Sounds to me like you have too much money building up from a deployment and just want to spend it
. I understand completely. I am here as well surfing the internet for all it's worth, convincing myself I need more stuff than I really do.
Sculling is a great way to kill a lot of birds, but use it wisely because too much sculling pressure will ruin it for everyone. The birds depend upon areas to rest and not be bothered, with a scull it takes away these areas because the birds are under constant threat. It will cause birds to leave areas prematurely and if a couple scullers pound an area the birds get really jumpy. Not good for the birds or the decoyers in the outerlying areas that depend upon that body of waters supply of birds for morning/evening shoots.
It is hardly sniping by any means, more of the opposite actually. When you jump up on a flock of 400 widgeon and try to pick out a single bird it isn't going to happen. Rather, you may or may not get that bird but there will be a lot of "bycatch" with it. Those peripherial (sp?) pellets find feathers in the backgound and it's VERY easy to kill more than a limit, and VERY hard to explain to a warden. Not to mention that there is nowhere to hide birds in a scull boat. . . if you have them they will find them.
Be very careful in SD with sculling. A buddy of mine was sculling up there and shot a flock of birds, the ones he was shooting were flying but he killed some in the background that never left the water(not legal to shoot birds on the water in SD). The warden was waiting for him when he got to the boat ramp and had is ticket waiting. Though my friend was trying to be totally legit, he still got busted. And don't got to ND it's NOT legal to scull in ND!!!!!
Definitely check with the local law enforcement before sculling in neighboring states because each has it's own regs on the boat being ancored, motor, movement, wind, etc. Some don't understand sculling and likewise it will be tough explaining to them that you can move a boat laying down with one oar and NO MOTOR. Some simply refuse to believe it.
If you have any questions about sculling go to the other forum that was mentioned. There are several of us there that are fairly proficent with it, and over time you will get to know us and can see some pictures of our hunts.
Later, Kelpy
P.S. i wouldn't start out just targeting honkers. . .they are one of the smartest. Go after em if they're there but if they have ever seen a scull boat before you probably won't get them. . . if they haven't, then it's 50/50. Teal are way dumb, and mallards are very dumb. Pintail are pretty smart depending.
