Do you shoot ducks on the water?

For me, I don't shoot birds on the water, since I don't consider it sporting and I'm out there for the experiance. I would be embarassed for someone to do it, but I wouldn't chew them out (in my old age).



Is it just me, or does anyone else find that hard to believe? LOL.
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Ed L. - That's a good story. I enjoyed it. Something about fly fishing draws people in, just like duck & goose huntin'.

Two stories come to mind now. The first, is when some Muskie Fishermen tossin' big Grandma Lures, poked fun at me for fly fishin' the river, cuz the water was to warm for Trout. I told em "I'm not fishin' for Trout, I'm fishin' for Carp". They laughed and said "Ya right, Carp on dry flies". After I hooked a 12 pounder on a Caddis fly, one guy said "I'll be damn, that looks like Fun".

Another time I'm catchin' nice Blue gills, at a state park at a outflow. I mean the fish are poundin' the popper, and I'm keepin' the nice ones. Up roars about 15 guys and gals on Harley's, and they are wearin' Colors. I keep fishin', after about 20 min. one of the guys comes over to me and sez. "Yer catchin' lotta fish, Show me How to Do that." Not a problem....... I tell him, if ya can pound a hammer ya can Fly Fish. Long story short, he catches some fish and everyone starts hootin' and hollerin', and I'm shakin' my head cuz. WHO IS GONNA BELIEVE THIS?! You never know where, or when you will impact another persons life, in the Great Outdoors.
 
The Cat in the Hat in me can't help it....

I will shoot them in the water, I will shoot them on the land, I will shoot them in the air, I will shoot them where they stand.

John
 
It is illegal to shoot waterfowl on the water in Maryland. You are allowed to dispatch cripples. As a Hunter Safety Instructor, I always tell the students that this information is NOT in the Hunting handbook but it is covered under the Maryland Annotated Code 10-602. I personally don't find it necessary or sporting to take waterfowl on the water and only do so to dispatch cripples. Again, I have hunted plenty of states where it WAS legal and did not have any issue with someone taking one on the water, especially young hunters. It's not my thing......to each his own.

dc
 
I love the Cat in the Hat!

When you hunt with the guys I hunt with you don't ever get a chance to shoot one on the water. LOL Standard operating procedure seems to be to get the first shot and then holler take 'em!

I have no objection to shooting them on the water and suppose I have done it on occasion but I always prefer feet down over the decoys. I have a distaste for pass shooting. I don't enjoy it so I don't do it unless I am with someone who insists. I would rather shoot one on the water that came to the decoys and I always prefer hunting water over fields. I don't care if I ever hunt a field again. Funny how each of us has our own set of rules... (not laws).
 
I hear you Vince! Fly fishing is probably second only to duck hunting in the amount of gear you can acquire. I was lucky enough to grow up 40 miles away from one of the best trout rivers in the country (Green River below Flaming Gorge Dam) and my high school buddies and I used to take great pride showing up in jeans and tennis shoes and outfishing the fancy yuppies dressed head to toe in Orvis gear!
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Cody,

I couldn't help but laugh. That reminds of a trip to Colorado some years back. We are mainly spinning reel people so my son wanted to get a fly rod. A fly rod around here is for bluegills and crappies. Anyway we stop at this little fly shop off the highway out in the boonies just before you get to Gould CO. We walk it and there's this girl behind the counter and she's hoooo...well someone's daughter. She's wearing a tank top, cut off bibs and sandals. No Orvis to be seen. This girl is a 20 something year old and says hi and welcome to my store. I took a look and my 15 year son and thought I was going to have to pick his tongue up off the floor and put it back in his mouth. After about a half hour of this girl standing behind him with her arms around him working his arm with the fly rod and line we finally purchase a starter kit and head to the stream. I've never heard that kid rattle off so much before or after that encounter. He's 26 now, married and expecting their first child but reading about you and your high school buddies sure brought back a good memory.


That's a fantastic story Ed! If there was ever a better way to learn how to fly fish I've never heard of it! Those fly fishing gals seem to have something extra special about them.....
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John, I have a lawyer friend who claims that if they are swimming than "they aren't at rest." I never want to be ina position where I have to split hairs with a DNR officer (or a judge for that matter). I have heard this question asked many times (even by Hunter Safety Instructors) with the answer always being that "it's not in the hunting handbook so it must be legal." It is NOT legal. Many people believed it was buried somewhere in the Maryland CODAR, but it is, in fact, in section 10-602 of the Annotated Code of Maryland. It's not easy to find and I know there are plenty of people who shoot birds on the water. Had they completely landed, was their wings folded in all the way, were they swimming, were they "thinking" of flying? I can't speak for what another hunter sees when he squeezes the trigger and personally, that's up to them. All I know is that as an Instructor for many, many years, I would be personally embarrassed if I were caught breaking the law when I am supposed to be teaching people the proper, legal way to take game in this state. In addition, it doesn't make much sense to be sending people out into theld with bad gouge. I know many hunters who have hunted this state for a long time that had NEVER known about this law. I wouldn't be surprised if this isnt the case in some other states as well.


dc
 
Chuck,

I don't recall seeing that in the regulations, but I've only been hunting in Illinois the last 10 years or so.
 
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Chuck,

I don't recall seeing that in the regulations, but I've only been hunting in Illinois the last 10 years or so.

I've been hunting here since 1963. I don't recall that or ever had anyone in the family talk about it that I recall.
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Ed, I was born and raised in Illinois and started my waterfowling there. I do not recall any law against shooting waterfowl on the waterfowl when I was growing up but I haven't hunted waterfowl there since '85.


dc
 
Dave,



My last season in Illinois was 1984. I moved in early 1985 to Arkansas in hopes of hunting the areas that legends were made off. Funny how I managed to move to the wrong side of the state and then found out my pockets weren't near deep enough to hunt those legenary areas. Also I lived there though some of Arkansas's worst droughts of the time. I moved back to Illinois wanting to hunt the big river again just in time to hunt the 1996 season. it's funny how times and migration patterns change. Now to bring this thread full circle. "Darn tootin" I'll shot a duck on the water. I after all manage 2 to 6 ducks a year now and maybe a few geese. If the difference of getting skunked or water swattin, pan fryin, Arkansaw'in a duck. Well, he's a dead duck! Of course I'd rather shoot them staring at me with wings wide open 25yards out and 5 feet of the water!
 
Chuck,

I don't recall seeing that in the regulations, but I've only been hunting in Illinois the last 10 years or so.

I've been hunting here since 1963. I don't recall that or ever had anyone in the family talk about it that I recall.
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Maybe it was a short lived law? Kind of like a speed limit that no one obeys, the police don't enforce, so they put out new signs with a higher speed. Anyway, would have been the later half of the 80's.
 
Chuck,


Not saying there wasn't where you were hunting. Many county and state managed areas have there own bi-laws. Where I grew up hunting it's mandatory to hunt with at least 12 decoys. I was an adult when I found out that was only true in the pools we hunted in Illinois on the river in state managed areas. I don't have to use decoys at all if I'm on private or many inland public areas. I think sometimes I'd be better off NOT using decoys or duck calls for that matter...;-)
 
Hi Dave. I truly did not know that. I've learned something new today. I wonder if that law dates back to market hunting days?

John
 
I would assume so since the Chesapeake Bay was excessively hunted during the market days. The old timers talk about all the ducks that used to be here and how few geese there were. Now it has flipped completely....lots of geese.


dc


dc
 
After 40 years of hunting fowl and getting my ass handed to me over and over again. I take'em as they're given. The first shot is for the pot the second is for sport. Hell yes, if need be I'll shoot'em on the water and any where else I can get the drop on them.
 
I have never understood the objection to shooting them on the water, and have been known to water swat a few of them in my time. I have seen guys on forums say it is unethical to shoot a sitting duck, but turn around in the next breath and say shooting at a running deer is unethical, and shooting a turkey in flight is also wrong.
How is there any difference? A clean kill should be the objective. Beyond that I could give a rats behind as to what others believe is right or wrong.
 
Not trying to change the subject, but Maryland also a has this law on the books: "Hunting from elevated position. -- A person may not hunt wild waterfowl from a position located more than 10 feet in the air." Now, the Chesapeake Bay has many stilt blinds that are built a couple feet above high tide. Now when you have extreme low tide and you are standing up (5-6 foot above the blind floor)......did you break the 10 foot rule? Never have been able to figure out the rational behind this one.


dc
 
Duck no,geese yes sometimes it hard to get a good kill shot on a goose flying away with there backs to you!
 
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