I did but don't anymore. Do you?

Guess you mean un-pointed and no.

Yes, every chance I get. I'm just not at that level yet.

I wouldn't if I was working dogs. Old days on meat hunts I would have and did.

Not a chance!

pointed birds only--even on old dogs

Don't have that problem with woodcock. Just about have to step on them to flush them anyway.

What skill is there in ground swatting flushing birds? Like the dog work mostly anyway

I

I once saw a video where a dog was pointed. Another stole the point and then put the quail in the air. The gunner shot the busted bird. Would you have taken that shot?

Yes Bill I probably would, if I had experienced dogs on ground.

Up pointed birds?

After martinis.

Not if I was training and probably not anyway. That rewards bad behaviour.

If there are plenty of birds like the last two years I might and if they are blues I will, just to get them scattered so the dogs can do something with them. When the birds were having a hard time I sometimes would not even shoot a pointed bird. I like to shoot birds and I like to eat birds but I like to watch the dog best of all. Under the right circumstances, I do it all but in bad times it's the dogs.

not on a dare

I have before, and will again.

If they flyin, they die'n.

No, if you shoot the dog that busted learns to do it again.

No, and if someone hunting with me did I probably wouldn't hunt with them again. I have shot enough birds that I don't have anything to prove to myself anymore and the dog work is what it's about to me.

As it happens I am just now reading a selection written by an early American bird hunter. He writes regarding shooting unpointed birds:

"In this matter I never vary, and I do most strenuously urge it upon all sportsmen, who would have good dogs and good sport, to neglect and sacrifice all individual shots on birds not pointed, rather than do a wrong thing themselves before their dogs or allow them to do the wrong thing uncorrected."

-Frank Forester, 1849