DTcker

Shotgun is made for shooting in generally. In the old days they didn't even shoot that much into air, due to poor and expensive ammunition.

What is wrong in shooting ducks on water? Less cripples for starters. It also requires more skill to get those land in the first place. It really is more like hypocrite to think that there is something wrong in shooting ducks on water. You are going to shoot those ducks anyways, right?

Oldtimr

Actually, it is easier to shoot a flying duck than a duck on the water because of the protection wings give the body. Shooting sitting duck is for amatures. Hunting is supposed to be a sport, there is nothing sporting or anything to be prud of about shooting a duck sitting on the water or on land. If you want to se one of the reasons why shooting sitting ducks is bogus, see the waterfowl masecre in PA thread in this forum. I would never hunt with a person who shot birds on the water unless they were finishing off cripples, I find it offensive and unsporting. Any idiot can kill a duck sitting on the water, it doesn't take a lot to flush them and take them in the air.

DTcker

Fine, you call it un-sporty, I call it hunting. If I get a change to shoot a duck on the water, I won't take chance of crippling ducks due to being more sporty. Crippling isn't sporty (whether crippling the duck you shot or the ones around it). What comes to the target area; if you read my original post, the whole idea is to shoot with tighter choke, due to smaller target area.

You also say that any idiot can shoot duck on the water, and at the same time you present that shooting a duck on the air is easier. Try do decide what is your opinion.

It is hunting and ducks are WATERfowls. Shouldn't be very offensive to shoot WATERfowls on water. Try to ease a little bit.

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.

Topgun 3006

Oldtimr---I hope this rookie is comprehending what you're telling him, but it is doubtful from the responses you are getting. Shooting a dang bird on the water that isn't already wounded is worse than having to kiss your ugly Mother-In-Law, LOL, and IMHO anyone who is doing it needs to rethink why he's out there hunting in the first place! I cut my teeth decoying mallards back in the 50s in Indiana with my Dad and if I even thought of shooting a bird on the water I'd have been walking the 30 miles back home! You are also spot on regarding your analysis of being able to kill a bird flying much easier than one on the water unless the latter is very close and you can shoot it in the head because all the vitals of a bird on the water, except for it's head, are covered by it's wings or are under the water line.

DTcker

You are just being narrow and shallow minded and hypocrite. Neither you are showing good sportsmanship towards fellow hunters.

Your saying doesn't make any logical sense. If your logic is to make things harder, then you should choose the harder option. What comes to owing something to ducks; it is clean kill and nothing else (and staying within limit of course). You are anyways killing the duck, and if you think that clapping hands and shooting at the air, or just shooting on the water makes a great difference, you are just being hypocrite.

About the skills you so much emphasize; I already said that it takes more skill to get the ducks land. You are just being illogical in here too; you talk about the skills and how it is more than the killing, but you put all the emphasis on the killing part; and more exactly, to the part is the duck on water or air.

Grow up.

Oldtimr

Grow up I what I was suggesting you do, but I see it is a lost cause.

DTcker

Yes, I am lost cause. I have hunted 18 years, that makes 18 years of shooting ducks on the air and on water, and I am not going to stop because of some hypocrites.

You should show more respect towards other hunters and keep your offensive and insulting behavior inside you. Some less prejudice wouldn't hurt either.

Topgun 3006

Oldtimr---I told you so after reading his last two responses, LOL! The first thing he needs to do is go to a dictionary and learn what the words he's using mean! After he learns what a hypocrite means he can move on and look up ethics in a good waterfowl hunting book and then maybe also go back for some remedial schooling on how to put a meaningful sentence together! Cripes, I've got longjohns older than this 18 year duck hunting expert, LOL!

Longbeardsonly

Back to the point of the thread, I use the Hevishot family of waterfowl
chokes and LOVE THEM....