Ducks are extremely tough birds

[Kevin J Legg]

Hunted the lake yesterday and got a nice mixed bag. Scoters, broadbills, gadwall,and whistler. We also knocked down a black that we couldn't recover. It's amazing how tough these ducks are. You quickly learn to keep shooting if their heads are up at all. Once they dive they are often never seen again. You often shoot more shells on the cripples than during the rest of the shoot but you certainly need to continue to shoot follow up shots to be ethical.

[john1947]

i often use bb shot on passing ducks results in fewer cripples,4 shot for decoying birds works well.have to shoot when their wings are open for chest shots.set decoys for bo more than thirty yards.This results in very few cripples and wasting shells.Besides birds are often in decoys  where shots are prohibited.Second half we use over 100 divers and a few puddle and a wonderduck flyer or two.

Good luck.now hunt ducks till 9 than perch fish at sodus

[Kevin J Legg]

John,

I usually use #2 on ducks and #4 when they are decoying well but I do sometimes go with BB. Certainly better to shot them before they land on the water and are in close but it is definitely tough to kill any cripples on the water. I've tried various shot sizes for the cripples but it seems like even when you cover them with your pattern it takes that one magic pellet to the head.

I generally set a couple longlines of broadbills with a few whistlers on one side, a few bufflehead on the other and some blacks and mallards closer to shore. If I'm where there are sea ducks I'll add some oldsquaw and scooter. We also may add a wonderduck or two and perhaps a mojo. When you're where they want to be you can get by with a few dozen decoys but sometimes you do need large sets.

Good luck with the cast and blast!

[BLOCKHEAD]

i  keep a box of 7's handy.  sounds strange, think turkey hunting. plus they' cheaper than  burning a bunch of  $ 1- 2shells.  works best with geese, but  i rarely need more than 1 shot  with either.  nothing worse than shooting 8 - 9 times and have a bird swim away.