Do you shoot ducks on the water?

I suspect the no shooting sitting ducks may have roots in the attempts to regulate then outlaw market gunning. I'm sure many of us have read of accounts where market gunners used all kind of methods to sneak up to or amongst a raft of birds then unleash a barrage with the intent of killing as many Ducks as possible.

Would be very difficult to kill 100+ birds at one time while they are on the wing.

Just a theory.

Tim
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Tim

Do you remember when Illinois had that law? I don't see it in their regs any more.

Chuck
 
It may have roots in ethics, and market gunning, but in today's world it has got to be about Safety. Low shots in any kind of "Wing Shooting" can, and do have drastic results. Common sense, is the shot worth it?
 
One afternoon I was hunting in a popular blind with my Sterlingworth,blackpowder shells,and all cork decoys. With only a couple hours left to the day a boy and a nice young man showed up to hunt. I invited them to share the blind with me. The boy was carrying a SBE and had 3 $100 plus duck calls. First bluebill comes to the dekes and I tell the boy It's your shot. Bird lands in the middle of decoys and BOOM. Dog goes out and I say nothing. A mallard comes in on my side of the blind and as I stand to shoot the boy says Don't shoot! I thought there were more birds coming that I hadn't seen. As the mallard lands in the decoys to my right(I'm in the far right of the blind) BOOM. I look at the boy in disbelief and ask.Are you from Arkansas? He says no but my dad and I just got back from a hunt there!! The young guy was very nice but never said a thing to the boy. I just told them it was time for me to go.
I had alot of decoy patching to do, John
 
Only cripples on the water for me. If something swims into the decoys I will try to get them on the wing. If they swim out they swim out.

I don't have a problem if someone else does it, but it's not my preferred method.
 
This last weekend we had a pintail land in the decoys and I shot it on the water. This brought up the discussion of how sporting is it to do this? My thinking is that we had done everything well enough to convince a bird to fully commit and land in the decoys plus this way there will be no shot in the breasts and the duck would be more presentable at the table. As a hunter it is my responsibility to take the most effective shot possible for a clean kill, minimize waste and to minimize the chance of crippling and possible loss of a duck. Just out of curiosity I was wondering what everybody elses take on this is. So would you wait for the bird to flap twice so you can shoot it on the wing 6" over the water or just water swat it and be done with it.
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Joking aside, from my reading it was the norm to let them have it with the first barrel on the water in early sport hunting. Obviously the market gunners would start with a barrel from the big gun on the water, but the sporting literature I've read seems to suggest it was a common practice for sportsmen at the time as well.

For me, I don't shoot birds on the water, since I don't consider it sporting and I'm out there for the experiance. I would be embarassed for someone to do it, but I wouldn't chew them out (in my old age).

I don't really like jumping them off the water, but I do it at times, especially when hunting with others. I fully understand that they are 100% fooled to land, but I'd prefer them fooled and me paying attention so I get them on the way in. I've let a lot of birds fly away from the stool from the water, but not all the time - just a slight preference to let them go.
 
We do not shoot birds off the water, just because our dad doesnt allow it. So we generally jump them... but this year we had allot of buffleheads land by supprise, and we would try to scare them up- yelling, waving and shooting in the opposite direction!!! and they just swam off. We have learned that the best time too shoot them is right before they land or a passing shot. Any other shot ends up with cripples.
 
This last weekend we had a pintail land in the decoys and I shot it on the water. This brought up the discussion of how sporting is it to do this? My thinking is that we had done everything well enough to convince a bird to fully commit and land in the decoys plus this way there will be no shot in the breasts and the duck would be more presentable at the table. As a hunter it is my responsibility to take the most effective shot possible for a clean kill, minimize waste and to minimize the chance of crippling and possible loss of a duck. Just out of curiosity I was wondering what everybody elses take on this is. So would you wait for the bird to flap twice so you can shoot it on the wing 6" over the water or just water swat it and be done with it.
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Joking aside, from my reading it was the norm to let them have it with the first barrel on the water in early sport hunting. Obviously the market gunners would start with a barrel from the big gun on the water, but the sporting literature I've read seems to suggest it was a common practice for sportsmen at the time as well.

For me, I don't shoot birds on the water, since I don't consider it sporting and I'm out there for the experiance. I would be embarassed for someone to do it, but I wouldn't chew them out (in my old age).

I don't really like jumping them off the water, but I do it at times, especially when hunting with others. I fully understand that they are 100% fooled to land, but I'd prefer them fooled and me paying attention so I get them on the way in. I've let a lot of birds fly away from the stool from the water, but not all the time - just a slight preference to let them go.
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Man, you're complicated...not that I should talk...
 
These days I'm happy if a guy doesn't shoot early, late, rally, kill more than the limit, party limit, trespass, hunt over bait, practice wanton waste, or claim public land as their own through harassment. I don't consider a water shot to be sporting but there are so many offenses out there I won't criticize a guy for doing it if they adhere to the laws in place. Having said that there is a strong correlation between law-breakers and "body pile" hunters who use whatever means, water-swatting, etc. to up their numbers for bragging rights. Can't stand those types.
 
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There are a lot of good points of view in here, and I'm glad that we can discuss this without turning to name calling and petty BS. One of the reasons that I love this forum. I do have to say that it strikes me funny to make a distinction between "duck shooting", "waterfowl hunting", or whatever else you want to call it. It reminds me of fly fisherman refusing to call their bobbers bobbers, they have to rename them "strike indicators" so they fit into some aesthetic definition of what the sport should be.
 
There are a lot of good points of view in here, and I'm glad that we can discuss this without turning to name calling and petty BS. One of the reasons that I love this forum. I do have to say that it strikes me funny to make a distinction between "duck shooting", "waterfowl hunting", or whatever else you want to call it. It reminds me of fly fisherman refusing to call their bobbers bobbers, they have to rename them "strike indicators" so they fit into some aesthetic definition of what the sport should be.

LIKE!

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I will shoot them on the water. Having said that, I always prefer to shoot them as they're locking up into my spread or pushing up out of it. I use to have a really hard time with shooting them on the water, I can't explain it really, no one ever told me its was un-sportsman like, as I have taught myself, for the most part to duck hunt by reading or watching a video. My father only hunted quail really but never waterfowl. For me it comes down to putting meat in the freezer. If given an option I always like to hit them off the water, it just takes more skill, for me anyway. Now a "water swat" (I like that saying lol), is not a problem.
 
It reminds me of fly fisherman refusing to call their bobbers bobbers, they have to rename them "strike indicators" so they fit into some aesthetic definition of what the sport should be.
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Yeah, tell the same guys a red Hills Brothers can full of worms is just "hook augmentation"
 
This last weekend we had a pintail land in the decoys and I shot it on the water. This brought up the discussion of how sporting is it to do this? My thinking is that we had done everything well enough to convince a bird to fully commit and land in the decoys plus this way there will be no shot in the breasts and the duck would be more presentable at the table. As a hunter it is my responsibility to take the most effective shot possible for a clean kill, minimize waste and to minimize the chance of crippling and possible loss of a duck. Just out of curiosity I was wondering what everybody elses take on this is. So would you wait for the bird to flap twice so you can shoot it on the wing 6" over the water or just water swat it and be done with it.
Click to expand...


Joking aside, from my reading it was the norm to let them have it with the first barrel on the water in early sport hunting. Obviously the market gunners would start with a barrel from the big gun on the water, but the sporting literature I've read seems to suggest it was a common practice for sportsmen at the time as well.

For me, I don't shoot birds on the water, since I don't consider it sporting and I'm out there for the experiance. I would be embarassed for someone to do it, but I wouldn't chew them out (in my old age).

I don't really like jumping them off the water, but I do it at times, especially when hunting with others. I fully understand that they are 100% fooled to land, but I'd prefer them fooled and me paying attention so I get them on the way in. I've let a lot of birds fly away from the stool from the water, but not all the time - just a slight preference to let them go.
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Sometimes you can be paying 100% attention and they will sneak in. There are a couple creeks that I hunt which hold a bunch of woodies and I will hunt these exclusively in the first 3-4wks of the season. Birds will land downstream and then swim into the decoys from a distance. This is really the only time I don't have an issue and will jump them before shooting. If they stay on the water and just swim off then so be it. I will also let the hens go even if they are jumped.
 
I will also let the hens go even if they are jumped.
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That's a discipline I wish I could adapt on every hunt but rarely do unless it's one of those rare days I'm on the X and know there will be more opportunities.
 
Ya got that right Cody! A bobber is a Bobber, and a bead head, is a Jig. I fly fish and love it, not so much for "aesthetics", but cuz it's Fun and I catch fish, and like Waterfowiling there's los of paraphernalia. Also I get to find new beaver dams and scout for ducks........

No matter where he is, or what he is doin', a duck & goose hunter is 24/7 - 365. We can't help it.
 
I hear you Vince! Fly fishing is probably second only to duck hunting in the amount of gear you can acquire. I was lucky enough to grow up 40 miles away from one of the best trout rivers in the country (Green River below Flaming Gorge Dam) and my high school buddies and I used to take great pride showing up in jeans, t-shirts and tennis shoes with a vest from Wal-mart and outfishing the fancy yuppies dressed head to toe in Orvis gear! I will admit to becoming a bit of a trout snob as a teenager but thankfully that didn't last long, especially after I started dating my wife and her dad introduced me to ice fishing.
 
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I hear you Vince! Fly fishing is probably second only to duck hunting in the amount of gear you can acquire. I was lucky enough to grow up 40 miles away from one of the best trout rivers in the country (Green River below Flaming Gorge Dam) and my high school buddies and I used to take great pride showing up in jeans and tennis shoes and outfishing the fancy yuppies dressed head to toe in Orvis gear!
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Cody,

I couldn't help but laugh. That reminds of a trip to Colorado some years back. We are mainly spinning reel people so my son wanted to get a fly rod. A fly rod around here is for bluegills and crappies. Anyway we stop at this little fly shop off the highway out in the boonies just before you get to Gould CO. We walk it and there's this girl behind the counter and she's hoooo...well someone's daughter. She's wearing a tank top, cut off bibs and sandals. No Orvis to be seen. This girl is a 20 something year old and says hi and welcome to my store. I took a look and my 15 year son and thought I was going to have to pick his tongue up off the floor and put it back in his mouth. After about a half hour of this girl standing behind him with her arms around him working his arm with the fly rod and line we finally purchase a starter kit and head to the stream. I've never heard that kid rattle off so much before or after that encounter. He's 26 now, married and expecting their first child but reading about you and your high school buddies sure brought back a good memory.
 
I have no problem with someone killing a bird on the water and I started hunting when it was illegal to shoot a bird on the water. I have an 87 year old guy that has been hunting with me a few years. I always try to land the birds and give him first crack on the water. Once they jump I start working on them. I have a harder time killing birds on the water than on the wing so I always watch which bird the old guy swats and if gets up thats my first shot. If I am hunting alone I try to take them before they land or I sit-up or stand-up and start shootin.

All that being said I will swat a goose on the water in a heart beat. If a goose gets on the water, I will not try to flush it. 9 out of 10 times they will turn tail before jumping and you will be shooting them in the rear. Smack one on the water and the others jump and give you good shots.
 
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