Sea ducks and chokes
06-01-2010, 07:11 PM
#1
Nontypical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Waipahu HI USA
Posts: 2,915
Sea ducks and chokes
I just made some plans to try and bust some sea ducks & divers this November, while I'm in the Boston area.
Do eiders & scoters need to be hit harder than puddle ducks? I've hunted geese & ducks in Sask a few times. I'm just checking to make sure I don't overlook something.
My turkey gun will reach out and pound'em, but it's not exactly the tool I'd take for pass shooting. I figure my mod & IC factory chokes (Win) oughta do it.
What think you? Would a Kick's High Flyer be worth getting?
Do eiders & scoters need to be hit harder than puddle ducks? I've hunted geese & ducks in Sask a few times. I'm just checking to make sure I don't overlook something.
My turkey gun will reach out and pound'em, but it's not exactly the tool I'd take for pass shooting. I figure my mod & IC factory chokes (Win) oughta do it.
What think you? Would a Kick's High Flyer be worth getting?
Last edited by JoeA; 06-08-2010 at 02:07 PM. Reason: typo
06-02-2010, 12:52 PM
#2
Super Moderator
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 7,375
Hunting open water is far different than hunting puddlers in a marsh HOWEVER, the gun you use and your shotshell of choice is no different.
I hunt the Horicon area for puddlers and geese and then hunt Lake Michigan for divers and we get a few Scoters too as well as Old Squaw.
I use a Binelli or a Berreta and use 3" #3 Steel - both guns have a Modified choke for everything and do just fine.
The difference in open water of "Sea Duck" hunting and if youhave a partner we have a rule.
Duck hits the water and head pops up - "Swat" and I mean now! Or you will loose them.
JW
I hunt the Horicon area for puddlers and geese and then hunt Lake Michigan for divers and we get a few Scoters too as well as Old Squaw.
I use a Binelli or a Berreta and use 3" #3 Steel - both guns have a Modified choke for everything and do just fine.
The difference in open water of "Sea Duck" hunting and if youhave a partner we have a rule.
Duck hits the water and head pops up - "Swat" and I mean now! Or you will loose them.
JW
06-03-2010, 07:30 AM
#3
Fork Horn
Join Date: Feb 2009
Posts: 188
Most of my duck hunting is for sea ducks here in CT on Long Island Sound and in Maine.
For eider & scoter I use 3.5" BB (high velocity) with a IC choke as my Benelli patterns tight. The sea ducks decoy real well and long shots are not the norm.
For targeting oldsquaws I use #2 shot.
Good luck!!
For eider & scoter I use 3.5" BB (high velocity) with a IC choke as my Benelli patterns tight. The sea ducks decoy real well and long shots are not the norm.
For targeting oldsquaws I use #2 shot.
Good luck!!
06-06-2010, 08:25 AM
#4
Typical Buck
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Humboldt County, California
Posts: 511
here in northern california we get lots of sea ducks mostly scoters (like my avatar) modified chokes are what works for me but if im out to shoot the tuff sea ducks i up the shells to something a little more dense like heavy shot or the new heavy metal works really good its cheap and leaves no cripples
06-14-2010, 09:12 PM
#5
Fork Horn
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Jackson MS USA
Posts: 387
pattern your gun...with divers/sea ducks you want to put as many pellets (with good energy) in them as possible or you will lose them; a crippled skunkhead can get under water more easily than a mallard with a broken wing in a rice field or farm pond.... and yes, if their head is up keep shooting, fast!!!!
Four of us went to Alaska last year, had a great trip, but two of us had taken the time to check out our patterns with the loads of choice, and the other two used the same choke with those loads that they used to hunt puddlers...the difference in cripples was obvious.... I found my light modified choke worked well, but different guns like different chokes....
Four of us went to Alaska last year, had a great trip, but two of us had taken the time to check out our patterns with the loads of choice, and the other two used the same choke with those loads that they used to hunt puddlers...the difference in cripples was obvious.... I found my light modified choke worked well, but different guns like different chokes....
