re: Thoughts on duck hunting these days

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I think too much emphasis is placed on numbers, and specifically limits.

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exactly. This probably has more to do with all this bitching than anything else. Lots of hunters- old and new- are worried about the bragging rights or the photo at days end. They want to be able to post about or brag about how many they shot. I'm all for getting a limit and making it worth your time and money, but I've had some stellar days with my dog and family/friends when we didn't come close to limiting out. Its all a matter of perspective.

But I sure aint doing it if it starts pissing me off. And like Bourg said, I don't have an exclusive on using the resource. Nor do I let other hunters ruin my day.

Bring back the punt guns!!

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It is easy for our gramps to say that kind of stuff about shooting decoying ducks...it's because they had an abundance and their biggest decision was which ducks to shoot, not if they should leave without seeing any birds work.
Ducks are smarter. They see so many spreads these days. #s are down and flyways change. Seasons are more regulated, many times right when the #s make it down.

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Not to mention, we can't feed em anymore

OK finally had a min or 15 to read through the entire thread.

So grandpa and dad used to only shoot waterfowl with 2 5/8" shells, and only when they were landing in the decoys.

Clearly that means I am doing it wrong when I shoot ducks passing at 30 to 40 yards and roll them, or when I use a semiauto gun with 3 or 3.5" magnum shells?

Well, I suppose outlawing lead in 91 had nothing to do with the change in shells, loads, or guns. And tighter restrictions of baiting have made it no harder to "decoy" birds in.
Certainly, the increasing popularity of the sport, and decreasing access to private and public lands has not concentrated hunters so that they now infringe on each other, flair each others birds, and gain a natural competitive emotion with the other hunters present.


It seems those most upset are upset most when they have successfully worked birds in, have them locked, and nearby blinds skybust flairing "their" birds. So if both blinds are working in groups and the other blind has birds locked in on final approach but yours are feet down, do you hold off on your shot so you don't flair their birds?




I suppose I am more fortunate that I realized. I duck hunt 75% of the time out of the same pond 10 min from my house. I only hunt water with people who are hunting with me. We work birds into the decoys when possible. We kill birds on passing shots. We occasionally have cripples but it is rare and we usually find, finish, and recover them anyway. We enjoy the sound of other hunters on other properties because they are pushing birds off of their property and to us. But I will tell you, I enjoy bringing home a limit although it rarely happens. Everyone in my household LOVES duck meat.










Yall want to bitch, bitch about the guys who hunt just for the sport and don't even like the meat.

How ya been fish?

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Clearly that means I am doing it wrong when I shoot ducks passing at 30 to 40 yards and roll them, or when I use a semiauto gun with 3 or 3.5" magnum shells?

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I don't have the ability to recall every poster in this threads opinion of pass shooting, but I don't imagine many people are upset about others taking 30-40 yard shots, at least I'm not upset by it. I believe where most people get upset is the blatant skybusting at birds well over 50 yards, in other words totally out of reasonable shotgun range.

Nothing wrong with shooting 3.5 inch magnums, but if a person doesn't see that the marketing and availability of shells like this advertising extended range abilities, well then, wake up and smell the roses...it without a doubt increases the amount of skybusting occurring.

More power to you on having private land to hunt, many people are not that fortunate and only have the resources to hunt what is provided by the stat and federal government. Some realization of problems is good or no improvements would ever be made on anything

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Yall want to bitch, bitch about the guys who hunt just for the sport and don't even like the meat

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And I would say that a much larger portion of outdoorsman fall into this category than will admit it. Not just duck hunters, but fisherman, etc.

Out of curiosity, where and how long have you duck hunted? Any considerable amount of time of it being on public land in the state of Louisiana?

I agree most did not complain about 30 to 40 yard pass shots. The op specifically noted that they wouldn't shoot at ducks unless about to land in the decoys and under thirty yards.

I have honestly been a bit envious of the guys hunting the Louisiana coastal marshes, the North Louisiana rice paddies and swamps with timber. I wasn't being facetious when I said I guess I have it better than I thought I did.


I've been duck hunting for 8 years. all of it in North East Texas small ponds on private land with the exception of 2 paid hunts this season to SD and LA.


For what it's worth other than the primary pond on our lease, my other hunt on private land has been acquired by simply asking the rancher or land owner if I can hunt their place once or twice during a season.

There's a reason its free

The only public land I've ever messed with is Sabine, Biloxi, Big Branch, and Delta. I've always had luck at those four.

Come to think of it that range idea sounds interesting. Could design a scoring system that deducts points for low percentage long range or very high shots and adds points for close range dbl and tripels.