Originally Posted by Oldtimr

You are wrong, it is easier to kill a duck with its wings open and flying than sitting on the water, that is if you know how to shoot. I have been a waterfowler since the 60s and have hunted in many states out of blinds and traditional waterfowling boats, mainly a Barnegat Bay sneak box where you are shooting sitting flat out on the bottom of the boat which is harder than sitting on a bench or stool or standing up. I have probably killed more waterfowl than you have ever seen and the only ones I shot on the water were cripples and the same for the "sportsmen" I hunted with. Poor wing shots try to kill birds on the water or land, sportsmen who are proficient with their firearms shoot birds in the air. This isn't the days of market hunting where anything goes, we now sport hunt. Of course a person has to be able to understand that the hunt is more about rigging decoys and calling and getting the birds to do what you want them to do than seeing how many we can kill, and in the case of water or ground swatting, how many can be crippled. Water or ground swatters are not competent with their shotguns or have an ego problem with bragging rights so it is kill by any means. As far as the old days, I suggest you read some books by Nash Buckingham and other old time hunters and gentlemen regarding waterfowl hunting, you will see that even then they had a pride in accomplishment and had no time for poor sportsmanship. These were the people who pushed for federal legislation to have reasonable bag limits on waterfowl, Water swaters wouldn't have been welcome in their groups either. you can make up all the excuses you want, it doesn't change the fact that other than subsistance hunters, there was a code of conduct and an ethic of only shooting birds in the air in what you call the old days. I believe in that code, as does everyone I ever hunted waterfowl with which is a substantial number You see, you owe it to the game you hunt to be capable with your hunting arm. A one eyed myopic man could kill a sitting duck, how wonderful. I could not look my waterfowling friends in the eyes if I shot birds on the water. Unfortunately, in this day and age, anything goes. If you can be proud of killing birds on the water with a shotgun, go for it, it is a shame though and nothing to brag about.