When do you load

When hunting from a vehicle? When walking?

I'll go first. When I'm in position to shoot pointed quail.

Another question. Do you shoot unpointed quail? I stopped years ago.

I load my o/u when I get of off the vehicle, then walk to the point.

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Since I reload I catch my hulls and put them in another slot in my shell bag, required, no one on my lease (that I know of) hunts with an auto or pump gun.

I am a foot hunter. I load up when the dog starts hunting. I only shoot quail the dogs point and hold till flushed.

How many of you pick up your hulls? How many are required to pick them up?

I only use O/U's to hunt quail with so I load my gun as soon as I get off the truck but leave it broke open until I approach the dog on point. The only time I will shoot un-pointed quail is when we are working singles after the initial covey rise.
I catch all my hulls out of the O/U so I always put them back in my bag and I will pick up any hulls I find on the ground as well.

No need to pickup hulls with o/u. Even though I’m not required to.

I walk. Load gun after I turn dogs loose.
Only shoot pointed quail, but will shoot unpointed roosters, you never know what those sob's are going to do.
Pick up hulls. I hunt a lot of public and don't want to give away a spot. If I find spent hulls in likely spot tend to hunt it out thoroughly.
Additionally KS public birds get pounded, late season I won't shoot into a 4-5 bird covey. Although I'm sure I'm just saving them for someone else.

I load walking to the point--I keep the gun open until I am ready to shoot--i pick up my hulls for reloads

I try to pick up all my hulls, but I probably miss about 1 in 10 due to lost in high grass...but I try

If the scenting conditions are good, I’m only shooting pointed coveys.
In really bad scenting conditions, I’ll point a covey I walk up, but try not to point coveys busted by the dogs.

How many of you still shoot doubles?

I got one accidentally couple seasons ago with one shot.

I load when I get out of the truck. shoot overunder, pick up all shells shoot only pointed quail and the dam dog better load when i holler load. Shoot one are 2 doubles a year just to prove to myself i can still do it.

I own a lot of guns. I don’t think I own one that’s not loaded. I’m a spontaneous guy. I never know when I’m gonna want to shoot something. I was never a Boy Scout, but I’m always prepared.

I walk. I shoot an O/U.
I load when I start hunting.
I only shoot pointed birds, but on occasion have broken that rule instinctively when a woodcock blasts up unexpectedly.
I pick up my hulls. Trashing up the hunting ground is a pet peeve of mine. Pure laziness not to pick them up.

we load walking to the point... shoot 2 birds from a covey then move on...if we think they are pointing a single from the covey rise we walk the bird up and move on...always pick up hulls to best we can.. Most of us shoot O/U so its not a issue...we dont go by birds shot but how many coveys dogs find... We hunt 4 guys usually.. if we go back to camp w 20 to 25 birds we are good...

I'm not even going to ask when you take the safety off. I don't ever remember doing it myself.

Here's one for the O/U guys... assuming that you only kill one bird, or heaven forbid... MISS. When do you reload? Immediately on downing a bird, do you wait for late flushing birds with only one shell in your gun, or do you start walking to your bird while reloading?

It usually never fails for me and I get caught a few times with my gun open every year in the wrong place and situation.

I reload while walking to downed bird

Love summer jitters posts. This one especially...

Load when you want to load, but I'm amazed at the fact that some don't load until they are ready to shoot. I should try that with my carry pistol and see how it works.

It’s not like quail hunting is preparing for self defense. The bird isn’t armed, and only weighs about 4 oz.

I try not to get loaded until the ride back to camp. I load my shotgun when I get out of the mule. If my feet are on the ground I’m carrying a loaded shotgun. If I’m the only one in my vehicle I leave it loaded. I only shoot pointed bird and will chase singles if it’s a big covey. I have one little Brittany gyp that’s like a Hoover on single bird. She is methodical and doesn’t miss one. The last hour of season this year 3 of us killed 17 bird over her in a pasture we hadn’t hunted all year. She found 4 coveys in the last hour and got bragged on all night. We left her out by herself and let her have the best day of her life.

I load when my boots hit the ground. Safety off when I stop walking waiting on the flush. Back in the day when were training we never shot a non-pointed covey or one the dog busted. We would hunt singles and if you could get 3 on a rise your were doing something. Now this was back when we never thought there would be an end to birds. Today I'd shoot to kill a bird for a young dog and to get a mess of birds occasionally but only in plentiful years. Killed a ton of them in my 62 years. Those up at the Prairies End Hunt Club in Gainesville fly really close to wild and taste as good.

[quote=68rustbucket]I reload while walking to downed bird
I reload after I finish cussing my sorry shooting.

When I grab my gun from the Mule, it gets loaded. I reload after a shot and before taking another step. If it flies, it dies.

This is the way most quail hunters hold their guns. I've seen a few clay target shooters hold them against their shoulder.

Bill I hate to argue with you but.....most people shoot from the right side, not the left.

but your point is well taken! Pun intended

I load up when I leave the truck. Don't shoot many but try to kill one for a young dog that did it right.

Never said it was. My point was more to the fact that "when" to load isn't about sportsmanship/gamesmanship (my opinion). On shooting, then, yes, the "when" applies to both.

Loading in my opinion is about safety, and the parallel about regularly carrying applies to that topic.

When the walking begins, safety on of course.

Only pointed birds.

...and I don't unload until I get back to the truck. I've had dogs lock up within feet of where we park.

Most challenging is to catch them on the run across roads

Too often it is after I pull the trigger real hard and nothing happens.

Gave my O/U to Virgil Moore to shoot a bird for my pup. He yells it wont fire, is it off safety I yell back, he says yep. Safety first, still had snap caps in it.

all that I shoot plus a few more that I see. So does my son.

Been years since we had quail to hunt. Always pick up my hulls.

I use a O/U in the field, and a auto for ducks. I can't tell you how many times I've missed a shot. As the safteys are in different locations. I shoulder the gun, and slide my thumb up to release the saftey. Just feel smooth metal, because its my auto.
I need to start using just one gun for all hunting, but I like both of them for different reasons.

Depends on who I am hunting with...I try to follow the decorum of the group, and the type of hunt.

When we stop to open the front gate