re: Duck not floating

unfortunately i've lost hundreds of ducks in my 41 years of hunting quacks. and each one irks me to no end.

the issue here isn't just losing the duck...though that's a big one. it's also shooting a hen and fair chase.

hen's lay eggs...and a clutch of eggs mean more ducks in the future. besides being prettier, it's good conservation to shoot drakes.

second, it's poor form to shoot a bird on the water unless you're a small kid. there's nothing sporting about a skillet shot unless it's to dispatch a cripple. and you spare no expense to dispatch the crip.

duck hunting is not about killing...it's very much an acquired skill, an "art" as it were, that is sharpened through practice and good ethics. And ethics here are far more than legalities and not exceeding bag limits...it's learning how to shoot on the wing amongst many, many other aspects. and the fact that you apparently didn't get in the water and wade around to make a concerted effort to find the bird is also troublesome. it's part of the reason why dogs matter, but short of that you should be wading in circles, kicking at the grass underneath your feet in effort to get the bird to "alligator" and show itself.

so your combined acts and the end result of losing a cripple opens you up to ridicule. rightfully so, i might add.

you'd never live this down at my camp.