Snowy drakes

M

Mitch B.

Member

We got our first snow of about 2" and just about everything but creeks and rivers are frozen around here. There is a creek that has about 2' of water in it and about 3' wide. I saw about 20 mallards go down in the creek behind my house so I got my gun and put the slank of them. the creek is usually about 8-9' deep but water is very low so I got right up to the edge of the creek and when they started to get up I was about 5' away and had to wait and let them get out a ways so I wouldn't blow the crap out of them.

View attachment 12-20-09.jpg
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Nice Job Mitch,
Looks cold out your way. That weather will get them moving south.
 
Nice work Mitch! Soemtimes it's nice to get a few birds with not alot of effort. Jump or sneak shooting can be alot of fun if you have the time and know where to go. dc
 
I love jump shooting ducks. There have been times in my duck hunting "career" that I've worked harder for a jump shot duck than anything else.
 
I’ve seen this type of post on several different forums. A guy posts up about jump shooting some birds and gets hammered for doings so, yet someone posts up pictures of a successful scull and gets accolades. What is the difference in “jump shooting” some mallards that are on a creek/river or sculling into a raft of birds on a lake? Really, they’re one in the same, no? It’s the element of surprise and both require work to be effective.

From what I read, he didn’t “snipe” the ducks. He put the stalk on, jumped them up and waited until they were a reasonable distance away and pulled the trigger. IMO, if he had sniped them he would have a limit since he probably would have just "flock shot" them while they were loafing on the water.

Ryan
 
Last edited:
I shot 3 times and got 2 drakes, I could have shot into the creek and got 6-7 of them. But I don't hunt like that, I don't flock shoot and I try to pick out the drakes. Its meat on the table, nothing wrong with that.
 
I’ve seen this type of post on several different forums. A guy posts up about jump shooting some birds and gets hammered for doings so, yet someone posts up pictures of a successful scull and gets accolades. What is the difference in “jump shooting” some mallards that are on a creek/river or sculling into a raft of birds on a lake? Really, they’re one in the same, no? It’s the element of surprise and both require work to be effective.

From what I read, he didn’t “snipe” the ducks. He put the stalk on, jumped them up and waited until they were a reasonable distance away and pulled the trigger. IMO, if he had sniped them he would have a limit since he probably would have just "flock shot" them while they were loafing on the water.

Ryan
Click to expand...


Exactly right.
Nothing at all wrong with jump shooting ducks. It isn't always easy either. I've worked a lot harder for some ducks that I have jumped then sitting in a comfy boat waiting for the ducks to come to me.
Would I rather see them cupped and committed, yep. Do I ever feel guilty shooting a jumped duck, nope. I've jumped snipe, pheasants, quail and partridge, is that bad too. If a duck lands in the decoys and you flush and shoot it is that jump shooting? No problem if you don't like to do that kind of hunting but nothing sounded unethical in how he did it.

It's not like he was using a spinner to hypnotize them into sitting until he got close enough to shoot them. :)

Tim
 
Good job. Jump shooting isn't an easy thing to do in most places. Many duck hunters are too out-of-shape or not mobile enough to do what it takes to sneak up on ducks (especially in light cover areas). I once spent nearly 45 min crawling up on a flock of gadwalls with little cover to hide. It was much harder that putting out decoys and sitting behind a blind. Even killed my 1st blackduck on a 15-20 min crawl. You get to see ducks behaving naturally instead of staring at my decoys with that suspicious/nervous look we've all seen when birds land.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
SNIPPER Hunting is not my cup of tea. Not impressed .I could do that in a locall Beaver pond but find no sport in doing so.
Click to expand...

Sniper is defined in Webster’s dictionary as
Sniper
Noun
1. A marksman who shoots at people from a concealed place.

Cas, how do you hunt if your not in a concealed place? do you stand on a rock? from the open bank? Sorry your not impressed with my hunting but sounds like you’re not impressed with anybody that hunts from a boat or blind. Or is it that your Sasquatch skills does not able you to get that close? So, since "sniper hunting" is not your cup of tea,how is it that you do it if you don't hunt from a concealed place I would like to hear how that is going for you?
 
From why do you hunt " Mitch you forgot to add sneaking up on the back yard sanctuary to kill a bird
real hardcore you are
Click to expand...


Jim, take a look at the picture. That half mile of plowed ground behind me is what I walked through to get to the creek behind my house, just for a hope/chance that the ducks would be in the spot I saw them go down. "Real hardcore you are" I’ll take this as a compliment, not to many hunters including you I would assume that would make that hike on a chance to "Kill a bird". Not that I expect or would think people would be impressed by this but just giving you some perspective of my Backyard sanctuary.
 
I wonder if Jim feels the same about upland bird hunting?


Mitch, jumpshooting while wading through flooded timber and cover can be a really fun way to hunt. I used to wait for rainy days where the noise made from moving was drowned out by raindrops. I've always felt flushing ducks was a sporting way to take them.

Eric
 
I'm confused by everyone on here. Jumpshooting is an ok and ethical way to kill ducks, but I can't use my spinner ethically? I've never jumpshot ducks before, but that's my preference. I'm not saying it's right or wrong. I prefer to shoot at decoying ducks.

Side Note: I'm tired of people crying "TRADITIONAL" just to look at pictures of GPS in their boat and a brand new Benelli, and all the latest gear. I guess a few handmade decoys, a wooden duck call, and a handmade boat is all it takes to be "TRADITIONAL" these days. I think that word should just be thrown out the window. It costs too much money for me to be "TRADITIONAL" So for now I will stick with my fold-a-boat, my homemade conduit blind, my $250 Weatherby Pump, and my black lab who has chow in her blood.

If Mitch or anyone else wants to jumpshoot ducks, I am fine with that, have at it! I am also fine with someone puting out a spinner, or sculling, or a layout boat in open water! To me, duck hunting is about the experience and everyone will naturally like different aspects of it. Sometimes the weather or situation will only allow you to hunt a certain way so good for you Mitch for getting out there. Do what you enjoy!
 
I'm confused by everyone on here. Jumpshooting is an ok and ethical way to kill ducks, but I can't use my spinner ethically? I've never jumpshot ducks before, but that's my preference. I'm not saying it's right or wrong. I prefer to shoot at decoying ducks.

Side Note: I'm tired of people crying "TRADITIONAL" just to look at pictures of GPS in their boat and a brand new Benelli, and all the latest gear. I guess a few handmade decoys, a wooden duck call, and a handmade boat is all it takes to be "TRADITIONAL" these days. I think that word should just be thrown out the window. It costs too much money for me to be "TRADITIONAL" So for now I will stick with my fold-a-boat, my homemade conduit blind, my $250 Weatherby Pump, and my black lab who has chow in her blood.

If Mitch or anyone else wants to jumpshoot ducks, I am fine with that, have at it! I am also fine with someone puting out a spinner, or sculling, or a layout boat in open water! To me, duck hunting is about the experience and everyone will naturally like different aspects of it. Sometimes the weather or situation will only allow you to hunt a certain way so good for you Mitch for getting out there. Do what you enjoy!
Click to expand...

If I recall correctly you had comments in favor, as well as opposing your spinner. Same as this thread.
 
Last edited:
Derek,
I was OK with your spinner because it was wind powered. If Mitch had driven a bad boy buggy up to the edge of the creek and shot those two drakes from it then I would have some issues.

Tim
 
Way to go mitch, my first duck hunting was done by sneaking up on woodies and mallards cause I couldnt afford decoys. If you can fool a group of greenheads I think you should be proud of yourself. I still do it to this day, just out of a scull boat. Just remember, you didnt break the law, and made an ethical, well thought out stalk and harvest. Good job. Your gonna run into haters everywhere you go in life. Hows that XCS shoot? I really would like to get one of those.
John
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top