What do you do?

Mark W

Mark W

Well-known member
One week from today and we will be out in the field. I'm a little late getting some stuff together but think I'll pull it off in time. I mean I have 6 days before hitting the road.

So we were talking about the upcoming weekend and discussing any new rules/regs for the season. A question came up as to "what would you do"?

Suppose you downed a bird but only crippled it. The duck starts swimming away and you know the only way you are going to get it is to start up the motor and pursue. As you are driving across the water, the duck is getting closer to some weeds that you know for sure if the duck gets there first, you will never find it. You also know that if you kill your motor now you will be close enough to shoot but your forward progress will not stop in time. If you don't shoot, the duck escapes, wounded, if you do shoot, you are breaking another a regulation. What do you do?

Mark W
 
Buy a retriever or hunt with someone that has a good one.
Having grown up with Labs in the duck boat and always having had either a Chessie or a Lab myself, I think the overall life experience of having a good duck dog goes well beyond the blind. Watching a good dog make a great retrieve on a bird is all part of the experience.
 
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Get as close as I can and shoot. Whatever it takes to put the CRIPPLED bird in hand.


I think a WO would be having a bad day if he were to ticket you for doing such as described.


The law is written to eliminate guys from motoring up on live, healthy birds and opening up. THAT would be extremely wrong. When going after a cripple, after making every attempt to harvest it legally in the first place, I believe we have an obligation to dispatch the bird and add it to our bag. Whatever it takes within reason.


Jon
 
Well, I know what would happen from my perspective. First, I wouldn't have bothered to start up the motor. Secondly, I would have simple sent my retriever.

In your case, I would suggest doing three things. First, don't break the law. Secondly, chalk this up to just bad luck. And lastly, seriously consider buying a retriever pup for next season.
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With the outboards I use, hit reverse hard, kill way, and then turn up into any current so it is obvious that way was off, then load and shoot. I do this not in frequently when goose hunting the CT River. With serious current, rapids below and winged geese that can swim as fast as a lab, using the boat makes lots of sense. With the mud motors you have I assume there is no reverse? Would a paddle kill way quick enough? I can't remember what you typically hunt from and I'm too lazy to look it up.

Scott
 
What do I do? Shoot the bird.
In most cases, a warden that is watching you is going to know you are making an effort to reduce a cripple to bag. Unless you give them some other reason to write you up, I don't see our wardens giving a ticket.
This is an example of a rule that has good intentions but bad results.
 
In our south zone you can shoot cripples under power. This is very nice when the tide is ripping or the bird keeps diving.

Personally I feel that if I crippled a bird I have to do everything possible to get that bird in hand. The law may not agree with the means, but I don't want a bird suffering.
 
If its that close I would throw to reverse, kill the engine and shoot. Attempt would send the right message if someone was watching
 
Sometimes you just have to do the right thing whether it is strictly legal or not. Here in NJ, technically, you can only shoot a cripple under power in the sea duck area. But I have shot ducks I crippled this way, even with a retriever, when they are getting too far or into dangerous (for the dog) water, like a heavy current. I have also shot crippled ducks that I saw when motoring somewhere and ran up on them. I don't think it is a big deal and would not think twice about it.
 
Good morning, Mark~

In New York, shooting downed birds under power is legal only in our Special Sea Duck Zone. Like some others here, I let my conscience be my guide. The wording of the "rallying" rule conflicts directly with the "wanton waste" rule, in my opinion. Making sure the vessel has lost "all forward progress" means you fall short of "making every reasonable effort" to retrieve a downed bird. I still remember the Black Duck I lost when I tried to comply with the letter of the law. He dove once the boat came to an abrupt stop and I never saw him again.

My Standard Operating Procedure when I used to gun Long Island tidal waters every day of the season was to idle up to within range of the bird, slowly raise the gun - no sudden movements - and put the bead 4 inches over its head. Job done. I've never had to explain my practice to an ECO, judge or jury - but I would prefer the law were changed to reflect real conditions. In fact, I raised this issue with the Atlantic Flyway Technical Session when I had an opportunity to address them earlier this year.

BTW: I am sure everyone on this site takes their moral obligation to the birds very seriously. I am equally sure there are some good tales of extraordinary measures members have gone to in finding and retrieving downed birds. It would make an interesting thread some day.....

All the best,

SJS
 
We would all do the same thing. It was a point of discussion among friends. None of us have hunting dogs so that is not an option. Where we hunt on opener there are no motors allowed so no issue there.

I do hunt a couple of spots where it could be a situation I would face and I know I would make every effort to get the cripple even if in direct violation of the forward progress rule. One place in particular has that fake bottom muck (the kind where you can see bottom and if you step in in you are up to your armpits or more in it) that is right up against heavy cattails and weeds. If a duck was heading that way and if it got to the weeds. there would be no way I could get to it.

I was going to change the dilemma and add "Now you have a game warden watching you, now what do you do"?

I am still bothered by a SD CO we ran into while hunting right on the border between MN and SD. We asked if we would be in violation of laws if we shot the duck in the air in MN and it was crippled and swam over to the SD side of the river. Could we shoot it in SD and retrieve or would we need a SD license to do so? He said we had better have a SD license or we would be ticketed. Couldn't believe that one.

Mark W
 
But you could share your sweetheart spots with your best friend who does have a great yellow Labrador Retriever. Hope to see you Fri or probably Sat. Looks like another SPF50 & DEET opener.
 
Shoot it. It is my understanding that it is legal to do so in Maine where I live and hunt.
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David, I am quite sure it would be legal in tidewater. I think inland the boat needs to be stopped before the shot. I'm in the "hard reverse, turn the boat up wind or up current, and then take the shot" camp.

I agree with the comments about good retrievers, but there are birds that end up in places or conditions where a dog cannot be safely sent, and long cripples that the dog can't catch up to.
 
I'm in the "Take 2 guys" boat...I'll run the motor, you finsih the cripple when we get close enough. I agree that in Maine, a cripple can be shot from a boat with way on it.

Hutch
 
I'm in the "Take 2 guys" boat...I'll run the motor, you finsih the cripple when we get close enough. I agree that in Maine, a cripple can be shot from a boat with way on it.

Hutch
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Hutch, good to see you thinking ducks instead of landlocks! Let's get a date for a MMB hunt--I owe you one.

Look at your school calendar for when you can do a week day am hunt, as the Saturdays are nuts.
 
What do I do? Shoot the bird.
In most cases, a warden that is watching you is going to know you are making an effort to reduce a cripple to bag. Unless you give them some other reason to write you up, I don't see our wardens giving a ticket.
This is an example of a rule that has good intentions but bad results.
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I'm with Carl. I've asked this same question to multiple game wardens and they have always said they wouldn't ticket when trying to finish off a wounded bird.

I look at it as one of those common sense things that was probably never put on paper to prevent folks from using that theoretical law, "...can only shoot from boat with forward progress by power motor if retreiving a cripple..." in the court of law to try and sneak out of a deserving ticket! :)
 
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