# Hardest to hit



## Size Matters (Dec 22, 2007)

I was wondering what bird you think is the hardest to hit I personally have to put quail and chucker at the top of the list.


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## proutdoors (Sep 24, 2007)

Barn swallow. :shock:


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## bucksandducks (Sep 11, 2007)

If any of you have tried hunting wood**** or snipe they are probably some of the hardest birds to hit. They fly in a whirly durbish, that is the only way to describe it.


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## Trooper (Oct 18, 2007)

The toughest bird to hit is whatever you are not used to. I switch species a lot and one thing I've learned is that nothing can screw you up worse than a morning duck hunt and an afternoon grouse hunt. Totally different kinds of shooting. Every species has certain tendencies that once you adjust to make them considerably easier targets, but when you switch species--all bets are off. Those of you who have pass-shot crossing teal one day and then gone and shot at pheasants the next know what I mean. For instance, after a duck-hunt I put the bottom barrel probably ten feet in front of a pheasant this year and was absloutely surprised I had missed, I actually had to put the gun back on my shoulder for the second shot, and that is not the way to do it! 

I agree wood**** are tricky targets at first, but they are so slow. Once you realize that you can just wait for them to get clear of whatever they've placed between you and them they are not hard to hit. Chukar were very hard for me to hit at first (the concept of leading downhill did not come naturally to me). For a long time I thought they were just about impervious to shot-gun pellets. Now though, I'm bagging not-quite three out of four, which is way above my one out of three I shoot on grouse. Quail seem tough because they are so small, and the covery flushes can be a mental challenge. But once you get used to them they pretty much fly in a nice straight line and so aren't all that hard. Pheasants can be tough to get up in range, but they aren't really hard to hit, unless you are exciteable like me and shoot too fast. Sage grouse are the same. Huns are tough for me, not sure why. I guess they have a tendency to get up right on the far edge of "in-range". 

So for me, I guess ducks make the hardest targets. Which makes sense, because that's what I hunt the least.


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## Mojo1 (Sep 8, 2007)

Whichever you just missed. :shock:


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## cfarnwide (Sep 10, 2007)

Grouse in an Aspen stand. I swear they can make a 90 degree turn without losing any speed.


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## Loke (Sep 7, 2007)

The toughest bird for me to hit is the one that I happen to be shooting at.


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## huntducksordietrying (Sep 21, 2007)

Teal, 12 o clock, 45 degrees above ya, at full speed. BOOM CHEKA BOOM CHEKA BOOM *&%#. Thats what you hear when I try to hit 'em.


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## woollybugger (Oct 13, 2007)

> Teal, 12 o clock, 45 degrees above ya, at full speed. BOOM CHEKA BOOM CHEKA BOOM *&%#. Thats what you hear when I try to hit 'em.


Practice that shot on the skeet field. Station 8, high house. You learn to hit that one and then when teal try to kamikaze into the decoys you can settle a few scores :twisted: .

chukar and huns can be tough to hit. Ducks on a windy day have to take the prize as toughest targets, though. A pintail with a 40mph tailwind crossing airspace over your decoys in hurry is about as tough as it gets. Shooting is 95% mental and 5% physical.


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

Tie between Snipe and Wood****.


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

proutdoors said:


> Barn swallow. :shock:








































I gotta ask, are you wrapping them in bacon or making jerky?


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## TEX-O-BOB (Sep 12, 2007)

Bats are hard to hit too. :shock: 

Barn swallow a close second...

Really though, I've hade the privilege of shooting AT several species of winged targets. By far, the toughest, Wilsons Snipe. I thought I'd be cute one day and set out to kill a legal limmit of Wilsons Snipe... Ya, RIGHT! I think I shot a box and a half of shells and never hit one! I felt so insignificant...  

Huns give me a lot of trouble too.


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

TEX-O-BOB said:


> Bats are hard to hit too. :shock:
> 
> Barn swallow a close second...
> 
> ...


I thought of bats first off, but they are mammals so I left them out. They're protected too.

Yah, snipe just kill me. They get up and land within eyesight. So you walk down to them, knowing right where they are, flush them and still miss! But I have limited on snipe in the rice country of Texas, Arkansas and Louisiana.

We had some Wood**** growing up. I never got more than 2 in one day. They don't fly as erratic as snipe, but are in trees many times making it really tough.


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## lehi (Sep 13, 2007)

Carp. For some reason, #4 shot doesnt seem to penetrate water very well.


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## Ryfly (Sep 13, 2007)

I'd say a high speed twisting and turning Teal.

A close second is a Ruffed Grouse in thick cover. Sometimes you only hear them.

And yes I tried to shoot a Snipe once. I think I hit it but never found it. Heck of a disappearing act.


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## Comrade Duck (Oct 24, 2007)

I have a hard time with Chukar. Them more than any other bird make me spazz out and rush the shot. Especially if a covey comes up right in front of me. I often find myself shooting before I have fully shouldered my shotgun. That and then trying to pick out the best shot of the group. 

I think a lot of it is mental. 

Shane


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