort was made to find the downed bird, still counts toward your bag limit. Where is this stated in the regulations? (Aaron W.)

Answer: It is not in regulation. It is an ethical hunter issue. Ethical hunters will make every attempt to find a downed bird. Even if that bird is never located but the hunter knows it was hit, the ethical hunter will still count it towards their bag limit. Ethical hunters do what is right even when they think no one’s looking.

In other words.......NO, and keep shooting!!  Or so goes the thinking of a huge precentage of duck hunters.  I can't tell you how often I see this kind of waste go on in the duck marsh by individuals that skybust birds all morning sailing countless birds into unretrievable areas until they get their seven bird limit in hand.

Since when does DFG tell us how to be ethical sportsmen?  An ethical sportsman would keep that floater canary, but legally isn't allowed to do so.  I don't know why, but it just burns me when they inject subjective opinion (right or wrong) into "official' replies.

-Allen

Since when does DFG tell us how to be ethical sportsmen?  An ethical sportsman would keep that floater canary, but legally isn't allowed to do so.  I don't know why, but it just burns me when they inject subjective opinion (right or wrong) into "official' replies.

-Allen

 I agree with this! They enforce the letter of the law too often instead of the spirit of the law in the field. Now ask them if a dead canary counts towards your rockfish limit. Even though you tried your best to descend the fish.

I have been guilty in the past of sailing birds out into the closed zone. Now that Cody is old enough to hunt with me, I want to teach him right, and we hunt dif today than I did even two years ago. Crippled birds count, and everything comes to a stop until we either find the bird, or write it off as a loss. There are several times that birds fall into some of the thickest stuff known to man, and Peps can't get in there, he tries, but just can't get through. We try to stay away from areas that are like that. One thing that PISSES me off, are people that smoke quail and they land in the middle of a 5 acre berry patch, and shrug their shoulders and say "oh well." Probably a good chance, we just had our last trip together. DGF will issue wonton waste citations if you sail a bunch of birds out into a closed zone or into areas and not make an attempt to retrieve, and I am on board 100%. It is going to happen from time to time, just like canaries. If you are into the canaries, and stay there, and you have ten floaters all around you and keep on fishing, you are, in my opinion, a dumbass and should get cited for wanton waste, but, that's just me, I can only account for myself.

I have been guilty in the past of sailing birds out into the closed zone. Now that Cody is old enough to hunt with me, I want to teach him right, and we hunt dif today than I did even two years ago. Crippled birds count, and everything comes to a stop until we either find the bird, or write it off as a loss. There are several times that birds fall into some of the thickest stuff known to man, and Peps can't get in there, he tries, but just can't get through. We try to stay away from areas that are like that. One thing that PISSES me off, are people that smoke quail and they land in the middle of a 5 acre berry patch, and shrug their shoulders and say "oh well." Probably a good chance, we just had our last trip together. DGF will issue wonton waste citations if you sail a bunch of birds out into a closed zone or into areas and not make an attempt to retrieve, and I am on board 100%. It is going to happen from time to time, just like canaries. If you are into the canaries, and stay there, and you have ten floaters all around you and keep on fishing, you are, in my opinion, a dumbass and should get cited for wanton waste, but, that's just me, I can only account for myself.

Rich I'm glad there's still ethical outdoorsman like you out there that do things the right way and advocate for it. There's too many idiots out there that give hunters a bad name and stir up the environmentalists/granola cruncher nazis and give them ammo to campaign against our gun and hunting rights.  Hunters and fisherman are currently the best conservationists because we actually care about the game that we harvest. Lets keep it that way!