Making The Right Shot When Waterfowl Hunting

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Avoiding wounding losses will be an ethical and practical goal of waterfowl hunters when the season begins Oct. 2.

“No one wants to wound a duck or goose and be unable to retrieve it. It is a waste of a valuable resource and reflects badly on hunting,” said Jim Hansen, FWP migratory bird coordinator.

Hansen offered these tips to hunters who want to improve their overall waterfowl hunting experience.

The Shot

* Improve shooting skills by practicing on clay targets. Throw both side shots and shots at incoming, overhead targets to simulate typical waterfowl shots.

* Try to limit shots to 40 yards or less. Hunters often miscalculate, judging geese and swans to be close enough for a good shot.

* Avoid “frustration shots.” Using a box of shells on every hunt may mean you’re trying too hard and using poorly planned shots.

* Avoid the third shot syndrome, too.   Typically, this occurs on a “going-away” bird, a difficult bird to kill cleanly because the hard-walled gizzard protects the vital organs.

* When a flock of birds comes in, pick out isolated birds to shoot.   Do not shoot into the flock.

* Choose appropriate nontoxic loads and pellet sizes for whatever you’re hunting.   Several types of nontoxic shot are now available, but steel is the most commonly used.   Try these steel pellet sizes:  

* Canada geese: BBB, BB, and T

* Snow geese:   BB, BBB

* Large ducks (such as mallards):   3, 2, and 4

* Medium ducks:   4, 3, 6

* Small ducks:   6, 4

The Retrieval

* Be sure to have a retrieval strategy in advance, before you even load your gun.   It makes no sense to drop ducks into a river if you have no way to retrieve them.

* Try to hunt with a trained retriever, but don’t create difficult retrieves just to challenge your dog. You can hunt without a retriever, but you need to make intelligent decisions on where you hunt.  

* Choose a hunting site where you can drop birds into open water, rather than into heavy cover.

These simple tips can help a hunter have a more ethical and economical waterfowl-hunting season.

“Experienced hunters will have many other ideas, and sometimes that’s the best way to learn,” Hansen said. “Don’t be shy. Ask an experienced hunter for advice and you may find a good hunting friend in the process.”