About a hundred years ago my friend Mike, and I, and a couple of guys I didn't know very well were shooting .22LR at 100 yards on our local range. I was the only one being moderately successful because I was using a target rifle while the others were using a variety of "sporter" .22s.KBCraig wrote:Doesn't even have to be endangered, just a "migratory non-game species" (which is almost all non-game birds).
I know a case in Louisiana, where a group of fellows were informally shooting trap on a farm. A couple of barn swallows (common as flies) flew in, and one of the fellows popped them. The game warden was watching through binoculars, and swooped in to bust them. Two counts of killing a migratory non-game bird, $5,000 per offense, total ten grand and forfeiture of an expensive shotgun.
That was an example of a butthead game warden and a rigid judge, but such things can happen.
Kevin
We were joking back and forth about each others' skills and such, and bantering with a range officer that was watching us less than avidly.
Suddenly a small flock of birds flew into the range area, and one of the guys decided to take a shot at one. He nailed it, and it became the prime piece of evidence against him after the range officer not only threw him off the range and set him up for termination from membership from the club, he also arrested him - the range officer happened to be a game warden.
Funny thing was that there was a bird perched on the target stand in my lane, and I briefly considered shooting at it, but had just decided against it when all of the excitement started.
I am a hunter, but it's against my personal ethical philosophy to kill a bird that way. Maybe reading "To Kill A Mockingbird" an an effect or something. OTOH, I don't mind shooting woodchucks or prairie dogs.