Another newbie ????

[mabr]

Thanks for the help guys on the other thread.

Now a couple other questions. I was on my own saturday and sunday and like i mentioned in the other thread i did great in my eyes for having never hunting ducks before. But i struggled in a couple areas.

First, is it an acquired skill to seeing ducks coming in? I was hunting a slew that was about 2-3 acres in size. with the exception of the main lake entry it was surrounded by trees. The woodies and teak would just BE THERE!! No time for me to get ready. Only had one flock come in where i could see them in advance and bust them before they landed. I did take advantage of that flight too and it was so cool. Only took one out of it because if safety button issues but that's the way i envision duck hunting to be at its finest.

Second question. when they land like that whats everyone's opinion on shooting. I stood up real quick to bust them into the air before shooting, but several wouldn't fly and instead just swam away. I couldn't bring my self to shoot sitting ducks. I would have guessed had someone been watching it would have been comical to see me waving arms trying to get them to fly and they wouldn't get up. What would most people have done?

Picking up shot birds. How soon do you go get them. I do not have a dog so i go out in canoe to retrieve them. I waited a while (hour)and it cost 2 me birds for sure. They were belly up and I thought they were dead only to lose sight of them never to be found. I suppose i could have put another shot into one of them. He was flopping but settled down where i thought he was for sure dead but obviously had enough life to hide somewhere i couldn't find him

[CANOPY SAM]

Good report Mabr. Glad you got into some birds.

You can be an absolute eagle eye at seeing incoming birds and still have a little group or singles just sneak in on you unseen. Teal are particularly notorious for this as they tend to fly low and really fast. The birds that wouldn't jump when startled are probably young of the year, and don't even know yet what to be scared of.

Personally, I think you did the right thing trying to get them to jump off the water, and I think most would agree it's the most "sporting" thing to do.

If you let downed birds float off it's likely you'll lose a couple. Especially on a pond surrounded by cattails. If they're floppin' without their heads up it's likely they're not going to last long. If they're floating upright, and if they've got their heads up it's often best to give em' another shot so they don't swim off.

It's a drag to have to interrupt your hunt to go retrieve birds, but you do really need to do it, or like you experienced, you'll probably lose a few. When alone, I'll hop in the canoe and go pick em' up almost immediately. Just keep a loaded gun with you in case more birds roll over your way. As long as you're not under power (motor running) you can have the gun loaded and you're not doing anything illegal.

[strait-meat]

^^^^^ yes you can have a loaded gun in the boat when u are getting the ducks but if you are in the middle of the water you can't shoot at new ducks that are flying over--need to be partially concealed by some vegetation--unless u are floating a river/creek that is less than 100yds. You can only shoot the ones u are trying to retrieve if they are trying to get away.

[mabr]

Glad you brought up the loaded gun in canoe. I was wondering that when I went to retrieve because it was loaded, and I did have to finish off one I found hiding around the bank.

Im hooked, and cant believe it took me so long to get into duck hunting.

Here is a scenario im curious whether legal or not. wife and me are planning to bass fish on this same small lake. Were going to be using a john boat with electric trolling motor. Ill have shotgun with. If a group were to fly over as long as we weren't under power of the trolling motor could i shoot?

Based on what strait-meat posted it doesnt sound like i could. If i have a blind built on the boat I would be legal? Im gonna study the regs a little better before we do it but curious your thoughts

[BoxMN]

You cannot shoot from a boat that is not hidden in vegetation, unless chasing a crippled bird. You can fish from a boat that you are hunting out of (i.e. a sucker under a bobber) but to be legally hunting, you need to be in vegetation. (edit - yes, there is the open water hunting now in MN, but that is specific case on specific waters, and not what you are talking about.)

The blind doesn't matter, you need be "partially hidden" in vegetation of some sort.

For the crippled ducks, keep shooting them until they are dead is your best option, as long as you are still in range. You an tell pretty easy when that point is, most the time. I like going to get them right away (no dog here) even at the expense of losing some shots during that time. One in the hand... plus you will find some sort of come back to life, or the wind picks up a bit more, then you must go farther. If they are right in your dekes, and not blowing away, and obviously dead, I will let them lay, its another decoy but usually there is wind.

Glad you are having fun!

[Tom7227]

I have had a bit of luck with cripples using some small steel shot. I bought a box of 7's and if I need to put one down I switch out to the 7's. Lot more pellets and you need a head shot anyway.

As for having trouble seeing the birds - that's duck hunting. Gives you some humility. Friend and I had wide open view for 180 degrees for hundred of yards and still got buzzed numerous times. Laughed every time.