Do you shoot ducks on the water?

I would think that anyone that says no is not quite truth full, But I've always found it harder to get clean kills with ducks or geese on the water.
Haven't done much field hunting but any that I have done we never gave the ducks or geese a chance to land.
 
If i missed this above I apologize but one good reason to water slap a bird is for the sake of getting a young pup a retrieve (provided the dog is steady and you can safely shoot).

That being said, shooting them on the water just never feels as satisfying as watching them fold in the air. That's easily 50% of the enjoyment for me. The rest is watching them work the decoys, watching the dog work, enjoying the beauty of God's creation, and spending time with good friends.
 
We often have singles or pairs that come all the way and land while we're working bigger bunches... their is normally someone assigned to shoot 'candy'. Nobody is allowed to shoot a duck on the water, live or crippled, without a dog handler telling them too... to keep the risk of a low shot and a possible breaking dog from ever happening... usually the candy jumps up as the rest of us go to work on the bigger bunch. if the bigger bunch doesnt do it, generally the candy has slid out of conventional range... and at times we get 'homesteaders' that like everything we got but know where we are, so 70-80 yards swimming around quacking and pulling other birds is a norm.. And they do it again and again. So while i generally dont shoot birds on the water, a BBB and a smartazz gadwall at 80 yards is fun to amaze and amuse your friends. travis
 
Sorry for bringing up old posts but i was catching up to the banter and had to put my 3 cents in.

Have i shot on the water yes i have...
is it illegal here in nova scotia no...

when im teaching new duck hunters i dont mind them slewin them on the water as it means they got sumthin...when they start clipping them flying i show them the 1 , 2 ,3 method and reasoning ,,,feet down 1 foot off water they loose lift Bang! then they hit water dead or you missed and they have to gain lift to go Bang! then if you missed again you get your last chance when its beating the heck out of its wings and getting the heck out of dodge Bang...

Personaly i try for males only unless its a slow day and always try to shootem flying ,,

ON one stormy hunt with 55 knot winds the geese were using it as a tail wind so i geussed 100mph when they came right at me.....in all my life of hunting i have never had geese on the deck flying at this kind of speed right at me... you have one shot and the flock is gone...i missed alot and somewhere around the second box dropped one and i called it aday then ...we had to stay on island till storm went by got home midnite....did i mention -23C freezing spray is what kept us off the bay....lol old not stupid...
Sherm...
 
I've killed half a dozen ducks by water-swatting over the decades, and every time I did it I swore I'd never do it again.

Making a good shot on a flying duck is a huge part of the appeal of duck hunting. It is, in fact, the climax of the experience. To me, I cheat myself out of the best part by water-swatting.

I know it's perfectly legal to water-swat, and may even be ethical....it's just not for me. And nobody I hunt with does it....the exception being a very young hunter who has never shot a duck before; I'll let them do it ONCE.
 
Hi Shermie,

Dug yourself out of the snow bank finally I see. You guys in the Maritime's have been getting pounded for last month eh? Or did you just get done celebrating your hockey victories:)
My daughter's first greenhead was taken on a canoe stalk,crawled across the bog and bang. Since that hunt we have spent many mornings in the blind but that first bird is the one that got her started .
 
I can't seem to kill anything on the water other then the occasional Ruddy. I tend to flush birds on the water because I'm a better shot at something in the air on the rise. I pass no judgment on the guys that water swat.

Eddie
 
i do my best to kick them up. Opening day south zone this year was my labs first hunt. At 11 months old and shes my first hunting dog. Needless to say there are things i did well with her, but also things i need to clean up. Her first duck was a GWT that swam in from about 75 yards out. She saw it immediately and she followed it to my spread. i just wanted her to get the feel for the retrieve. So i am guilty of that.
 
It depends. Generally I like them in the air but I have shot them on the water as well. If they land in the dekes I generally either leave them as the best decoys are live decoys, or I spook them then shoot them. And yes if I spook them and they choose to swim instead of fly well then they might get shot with their feet wet.
 
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