They are well protected by their wings. First, you obviously have no natural cover when you’re a half-mile from shore. To every man his own, there is no right answer. I was wondering if it is generally considered ethical or unethical? With an evening flight on… Four of the best duck calls It doesn't matter to me how he gets that way. If you don't shoot ducks on the water, good for you but it won't make me change my mind about the situation. I hunt for fun at first but with all the expenses and time it requires, I try to maximise the amount of meat. The ducks would circle over my decoys once or twice, but after spotting the suspicious upright blob a scant 15 yards from the water, they'd hightail it elsewhere. You’ll then watch, smiling widely, as a Lab splashes into the icy water to retrieve. Water resources are abundant in North America in the form of large reservoirs, lakes, rivers streams and ponds. During open seasons, hunting ducks, geese and coots is permitted only on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays in the state waters of the Gulf of Mexico in Hernando County north of Raccoon Point and east of Saddle Key as designated by posted signs. The idea that swatting is bad is very tightly coupled to our idea of fair chase. No shots were fired. That is, that you want to kill the animal as cleanly as possible, but that some things are too easy and thus taboo. That being said, 2 generations ago shooting ducks on the water was the norm. Bottom line: Decide for yourself. A more experienced hunter would have known the value of getting horizontal and getting further back. These are quiet, simple hunts that depend more on stealth than decoys. This. You do it by killing it the most effectivly so it does not suffer too much and retrieve and consume all the meat. And although most divers aren’t as savvy as late-season mallards, they flare from unnatural scenes—especially if they’ve been shot at. Go. Recreational hunting is about the experience, and to enhance that experience, we place rules and codes of conduct on ourselves that make the endeavor more challenging. Edit: ducking autocorrect What you want in every kind of hunting is to respect the animal and the nature. Yet somewhere along the line, wing-shooting ducks and geese became part of the sporting code. Duck dinner.”. Just like all hunting if you can't make a clean kill it becomes unethical. I know that there is some negativity around shooting ducks on the water. Second, like has been said before, a duck on the water is a harder target. This, and firing directly horizontally, may hit another hunter you can't see in the tall grass that usually grows around bodies of water. Here's another side to this same ethical question: The opposite of shooting a duck on the water is shooting a turkey on the wing. :fine: Its all about the camo and the calling and the decoy placement . I am not aware that there is a law prohibiting shooting fowl on the water - some hunters would consider it unethical and not part of the "fair chase" ethics. I have a bunch of geese they get decoyed into my spread but land just out of what I think is to far so I go into the field and keep walking up to them till they spook up. The bottom line is 12 dead ducks. Any insights from the Arkansas crowd?) “Dead is dead. Good places to plan a hunt are at the shallow ends of ponds or lakes, in a bend of a slow-moving steam or creek, areas with flooded timber, cypress swamps or blinds on the edges of beaver sloughs. In general, the best duck hunting happens in the worst weather. I know it’s not the same flavor but there is nothing cheap about duck hunting. It's not as simple as just finding a body of water with ducks on it. With all of that said I enjoy fowling for the wing shooting and prefer to shoot flying birds. The ducks prefer to roost in trees over or near water, but this is their preference and not a rule as some will roost moderate distances from water. Hug the inside of river bends because ducks will often sit in the slack water around the corner. Further, a pragmatist might point out, the water-swatted ducks likely only have pellets in their heads, making them potentially better table fare. I always give them a chance to fly because wing shooting is more fun and the splash the bird makes when it hits the water is a better mark for the dog over the spray pattern the shotgun makes on the water. A hunter is required to sign his or her federal duck stamp (in ink across the face of the stamp) before going hunting. For the record, I have never shot a duck on the water and I never will, with, of course, the exception of cripples. Use whatever method you enjoy, provided you’re safe and take ethical shots. The practice of shooting standing or swimming birds was labeled with almost vulgar terms, such as sluicing, ground-swatting, ground-pounding, water-swatting or — my favorite — Arkansasing. If a man can sneak through an eastern Carolina swamp and get close enough to bushwack a duck, especially a wood duck, on the water, he has earned that duck. And check us out on Facebook. S. But i have no problem shooting ducks on the water if they get there, not that i intentionally let ducks land, but wood ducks can be sneaky at first light haha. Until some time in the 17th century, hunters typically netted or ensnared birds. Click here for more Realtree waterfowl hunting content. Unpopular opinion around here....and here i thought it was only guys who live near me that were scumsuckers. Thread starter scoggins; Start date Jan 24, 2011; Prev. When it comes to diving ducks, however, all waters are not created equal. Bam. Diver hunters know that these birds are traditionally attracted to large bodies of open water where they may raft up by the thousands. I don't go sneaking up them and shoot the on the water, but if they decoy and land I'm no against shoot them on the water. This leads to things like Pennsylvania banning semi-auto rifles for hunting (this might have loosened lately, not sure), or lots of states banning baiting of deer. Traditional Italian Lasagna with Ground Elk Meat Sauce, Spinach, Mushroom, and Italian Sausage Stuffed Elk Heart, 5 Tips for Running Traffic with Field Ducks and Geese, 6 Ducks You’ll Hate During Tough Seasons, Quick Field Fixes for Keeping Decoys Looking Lively. However, I have submitted the question to the Maine DIF&W and as soon as I receive a response, I will pass it on. I'm out to get ducks. Yeah, I cringe when I miss a tough airborne target, but that’s part of the game. I could of easily walked up on them and ground shoot them but just feels wrong like you didn’t give the bird a chance. My daughter is gonna grub down on that teal. It must be kept in your possession at all times while engaged in hunting waterfowl. As others have said, I don't think it is unethical. In addition, it can also be unsafe to shoot birds on the ground or on the … So long story short, shoot everything you can but not the plastic ones! In the U.S., the idea of fair chase is heavily ingrained in our hunting heritage. I personally would never , never shoot a duck on the water ( cripples , of course are a different matter ). Site by Gray Loon. Just know you will be judged . Just my 2 cents. Every duck or goose we shoot on the wing is an affirmation that we’ve developed a good skill set and that the bird at least had a chance to beat us. He had a point. Ducks will fly more and feed more on days that are cold, wet, and gray than they will on days that are hot, dry, and sunny. January 6, 2021   |  Timber 2 Table Wild Game Recipes, December 30, 2020   |  Timber 2 Table Wild Game Recipes, Wing-Shooting Fans Say No, But Questions Remain. Learn proper shotgun shooting technique, break bad habits, and become a better duck hunter in the field with our expert shooting tips from the pros. I just enjoy wing-shooting much more than ground-swatting. In the waterfowling world, one such tenet is that birds should be shot while flying, not standing, sitting or swimming (with the exception of cripples). Of course, if he can do that and then flush and shoot the duck, he has earned it more. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast, Press J to jump to the feed. Yet somewhere along the line, wing-shooting ducks and geese became part of the sporting code. Water, Water, Water. Shooting ducks on the water... Posted by Tchefuncte Tiger on 1/18/11 at 10:05 am. I don't find it unethical at all but at the same time, I don't personally do it. Its literally like shooting sitting ducks YUK !! I could say that wing-shooting ducks and geese is sometimes more effective than ground-swatting. When setting puddle duck … Many types of ducks and geese share the same habitat, have overlapping or identical hunting seasons, and are hunted using the same methods.Thus it is possible to take different species of waterfowl in the same outing. Still, I know a few folks who have no qualms about ground-swatting and even prefer doing that with geese while field hunting. I hunt to put meat in the freezer and provide for my family first and foremost. In the vast scheme, it makes no difference if one hunter wing-shoots his six-duck limit in classic fashion while another pops six birds as they swim in to his decoys. Shooting ducks on the water? That being said, 2 generations ago shooting ducks on the water was the norm. Layout boats offer a huge advantage. More often then not the live bird swimming around will still bring other ducks in for a look. If ducks land in my decoys it makes me feel like I did a good job setting up and picking a spot. Its actually quite a bit harder to kill a duck on the water. And a historian of our sport would quickly admit that the first North American waterfowl hunters probably didn’t waste too many arrows or other projectiles trying to kill flying birds. “Why do you have to shoot them in the air?” he said. Jump-shooting requires the ability to move in close enough for a shot. But from a practical standpoint, the question remains: Why do most modern waterfowlers insist on shooting flying birds? Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Shooting ducks at dusk or in darkness that are responding to decoys around a pond requires a well-fitting gun and steady nerves. September 17, 2020   |  Timber 2 Table Articles. A live duck in your decoys will not flare ducks, in fact, it will attract ducks. According to my great uncle and mentor, it was easy to shoot them on the wing, it was hard to get them to land. Wilson on Outdoors: Ethics of shooting ducks in water, on ground It’s not illegal to shoot ducks in the water or on the gound, but is certainly not sporting and can be dangerous. The practice of shooting standing or swimming birds was labeled with almost vulgar terms, such as sluicing, ground-swatting, ground-pounding, water-swatting or — my favorite — Arkansasing. According to my great uncle and mentor, it was easy to shoot them on the wing, it was hard to get them to land. It wasn’t until after the invention of the flintlock that wing-shooting became popular in Europe, and even then, it was practiced almost entirely by nobility. “Fair chase” is the ethical, sportsman-like, lawful pursuit and taking of any free-ranging animal in a manner that does not give the hunter an unfair advantage over such animals. It really depends on the specific hunt and the season for me. And I’m guessing the ducks don’t care how they died. I might hold you in higher esteem if you wing-shoot six teal versus water-popping them, but that’s probably just my inner snob coming out. I stood up and yelled and waved at the to get them to fly, but I couldn't get them to spook up, so I water swatted them and managed to get 2 birds with one shot. Evening is a close second, especially when hunting roosting water. Plus is it it illegal to shoot birds on water? They just landed right away before I even saw them coming. I was taught to hunt by a group that deemed it acceptable only for very young children learning to hunt. Nothing to get mad about Draw straws to determine the … (Not sure on the origins of that one. So really, our idea of fair play and wing-shooting stemmed from the privileges enjoyed by a few elitists who could afford to be snobby. Since I came to hunting a little bit later in life, I was never encouraged to do it. Thread starter Jake NFC; Start date Nov 21, 2014; 1; 2; Next. Especially you folks in Arkansas.). (Just don’t try to convince me that you’re a French peasant. I’d like to meet the man who can more economically kill ducks than buy chicken. Special regulations for Leon County and Lake Miccosukee: I don't like it at all, but if it's within the law no one can tell you how to hunt. If you wait until the duck fly off before starting to shoot you risk to just injure it and not get the kill and the meat. I’m just guessing that a French peasant in the 17th century wasn’t too concerned about jumping ducks before killing them to feed his struggling family. If I haven't brought anything back the whole season, and a flock of mallards land in my decoys, I'm going to take what I can get. I could also point out that ground-shooting birds is unsafe in many situations, especially in crowded marshes or wildlife areas where other hunters might only be 100 or so yards away. Hopefully in range of your shot. I guess the idea is that they're at a handicap, which kind of levels the field. Take turns at the shooting position in the bow. Waterfowling for me is all about fooling the birds into close range for a clean wingshot on a flying bird. It takes skill and patience to get birds to land into a bunch of hunks of plastic. ©2021 Jordan Outdoor Enterprises, Ltd. All rights reserved. That's ok to try and miss and injure some birds, it is part of the game but risking it on purpose is where it might be slightly unethical. Swatting here is defined as shooting any bird that is sitting. Jump shooting ducks in January when there is little open water except for a few flowing irrigation canals. Waterfowl hunting (also called wildfowling or waterfowl shooting in the UK) is the practice of hunting ducks, geese, or other waterfowl for food and sport.. Personally, I rarely get that deep when contemplating the subject. It may seem easy to get a head shot, but its not always the case. I’d rather whiff on a skyrocketing bluebill than water-swat a seemingly hapless ruddy duck swimming through the blocks. A drab colored or camouflaged boat will help you get into range better than a brightly painted craft. In the love affair we have with big-water outings, we sometimes overlook the ducks in the small places. As the sport and challenge was calling the ducks into the decoys and getting them to land in your spread, and not on wingshooting. (Seriously, have you tried to sluice butterballs when it’s wavy? Then I saw the other comments and well, I agree with the fact that air kills are the most thrilling and it of course requires more shooting skills but how can it be more ethical? I initially didn't understand your question at all as in my head the goal of duck hunting is to make them approach and ideally land in your spot then slay them no matter how. Who does and doesn't shoot ducks sitting on the water? Using an Unplugged Shotgun Shotguns must be "plugged" to prevent them from firing more than three rounds before reloading. Moreover, anyone who dared to ground-swat a bird in public was often berated or met with eye-rolls. (Not sure on the origins of that one. But when a well-meaning co-worker recently questioned that principle, it made me pause. shooting at ducks on the water. If anything water swatting is more ethical. I eat my ducks. Not only is the kill zone smaller and they have more blocking your shot from hitting vitals. He's been a writer and editor in the outdoors industry since 1991. Ethical or not ethical is not really the question it’s more of a sportsman thing to do. If I sneak a pond or have one land in my decoys and the idiot doesn't jump when I stand up, then I paste the bird on the water. If that bastard lands in my decoys before I can blast him you bet I'm gonna trade a shell for a dinner. First off I'm a self taught waterfowl hunter. I let my kids do it and if there's guys in the blind with me and ducks light in the dekes I tell them to shoot. Realtree waterfowl editor Brian Lovett has been an obsessive duck and goose hunter for more than 30 years, chasing his passion on the Dakota prairies and the marshes and open water of his home state of Wisconsin. Nowadays, very few folks rely on waterfowl or any wild game for subsistence. A dead duck is a dead duck is a dead duck. Actually, the idea of wing-shooting any bird is relatively new. 1 of 2 Go to page. I let them swim in. Nov 21, 2014 #1 Jake NFC Ten Pointer. Thes… You've already done the work by getting them to come to the decoys. I never judge someone who is hunting within the law. Likewise for someone in a boat. After all, a mallard cupped over your spread, chest exposed, is a better target than a bufflehead bobbing in the chop, with only 1 square inch of vital area (brain) exposed. I will do it any way I can within the law. Next Last. Give them a chance to fly or it gets rid of the sport ground shooting. If you’d like to be extra stealthy and get closer to more birds, drape some camo netting over the gunwales and add brush to the bow. If you're more comfortable water-swatting them, go for it. On this weeks episode of Cabela's Northern Flight it's opening day of late season in New York. In case a pellet bounces of the water? Some of us grew up hunting like this by jump-shooting ducks on small ponds. But the main reason, of course, is that ground-swatting birds, as Gordon MacQuarrie wrote, is “a bit rough.” That is, killing a flying duck or goose requires much more skill than shooting a motionless target. Thanks guys. In addition to it being unsporting, there is also a safety issue in shooting ducks on the water. We hold some truths, to paraphrase Mr. Jefferson, to be self-evident. I enjoy the sport but that pintail is going to turn into my dinner. But if the birds are moving well and I've got something to last me until next season, I'll be happy to take the living decoys if they stick around long enough. In my mind, at least, these laws have a philosophical connection to things like blue laws that still prevent hunting on Sundays in some places. Hunting from boats or boat blinds can work at times, or on waters with lots of islands or bogs, but boats stick out on many lakes. You’re better off herding cats.)

Vortex Viper 3-9x40 Vs Diamondback, Commentary On Ephesians 1:15-23, The Point Arnold Reservations, Prims-algorithm Python Github, Dunn's Smoked Meat Cooking Instructions, Ruud The 100, Eb Online Complaint Madurai, Powerpoint Shortcuts Finance,