# ground swatting! who does it?? be honest.



## utahgolf (Sep 8, 2007)

I have taken ducks on the sit every once in a blue moon,, I haven't done it in a long time tho. I usually missed when I tried it.


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## truemule (Sep 12, 2007)

I've done it. Though since my first year of hunting I haven't had any oppurtunities to do it. Its not often you get close enough to a bird on the water to swat. Unless it is a coot or eared greb, those things pop up everywhere. Most of my birds have been taken in flight, but I would probably do it again if it presented itself.


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## Nor-tah (Dec 16, 2007)

I swatted my first duck. :lol: Tried not to ever since but I have a few times...


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## Josh Noble (Jul 29, 2008)

"They had wings to get there..."
Common statement in my blind...lol :wink:


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## lunkerhunter2 (Nov 3, 2007)

If it will be a clean kill i will do it. I don't flock swat though.


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## shootemup (Nov 30, 2008)

Three birds in the deeks, shoot the first one on the water drop the other two as they get up. No shame it that at all. The point was to get them to the deeks, no one ever said you had to shoot them in the air.


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## hairy1 (Sep 10, 2007)

Not any more.

The bugger is when you jump up and they swim away instead of flying.


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## deadicated1 (Mar 17, 2008)

you better beleive it!!! im so sneaky i have to line a couple up on the water to get em to fly!


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## hamernhonkers (Sep 28, 2007)

Been a long time for me but I sure don't hold it against any one who dose it. I see it as legal and ethical as long as you are not flock shooting, so if you want to swat away.


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## diverfreak (May 11, 2008)

What goes for turkeyes goes for waterfowl in my eyes although i get greater satisfaction of taking them on the wing!



DIverFreak


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## Fowlmouth (Oct 4, 2008)

I have shot em' on the water when I winged em' and they started webfooting away.  I would much rather take em' in flight, and locked in on the dekes.


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## Riverrat77 (Sep 7, 2007)

If there is more than one on the water, I'll swat one and hit the others when they get up. If I sit up in the sled and some start to swim off, then I'll usually take a shot on the water also. Nothing wrong with it... funny statement by Noble.  When I'm jumpshooting, I always let them get up before shooting, otherwise you might as well just throw a net over em. 8)


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## Chaser (Sep 28, 2007)

This is a funny thread! 

I water swatted a coot last year, but since then I have taken all my ducks on the wing. Funny that most of you consider this so acceptable. I always thought it was really looked down on unless the bird was a cripple. Nothing against you for looking at it this way, I agree to some degree, especially with shooting the first to get the others to fly. That makes a lot of sense, for real. (Seriously, no sarcasm there.)

So here's what I am wondering: seems to me it is much more a faux paux (sp.??) to ground pound upland birds. I guess the upland game is much more civilized ( :roll: ) than the waterfowl game. Not to change the subject, but rather add to it, how many of you ground pound upland birds? 

I have only witnessed one pheasant shot on the ground (**** thing was running out into a dirt field and wouldn't fly, so my dad popped it running), but I have ALWAYS shot grouse on the ground or out of a tree. How about the rest of you?


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## truemule (Sep 12, 2007)

Chaser said:


> but I have ALWAYS shot grouse on the ground or out of a tree. How about the rest of you?


Yep, I have only taken one grouse in flight. All the other were sitting ina tree or on the ground.


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## captain (Nov 18, 2007)

The only time take them on the water is if I thought they were going on the wall. It just seems like they don't get damaged as badly when you shoot them on the sit.


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## shotgunwill (May 16, 2008)

Is it hunting season yet?? :roll:


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## deadicatedweim (Dec 18, 2007)

If there are two or three birds I will shoot them in the air depending on if I have the over under or the Benelli. If there is a bigger group I will line up the drakes or pick the best bird and let it rip on the water. Then I shoot the farthest away bird crack open the o/u and work my way to the closest bird until they are out of range or I have my limit. If its anything banded It gets pounded on the water. Upland on the other hand I will never shoot anything on the ground especially cause my dogs nose is about two inches away. If the bird wants to run then it gets to race my dog  and she usually wins which saves me shells.


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## duckhunter1096 (Sep 25, 2007)

Captain took my answer.

I am not opposed to hitting them on the water. Nowhere does it say they have to be in flight. YES, it is far more satisfying to hit them on the wing.....NOBODY can deny that. But it is all about food on the table, take them however you can get them. It's funny, I'll shoot a duck on the water, but won't take a coot unless it's running. Goes to show the importance of getting that duck!


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## lunkerhunter2 (Nov 3, 2007)

duckhunter1096 said:


> Captain took my answer.
> 
> I am not opposed to hitting them on the water. Nowhere does it say they have to be in flight. YES, it is far more satisfying to hit them on the wing.....NOBODY can deny that. But it is all about food on the table, take them however you can get them. It's funny, I'll shoot a duck on the water, but won't take a coot unless it's running. Goes to show the importance of getting that duck!


Coots are a VERY good way to practice shotgun lead. Especially for a beginner. You can see where your pattern hits at different distances and speeds. My cousin killed 21(yes count em) coots one year at Howards in a 6' hole in the ice with 3 shots. He was beyond 300 yards from us and we thought they were all divers. A federal officer was in the frag behind us and walked out right after he shot. We thought he was going to the point of the mountain for sure. Luckily they were all coots and he brought them back as proud as could be. :twisted:


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## 1BandMan (Nov 2, 2007)

Ground swatting??? Being honest?

It no longer carries any negative stigma whatsoever. Especially shooting geese.

With geese in the fields, this is now come to be known as "completely fooling your birds." 
Its all the new rage to let them land and pick out birds with bands and then dump them standing in the dekes.
Fair chase ends and now band gathering has begun.

An added tip for those who swat birds on the water or are finishing cripples without waisting a box of those expensive hevi shot, black cloud, hevi steel or whatever shells try this.......

Aim right at the base of the bird, not directly at the bird. 
Angles (you shooting down at the water) are harder and limits your pattern as well. Also birds sitting on the water all closed up with their wings at their side are,for the most part harder to kill. If you ground pound correctly, it will take fewer shells to dispatch cripples or will increase the numbers you can kill with one or multiple shots blasting them on the water.

Bottom line, #1 get down closer to the ground lessening the angle of trajectory. #2 Aim at the base of the bird rather than the bird itself and then blast em'.

Happy ground/water sloughshing to all. _(O)_


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## dkhntrdstn (Sep 7, 2007)

did it when I was younger. I hardly do it any more.it funner watching them fall from the sky and make a splash. :mrgreen:


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## Gaston (Dec 6, 2008)

I just bought my 26th duck stamp and can honestly say I never swat on the water...I always jump them. It just seems un-sporting to me to ground sluice.


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## kev (Feb 7, 2008)

I don't see the harm. What difference does it make.... really? I too killed the better part of a limit of coots sitting in a hole in the ice, thought it was great! Not so much when I had to clean them all, but WTH.

As for upland birds, it's usually a no-no, because of the dogs on the ground. No dog.... No problem. I had and old timer frind that used to sit at the end of a very long ditch on opening day, wait for the masses to start hunting and ground pound his limit at 70-80 yards with his Ithaca Mag10 and 2 1/2oz or #4's. He'd gather his 2 and leave before anyone was any wiser.

To each their own.........
Waterfowling is a sport as versed in diversity as it is in tradition. Every hunter has their own definition of success, and who would I be to tell them any different.

Later,
Kev


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## deadduck (Jul 21, 2009)

I think we have all fell asleep in the blind, and then we here Splash! Splash! and wake up to see a pair of ducks sitting in our decoys. Its the best thing to wake up too. :roll: 
I try not to swat them because I don't want to hit my decoys. But if they are away from the decoys, they are fair game!


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## Donttreadonme (Sep 11, 2007)

I think I have actually gone the opposite direction of most on this. For most of my life I have been primarily a jump shooter and anti-water swatting. If I am out walking a ditch, I will always jump them before I open up. Now a days where I hunt 99% over decoys, my philosophy is; the hard part is getting them into the decoys so if they sit before I get up to shoot, I'll take them on the water.


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## diverfreak (May 11, 2008)

There had been many a day i only had 45 minutes to walk my favorite canal in late winter before work! And there has been many a day where it was loaded with 30 to 50 mallards. There has also been many a day where i crawled within 10 feet and watched them for ten minutes swimming and gettting up on and off the ice! There has been many a day where i lined up 3-4 drakes heads and shot themoff the water and then doubled out of the air and took 5--7 drakes home with 3 shots. There also has many many a day i snuck within 100 yards and scared 200 out of there because the snow was to crunchy and went home empty handed. Like i have said before i prefer to shoot them out of the air, but its a rush to sneak up with in 10 feet and watch them and wait for the perfect oppurtunity to arkansas 3 or 4 drakes then take two out of the air, i really enjoy that and like KEV said, who are you to tell me what i can and cant enjoy waterfowling as long as its legal!


DiverFreak


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## silentstalker (Feb 19, 2008)

When I was younger I shot a few off the water. Now days I reserve that for wounded birds. Using steel that seems like the majority for me! I was just raised that way I guess. I have no problem with others doing it, I just choose not too. I don't need the duck meat that bad so I choose to shoot them in the air and come home empty handed most the time!!!

Oh and I have found that suggestion about aiming under them works well for me too. 

Good luck all, Wont be long and we will be shooting birds!!


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## 10Tenner (Oct 7, 2007)

> I too killed the better part of a limit of coots sitting in a hole in the ice, thought it was great!


 I have not even shot 1. I sure must be doing something wrong!  
I once shot a domestic duck on the ground does that count :?: 10Tenner


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## blt4spd (Aug 24, 2008)

What is it about waterfowlers that bring all the bubbas out? Just because something is legal doesn't make it right. True sportsmen never shoot ducks on the water or a goose on the ground. What's the sport in shooting grouse out of trees? Some of you guys need to rethink what this is all about.


PS And I'm not talking about dispatching a wounded bird, that's a differant story.


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## Ryfly (Sep 13, 2007)

I've heard that in NZ water swatting is the norm. One big problem with it is that it's harder to get a clean kill when they are in the water unless you make a head shot. It's also not very safe if anyone is in the area and we all know that that's rarely a problem in our public marshes right? For me a big part of the fun is hitting a moving target flying through the air. Grouse on a tree limb or ducks on the water just aren't much fun.


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## Artoxx (Nov 12, 2008)

I will shoot whatever I can, however I can. Sure I would rather that all my shots were on flying birds to show my _incredible skill _and all, but when I am half a box or more into the day and my _incredible skill _has left the bird ring empty, shooting that bird on the water or ground feels GOOD!

Pheasants on the ground are almost impossible. Where we hunt the cover is so thick that you never see the bird until it is in the air anyway.
Grouse? Heck yeah, I have probably shot more of them on the ground than in the air, though I am perfectly willing to give it a try when/if they ARE flying.
I have killed a bunch in the air, but I have definitely killed more on the ground. When a bird that I want to eat is refusing to fly further than from the ground to the nearest tree, I am GOING to eat him, even if I have to knock him down with a rock. As long as nobody is exceeding their legal limits, then it is fine. Flock shooters press their luck too much and I try not to shoot if there are more than one or two birds in a group unless I have NO birds already and couldn't exceed my limit if I killed the whole group.

During times when Pinnies, Canvasbacks, Bluebills, and such are restricted, it is sometimes BETTER to ground pound them so that if they _are_ out of season or restricted, it is harder to screw up and kill something that you shouldn't have.
And don't tell me that doesn't happen. I found at least 30 Canvasbacks stuffed into various weed piles last year. Most of them brought to me by my dog, many of them fresh killed and in some cases still warm.
If those birds had been sitting on the water instead of flying, THEORETICALLY the dipsticks who shot them could have identified them and NOT killed them.


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## gunrunner (Feb 1, 2008)

blt4spd said:


> What is it about waterfowlers that bring all the bubbas out? Just because something is legal doesn't make it right. True sportsmen never shoot ducks on the water or a goose on the ground. What's the sport in shooting grouse out of trees? Some of you guys need to rethink what this is all about.
> 
> PS And I'm not talking about dispatching a wounded bird, that's a differant story.


+1 to that
Duck hunters= bubbas for sure........................


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## truemule (Sep 12, 2007)

gunrunner said:


> blt4spd said:
> 
> 
> > What is it about waterfowlers that bring all the bubbas out? Just because something is legal doesn't make it right. True sportsmen never shoot ducks on the water or a goose on the ground. What's the sport in shooting grouse out of trees? Some of you guys need to rethink what this is all about.
> ...


I am ashamed of both of you. It is a free country. What makes you anymore a sportsman than me? Cause you can Flock shoot? There is no danger in this unless you set up on top of someone who hiked there a$$ off to get there before sun up and you pull up in a boat 10 minutes beofre shooting light. "Just cause its legal doesn't make it right" comes to mind. The arrogance in your statements, is the exactg reason your staement will eventually have people saying "Just cause its right doesn't make it legal"

We are all sportsman! Just because we choose to hunt differently doesn't make anyone of less of hunters or sportsman. If we are hunting legally, dispatching the game without causing undo harm or suffering, and following regualtions. Nothing, Ill repeat Nothing makes one hunter better than the other. Maybe more successful but thats another story.


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## gunrunner (Feb 1, 2008)

truemule said:


> I am ashamed of both of you. It is a free country. What makes you anymore a sportsman than me? Cause you can Flock shoot?


CHILD PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!! :roll: :roll: :roll: 
Be ashamed all you want but it is not cool in my book to ground swat birds, come on and give em a chance...And flock shooting, you have no idea do you????? _(O)_

Its legal to shoot mergansers, but why shoot them?


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## Artoxx (Nov 12, 2008)

So aparently duck hunting brings out the bubba's as you call them and forums bring out the self righteous twinks that cannot allow anyone to disagree with their personal philosophy?

If you don't agree with it, don't do it, but shut up about how it is _wrong_. That is YOUR philosophy and trying to make others agree with you by calling them bubba's or children is what is truly wrong. I am sure that you can manage to pump yourself up with your self righteous twaddle til the cows come home, but your beliefs are neither law nor even majority belief, so climb down off your high horse and hunt. 
If you count the number of people who responded positively or even nuetrally(sp) and compare them to those with YOUR belief, then you are outnumbered here, so maybe YOU are the one who is too immature to understand reality.
Either way, I am sure that no one here is going to convert anyone else to THEIR belief, so why make an A.S.S. out of yourself trying?


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## truemule (Sep 12, 2007)

gunrunner said:


> truemule said:
> 
> 
> > I am ashamed of both of you. It is a free country. What makes you anymore a sportsman than me? Cause you can Flock shoot?
> ...


CHILD? I think I might and cry now -BaHa!- Better to be a silly happy child than a grumpy, frumpy old man.

The flock shooting comment was more of sarcasm. You know flock shooting in flight is better than... oh never mind. I guess its only funny to a child.

Its legal to use demeaning terms and be upset that not everybody hunts the way I do. But why do it? See it works both ways.

Artoxx, every once in while you make some fine points.


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## gunrunner (Feb 1, 2008)

Artoxx said:


> If you don't agree with it, don't do it, but shut up about how it is wrong. That is YOUR philosophy and trying to make others agree with you by calling them bubba's or children is what is truly wrong.


So if I don't agree with it and have an opinion about it I should shut up about it??? Please, I will state my opinion anytime I want and any way I want. I don't agree with it and think it is not a sporting way to shoot birds. Duck hunting does bring out the so called "bubbas" because it is easy to become a duck hunter and does not take a whole lot of skill to be considered a duck hunter...You can keep killing birds any way you can and have your fun doing it, I just hope that someday you understand what hunting truely is about.

And for the record, "child please" really mean F*&% off!!!!!!! :mrgreen:


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## truemule (Sep 12, 2007)

gunrunner said:


> And for the record, "child please" really mean F*&% off!!!!!!! :mrgreen:


Wow, how truly sportsman like of you. We all disagree, but name calling and hatred among "HUNTERS" will not get you or anyone else, anywhere when trying to make a point, or argue your ethical point of view for hunting.

Even if I did agree with you I would not want you being an advocate for any hunting group. Your lack of humilty, respect, and your show of aggression make you target instead of a strong alli (sp). What you consider a strength would be preyed on as a weakness by those with calm demeanor and a command of their emotions.

You mentioned that one day you hope we know what hunting is truly about. I will reverberate that and hope that one day you will truly know what hunting is all about. Not just for yourself but for others as well.


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## gunrunner (Feb 1, 2008)

truemule said:


> hope that one day you will truly know what hunting is all about


It is surely not about ground swatting birds!!!!!!!!
I agree maybe it was "unsportsman" of me to throw out the names, but I am never going to buy into your belief that just cause it is legal, it is fair game.
It is legal with the right tag to shoot any cow elk, but are you going to shoot one that still has a calf with her? It is legal to shoot hen pinnies, but is it the smartest thing to do for the future of our sport? It is legal to shoot a limit of ducks everyday, but is it right? Cause no one is eating that many ducks.
Shooting into a flock of sitting ducks, there is no way to avoid mishaps and the killing of hens and maybe even ducks that are not legal to harvest.
To each his own, I don't agree with it and will continue to disagree with it, that is why we live in a country where we can have different opinions and express them any way we chose.

I sure hope the season starts soon.....


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## truemule (Sep 12, 2007)

gunrunner said:


> I sure hope the season starts soon.....


Now that I can agree with! Just a little longer.


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## gunrunner (Feb 1, 2008)

truemule said:


> Now that I can agree with! Just a little longer.


See in the end we can agree on something... :lol:


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## 1BandMan (Nov 2, 2007)

Its my choice to ground pound or water sloughsh birds.
I don't because of many of the reason's mentioned on here, but my main reason being that fair chase (or hunting) is in question, in my opinion, when the bird is on the ground or on the water. But that again is my opinion.

But..........I offer you this scenerio:

I would much rather somebody sneak up and water swat their limit (in the process I hope they don't kill a bunch of hens or create for themselves legal issues that they feel that they need to stomp whatever birds into the mud so they dont recieve a ticket) or decoy their limit and pound away on the water finishing thier limit up in 7-10 shells or even less if their lining them up for multiples kills with one shot and go home. 
I have no problem whatsoever with this especially if the other alternative is having some sky buster on a dike, river or creek, fenceline or whatever "pass shooting" birds at 80 or 90 yards with "super shells", once in a great while scratching down an occasional bird, shooting two, three, or more boxes of shells, spending the whole morning or evening or the whole day missing and wounding birds that fall out of site or even fall further away with the person not even paying attention that they wounded the bird(s) they were shooting at. 
Give me the water swatter 100:1 over these guys especially if they decide to set up any where near me or try to hunt off my dekes.

If I could curb one or the other types/styles of shooting/hunting it would easily be the long bomb shooter. I don't think the ground pounder hurts the sport anywhere near as much. If the Feds and/or state inacted a law that made people shoot thier birds on the water or ground, it would be much better in many ways for conservation purposes. I'd quit hunting waterfowl *but it would *be better.


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## JD_ (Oct 2, 2008)

1BandMan said:


> I would much rather somebody sneak up and water swat their limit (in the process I hope they don't kill a bunch of hens or create for themselves legal issues that they feel that they need to stomp whatever birds into the mud so they dont recieve a ticket) or decoy their limit and pound away on the water finishing thier limit up in 7-10 shells or even less if their lining them up for multiples kills with one shot and go home.
> I have no problem whatsoever with this especially if the other alternative is having some sky buster on a dike, river or creek, fenceline or whatever "pass shooting" birds at 80 or 90 yards with "super shells", once in a great while scratching down an occasional bird, shooting two, three, or more boxes of shells, spending the whole morning or evening or the whole day missing and wounding birds that fall out of site or even fall further away with the person not even paying attention that they wounded the bird(s) they were shooting at.
> Give me the water swatter 100:1 over these guys especially if they decide to set up any where near me or try to hunt off my dekes.


+1


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## deadicatedweim (Dec 18, 2007)

gunrunner said:


> Shooting into a flock of sitting ducks, there is no way to avoid mishaps and the killing of hens and maybe even ducks that are not legal to harvest.


I call BS. If you can select birds in a flock flying you dam well better have the judgment of when to shoot or not to shoot on sitting ducks.


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## Ryfly (Sep 13, 2007)

JD_ said:


> 1BandMan said:
> 
> 
> > I would much rather somebody sneak up and water swat their limit (in the process I hope they don't kill a bunch of hens or create for themselves legal issues that they feel that they need to stomp whatever birds into the mud so they dont recieve a ticket) or decoy their limit and pound away on the water finishing thier limit up in 7-10 shells or even less if their lining them up for multiples kills with one shot and go home.
> ...


+2

The way I look at it is that hunting is a "sport" and like any sport there are rules to the game. How would you like to play basketball with a guy that didn't dribble the ball but just ran with the ball up and down the court shooting baskets? Or maybe the guy who is always trying to shave strokes off his golf card? To me shooting birds in the air is one of the rules that keeps it fun and makes hunting a sport rather than just killing.


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## blt4spd (Aug 24, 2008)

1BandMan said:


> Its my choice to ground pound or water sloughsh birds.
> I don't because of many of the reason's mentioned on here, but my main reason being that fair chase (or hunting) is in question, in my opinion, when the bird is on the ground or on the water. But that again is my opinion.
> 
> But..........I offer you this scenerio:
> ...


Two wrongs don't make a right.


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## blt4spd (Aug 24, 2008)

Artoxx said:


> If you count the number of people who responded positively or even nuetrally(sp) and compare them to those with YOUR belief, then you are outnumbered here, so maybe YOU are the one who is too immature to understand reality.


Your kidding, right? 95% of the hunters I know don't have a clue this forum is even around. Just because a mess of knuckleheads say "ground pounding birds" on UWN is exceptable doesn't make it so. I'm telling you for a fact, if you shoot ducks on the water, geese on the ground or grouse on a log you would not be invited back to hunt with me or the wide range of guys I hunt with. Their's a thing called ethics and fair chase, not to mention the saftey issue. Why do you think when you hunt with an upland guide, before the hunt when going through the rules they say " If it's low let it go". Have you ever seen a hunting dog shot? I have. Have you ever had your decoys shot at Ogden Bay? Twice? I have. Ground pounding maybe a reality, but don't tell me it's excepted, because it's not. Show some class.


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## truemule (Sep 12, 2007)

blt4spd said:


> Artoxx said:
> 
> 
> > If you count the number of people who responded positively or even nuetrally(sp) and compare them to those with YOUR belief, then you are outnumbered here, so maybe YOU are the one who is too immature to understand reality.
> ...


I have never seen a dog shot. I don't hunt with a dog, yet. Those who have a shot a dog have bigger problems than ground pounding. Like, controlling there muzzle and knowing what is beyond there barrel.

I have never shot any decoys either. I can tell the difference between the deeks and live birds.


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## 1BandMan (Nov 2, 2007)

> Two wrongs don't make a right.


First of all, I agree with you.

The problem is (actually not even close to the only problem), that I've got on my soap box about those guys that are excellent hunters as well. They kill 100's of ducks and geese a year. They decoy em' right in range, shoot em' in the air, and probably shoot only drakes. They kill a grundle of ducks and geese "the right way." They hunt 70-90 days of the 107 day season and they are very good at putting birds in the bag.
I've heard them talk about taking 50lbs of meat to the processors to make jerky, they jerky the meat themselves, they gift them in so many creative ways I should probably give them the "thinking outside the box" reward, they throw them to their dog, they bury them in the garden etc.
To me, these guys are the epitome of the worst hunters in the field, probably 100's of times worse than the skybuster and the ground sloughsher put together. These guys are practically modern day market hunters. The better share of them probably don't eat 3 or 4 ducks or geese a year, or instead of eating them, they turn 200 ducks into 5 lbs of jerky. These guys don't eat what they shoot, yet they shoot those hundreds of ducks and geese every year.

Everybody has their own learning curves and the way they see fit to "enjoy" hunting waterfowl. I see the ground pounder and the skybuster down in the learning curve a ways. The modern day market hunter should be up in the learning curve as he's become an efficient killer, however he's not even close to understanding what the "big picture" still is.

We can all find something to rag on others and find fault for, I'm sure.

I'm all for assisting others in thier quests for a more enjoyable hunt and hoping to help them see the big picture as well.


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## gunrunner (Feb 1, 2008)

deadicatedweim said:


> call BS. If you can select birds in a flock flying you dam well better have the judgment of when to shoot or not to shoot on sitting ducks.


That is my point, Most people shooting at birds on the water are waiting until they group up and then letting her fly into a tight group. Birds in the air flare and spread out a little bit.
No way are the ground pounders waiting until that one bird they want to shoot is clear of the rest to shoot. Even shooting at birds on the wing mishaps happen, but they happen more when shooting into a group of sitting ducks.


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## gunrunner (Feb 1, 2008)

1BandMan said:


> They kill 100's of ducks and geese a year. They decoy em' right in range, shoot em' in the air, and probably shoot only drakes. They kill a grundle of ducks and geese "the right way." They hunt 70-90 days of the 107 day season and they are very good at putting birds in the bag.
> I've heard them talk about taking 50lbs of meat to the processors to make jerky, they jerky the meat themselves, they gift them in so many creative ways I should probably give them the "thinking outside the box" reward, they throw them to their dog, they bury them in the garden etc.
> To me, these guys are the epitome of the worst hunters in the field, probably 100's of times worse than the skybuster and the ground sloughsher put together. These guys are practically modern day market hunters. The better share of them probably don't eat 3 or 4 ducks or geese a year, or instead of eating them, they turn 200 ducks into 5 lbs of jerky. These guys don't eat what they shoot, yet they shoot those hundreds of ducks and geese every year.


+1
I can't even begin to describe how much this bothers me. I know of a spot here in Utah that we kill a fair amount of geese on, the birds taste horrible, must be the fertilizers from the golf course, and I do not think I will even hunt these birds because I can not eat them any more.
By the way, the roasted duck I ate last night tasted better than a good steak!!!!!!! :shock:


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## truemule (Sep 12, 2007)

gunrunner said:


> deadicatedweim said:
> 
> 
> > call BS. If you can select birds in a flock flying you dam well better have the judgment of when to shoot or not to shoot on sitting ducks.
> ...


GR,
I will agree that there are some out ther that do exactly waht you said. However, I have to disagree, at least in my case. I and many I know never "flock" shoot birds on the water or ground. I do an have taken birds from the water and ground, but I am always sure of my target. If it is not a clear shot I do not take it. Much like archery or rifle hunting. Unless I have a clear shot window and I am confident that I will hit or have a reasonable chance of hitting what I am aiming at, I never take the shot. That is my personal ethical belief. Othere may not hold to this, but I am not one of them.


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## Artoxx (Nov 12, 2008)

Every time this argument comes up, everybody states their opinion, some people get all self righteous and bent out of shape and start calling names and what not. NOTHING EVER CHANGES.

Everyone who hunts does _*something*_ that someone else who hunts will not like. That is just the way it is.

The only thing all this bickering ever accomplishes is to give the anti's a new crack to slam a wedge home into.

Let me repeat that for those of you who are slow learners or too self righteous to listen the first time.

EVERYBODY that hunts ABSOLUTELY, POSITIVELY, GUARANTEED, does SOMETHING, that other people who hunt WILL NOT LIKE. PERIOD.

The anti's hate us ALL, no matter whether you follow _my_ rules or _you_r rules. Or make up new rules every time you go out the door. Accept that and deal.

It is almost time for us all to get out there and see how many of our fellow hunters we can annoy and bother. Or we could all just go enjoy ourselves our own way and try not to judge.
However that does *NOT* excuse the assbags who think that they can kill a duck that is 100 yards away laterally, 200 yards up vertically, and over _*MY*_ head! :mrgreen:


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## 28 Gauge (Aug 19, 2009)

Amen!!


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## deadicatedweim (Dec 18, 2007)

gunrunner said:


> deadicatedweim said:
> 
> 
> > call BS. If you can select birds in a flock flying you dam well better have the judgment of when to shoot or not to shoot on sitting ducks.
> ...


So basically what needs to be said is. Ground swatting is okay if you do it responsibly. Like shooting birds in the air you need to do it responsibly.



blt4spd said:


> Artoxx said:
> 
> 
> > If you count the number of people who responded positively or even nuetrally(sp) and compare them to those with YOUR belief, then you are outnumbered here, so maybe YOU are the one who is too immature to understand reality.
> ...


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## shootemup (Nov 30, 2008)

blt4spd said:


> Their's a thing called ethics and fair chase, not to mention the saftey issue. *Why do you think when you hunt with an upland guide*, before the hunt when going through the rules they say " If it's low let it go".


In my opinion i think hunting with an upland guide is *far* more lame, unethical and unfair chase then shooting ducks on the water! :twisted: (ok maybe there is some sarcasm in that statement)

Look i dont know how old you are blt4spd, but i do know this. You will run acrossed a lot of people in your life that will have different opinions and believe it or not you can talk in circles and most of time they won't come to your side. So lets stop acting like we are in the 4th grade and let everyone have their own opinion. I know sometimes we are passionate about things but, lets not get to telling each other to bleep off and such. Lets all just hunt that way makes us feel good, that wont keep us up at night and is legal. Very rarely will we share *all* our values with anyone. This was not ment to bag on you it was purely ment to say lets all just try to get along and let each other hunt the way we see fit. Personally i think this one should probably be locked down!


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## .45 (Sep 21, 2007)

shootemup said:


> Personally i think this one should probably be locked down!


Not a bad idea....anybody else?


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## Artoxx (Nov 12, 2008)

I second the motion, I tried to make this same point with my last post, and it popped right back up with just as much assininity as it had going before. Shut it down .45.


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## .45 (Sep 21, 2007)

After a few PM's from some good forum members, I've realized I may have been too hasty in locking down this thread. It started out okay, but seemed to flounder with no chance of resurfacing into friendly conversation. 

Remember the forum rules....insults and abusive language are not allowed. Also, we would like to keep this a "Family Friendly" forum. 

Good discussion on both sides of the story. btw...I hate ground swatter's !! :wink:


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## truemule (Sep 12, 2007)

Thanks .45, I thought we were being pretty civil for the most part, but didn't argue cause I could see how it could go south quick. 

Oh BTW.. I hat grumpy old gnome men. Hehe


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## diverfreak (May 11, 2008)

Good discussion on both sides of the story. btw...I hate ground swatter's !! :wink:[/quote]

Hate the game, not the players!

The hardest part of waterfowling is getting the birds into decoy range! Once you FOOL them take them legally anyway you want, its not up to me or anyone else, but it is up to you how to ethicly take em!
I am sure that if 90% of you on here were hunting and you feel asleep and woke up to a neck collared goose sitting 20 yards away you would shoot it where it sat, And if im wrong please enlighten me! SO, that would make everyone who thinks waterswatting is wrong a HIPPOCRIT!
I will admit i will take a nice drake can, bluebill, redhead off the water and other times i give em a free "get out of jail card", and let them go as they made my whole day by outfooling the fooler!

DiverFreak


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## gunrunner (Feb 1, 2008)

Nice move Mr. .45
now where was I? Oh ya on my soapbox telling everyone how my way is the only way. :shock: 

It all boils down to each his own. I have my beliefs and ethics and think they are the best. I will argue them with anyone. I don't buy into the ground pounding or the not eating your birds one bit.
I believe in fair chase, even to the point that if a bird makes it into my decoys he gets a free pass. If we all keep shooting them in the decoys they will become pretty decoy shy. I have noticed that more and more geese will work the dekes and land 75 yards off instead of finishing, I believe that some of our landing and shooting them is the cause, just my opinion and belief.

And for the record, I know blt4spd has never used an upland guide, it was just an example of why not to shoot towards the ground, dog, decoys and such......

Carry on now.


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## .45 (Sep 21, 2007)

diverfreak said:


> I am sure that if 90% of you on here were hunting and you feel asleep and woke up to a neck collared goose sitting 20 yards away you would shoot it where it sat, And if im wrong please enlighten me!


Never fell asleep duck hunting, but fell asleep against a tree on the elk hunt, almost wasted a four point deer that was staring at me when I woke up though... :|

I hunted once with a couple of brothers, Jim & Jim, like from that one show. Slow day and they started ground pounding, it kind of disgusted me, I'm used to working for a kill. I didn't see any skill or stealth involved at what they did. I quit hunt'in with 'em.


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## blt4spd (Aug 24, 2008)

Thanks .45 for opening this back up. There's a right way to hunt and a wrong way. Like I said before "Just because it's legal doesn't make it right." A lot of hunting laws are made because they have no way of inforcing the right thing to do. Biologicly killing hen pinnies is not good management, but they know most hunters can't or won't ID their birds, so they give them a cushion. There's not enough tickets in the world to keep people from shooting the wrong ducks. It's legal to still shoot Shovelers, even though they're full of mercury and you shouldn't eat them, but hunters still do. It's legal to stand on a dike, without a dog, and unload on ducks at 70 yards, maybe hitting one and sailing it into the wild blue yonder, with no chance of recovery. Wanton waste of game is a hard one to prove. It should be illegal to hunt off a dike without a trained retriever. It's not against the law to gravy train someones decoy spread but people do it. A couple warning shots over the bow solves this problem. A few guys on here keep bringing up that we shouldn't argue amongst ourselves because it gives fuel to the anti- hunters. I say it's the "slob hunters" that give fuel to the antis. All you have to do is go out on the youth hunt and you'll see "slob hunters" teaching the next generation how to be a "slob hunter". Education is the key. Maybe an ethics course with every duck stamp or hunting license. Sorry for the ramble.


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## blt4spd (Aug 24, 2008)

diverfreak said:


> Good discussion on both sides of the story. btw...I hate ground swatter's !! :wink:


Hate the game, not the players!

The hardest part of waterfowling is getting the birds into decoy range! Once you FOOL them take them legally anyway you want, its not up to me or anyone else, but it is up to you how to ethicly take em!
I am sure that if 90% of you on here were hunting and you feel asleep and woke up to a neck collared goose sitting 20 yards away you would shoot it where it sat, And if im wrong please enlighten me! SO, that would make everyone who thinks waterswatting is wrong a HIPPOCRIT!
I will admit i will take a nice drake can, bluebill, redhead off the water and other times i give em a free "get out of jail card", and let them go as they made my whole day by outfooling the fooler!

DiverFreak[/quote]

Hey Freak, Believe it or not, not everyone gives a crap about neck collars and leg bands. All birds that land in my deeks are safe. Nothing better than a live decoy swimming in the deeks to fool the other birds. Trophies are all about how they were taken. Every time you look above the mantle and see that nice trophy Canvasback you'll think " I remember that day when I woke up to find that unlucky duck swimming in my deeks." No skill involved. Make sure you get him mounted like you shot him, swimming, maybe even with his head under water. I personally like my duck mounts like I shoot them. Flying. Cupped and committed or screaming through the deeks it doesn't matter as long as they're in the air.


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## diverfreak (May 11, 2008)

Hey Freak, Believe it or not, not everyone gives a crap about neck collars and leg bands. All birds that land in my deeks are safe. Nothing better than a live decoy swimming in the deeks to fool the other birds. Trophies are all about how they were taken. Every time you look above the mantle and see that nice trophy Canvasback you'll think " I remember that day when I woke up to find that unlucky duck swimming in my deeks." No skill involved. Make sure you get him mounted like you shot him, swimming, maybe even with his head under water. I personally like my duck mounts like I shoot them. Flying. Cupped and committed or screaming through the deeks it doesn't matter as long as they're in the air.[/quote]

No skilled involve, i beg to differ! I dont fall asleep while waterfowling, it was a imaganitive scenerio! I could care less about geese myself, but would take it off the water as i would be worried that i would rock it 3 times in the air to watch it fly away! I think flying mounts stink, but thats my opinion! Fair chase is fairchase and if they are in the dekes thats fair! I would rather eat a bird that got head shot than a bird shot in the chest at 15 yards but then again, who cares what your opinion is! Sometimes it gets real boring decoying birds at ten yards and shooting them day in and day out! I like to let a few land and watch them for 5 to 10 minutes in the dekes, and then prepare them for the table! 

DiverFreak

p.s blt4spd,
If you think that a bunch of slobs are teaching there kids on the youth hunt you should teach a waterfowl 101 class and enlighten all the stand up guys getting there kids into waterfowling! Me and my kids could use the lesson!


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## blt4spd (Aug 24, 2008)

diverfreak said:


> p.s blt4spd,
> If you think that a bunch of slobs are teaching there kids on the youth hunt you should teach a waterfowl 101 class and enlighten all the stand up guys getting there kids into waterfowling! Me and my kids could use the lesson!


I'll tell you what, for the youth hunt, any dike hunters and skybusters that need a hand in learning how to hunt ducks over decoys, PM me and I'll get you set up. I've got enough stuff for a few groups. I'll even put you into some easy spots. It would be nice for the kids to see how it should be done.


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## diverfreak (May 11, 2008)

blt4spd said:


> diverfreak said:
> 
> 
> > p.s blt4spd,
> ...


Thanks for the offer but we manage a bird or two the right way! Delta is looking for mentors to help youth hunters, its a good way to teach them the right way, i will be doing it as well!


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## Longgun (Sep 7, 2007)

blt4spd said:


> It would be nice for the kids to see how it should be done.


waterpounding isnt really for me either but...

... :roll: ...oh for god's sake..."how it SHOULD be done"...really? PLEASE :lol: you meen taking a walk/ride/bike/or hike w/o decoys, then maybe happen to wack one or two while "it" swims by, isnt doing it _right_?...have the holyer than thous now officially entered the building?....get over yourself people...its a choice, another called it discusting? hardly.... if the bird in question flys, swims, walks or runs into the decoys and someone decides to kill it...who cares? what is discusting and should be shunned to the umpteenth degree, are the ones that pile hulls/plastic bags/cardboard boxes/cans/candy wrappers and other assorted CRAP all over our mountains and marshes but in the same action then declair themselves hunters and sportsmen....THAT sir ('s) is discusting.

hell, i fish for smallies in the spring while they are on the beds, or i might even help my son shoot a buck this weekend out of my buddys treestand while the buck is on his way to the opening in the fence i discovered....am i evil now? what if i kill my mulie again this year with a rifle at 300+...?


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## Longgun (Sep 7, 2007)

gunrunner said:


> *It all boils down to each his own*.* I believe in fair chase, even to the point that if a bird makes it into my decoys he gets a free pass.* If we all keep shooting them in the decoys they will become pretty decoy shy. *I have noticed that more and more geese will work the dekes and land 75 yards off instead of finishing, I believe that some of our landing and shooting them is the cause, just my opinion and belief*.


isnt granting a free pass, akin to handing out a diploma? ...quit shooting the groups of four or more. :idea: i was taught that if "two-three-four birds arrive to the party, two-three-four better stay for dinner"... let the big groups "walk".


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## woollybugger (Oct 13, 2007)

I don't do it, but I don't condemn those that do. If that's the way you hunt, then go ahead. My only, and biggest concern is that of safety. Shooting into the sky with a shotgun is relatively safe sport. Shooting parallel to the ground toward other hunters is not safe. A magnum load of large tungsten shot will carry a long way! Just watch where you point that thing and I'll keep a neutral view of ground pounders.


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