I don't begrudge a destitute family the occasional deer or maybe a moose - in fact I support it and I would stand beside him if the law took him to task under those circumstances... but a wild native gamebird like a grouse or woodcock, not so much.
Now if he were more sporting about it and took nothing but head shots with a .22 it wouldn't bother me as much - but to drive back roads with a 12 gauge sticking out the window when he could more easily and cheaply have free-range chickens running around his place that he can kill any time... he needs to be charged for the crime and pay the penalty.
About the sporting practice of 'catch and release' Lee Wulff once said that "A salmon is much too valuable a gamefish to be caught only once." I have similar beliefs about our ruffed grouse - they are much too valuable a gamebird to be ground-swatted.
Perhaps we can shake and agree to disagree
