I sometimes hunt with a young man relatively new to hunting. I'm still working on him to appreciate using a classic firearm. When we go duck hunting, he always marvels that my shot to kill ratio is so much better than his. I (generally have to) remind him, "but, I have only two ducks and you have 6." He laments that he is not as good a shot as I. I assure him that I am not (and believe me that's the truth), but I try not shoot beyond my capabilities or those of my guns and loads. I don't have to kill lots of birds to be satisfied, but I do have to do right by the birds, and my guns. A hundred year old gun deserves respect. So do the birds.
I could not agree more with Tom...except, he's obviously a better shot than I ever will be, so my shots are more limited in range. Hey, "a man's gotta know his limitations," and his personal ethics...and what's really important to him.
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"Doubtless the good Lord could have made a better game bird than bobwhite, and better country to hunt him in...but equally doubtless, he never did." -- Guy de la Valdene (from A Handful of Feathers )
"'I promise you,' he said, 'on my word of honor, I won't die on the opening of the bird season.'" -- Robert Ruark (from The Old Man and the Boy)
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