Ethics question?

[Phoneguy]

Right to the point

Is it okay to shoot ducks that are swimming? I am thinking if you jump them they are in the water right? Is there any rules. I guess this is two parts. Is it legal. Is it ethical.

Thanks
James

[HuntNHookSports]

I believe the technical term is water swattin'.
It is perfectly legal. I would do it but it is easier to kill a flying bird.

Didn't we just have a thread about this?

[wolverine]

Where I come from it's considered poor sportsmanship and it's called "sluicing". Just like shooting upland game birds on the ground is called "ground sluicing". Is it unethical? Hell, who can say. We all have personal choices to make. To sit in judgement on someone who is legally taking game by whatever means because it doesn't "fit" or some how conflicts with our own ideas of what is fair isn't for me or anyone else on this board to say.

[Crazy_Farmer]

Nothing illegal about it. Ethics on the other hand, well like the saying "different strokes for different folks" it only matters on the person doing the shooting whether they feel its sporting. Same goes for shooting a goose on the ground.

I feel that however a guy wants to shoot a bird, aslong as he's trying his best to make a quick clean kill is fine with me. Some cant hit birds wingshooting shots out to 40+ yards which they figure is their "range", sure you could can call shooting on the wing being sporting but I wouldnt call wounding and birds later dieing a day later from wounds very sporting at all. Make a clean kill thats all that counts.

Besides, geese on the ground is just like turkey hunting, and we dont have any turkeys here :biggrin:

[branthunter]

Any birds that land in my decoys get a free pass unless they leave and come back.

[Dano]

It's legal but not considered sporting. Almost everyone has done it and you'll know when you want more sporting shooting. Ethical, like CF said, trying for a clean kill is one of the most ethical aspects of hunting.
I think it's easier to kill a bird in the air too though. When they jump up, they offer a pretty good shot most times.
Dan

[Gateholio]

Here is my take on it- It depends who you are, and what you are interested in.

Some guys view grouse as thier #1 challenge. They carry sxs shotguns, have grouse dogs and wander the uplands. Ground sluicing a grouse woudl be unthinkable. But, when they sometimes deer hunt, a little buck standing on the side of the road is a good "meat buck" and they are happy to take it.

Some guys view deer as thier #1 challenge. They carry rifles, hunt tough terrain, and study deer habits. Shooting a little deer on the road would be unthinkable. But on thier way to deer camp, they often have a .22 or 20 guage in the truck, to nail grouse on the road, for the pot, and they are happy with that.

Some guys are dedicated waterfowlers. They have dogs, decoys and boats. Shooting waterfowl on the ground or sitting in water is unthinkable. But they might shoot a deer on the road, or a grouse with a .22.

I'm not a waterfowler, but if I went out with someone that was, used his decoys etc, I would play by his rules, and only wing shoot. However, if I was faced with a situation where I happened upon some ducks in a pond or field, and I coudl get within range, I would most likely treat them like roadside grouse, and ground sluice them with my 20 guage SXS...:lol

If, at on point, I became keenly interested in waterfowling, most likely I too would become a wing shooter only, since really, what's the point of becoming a "keen" ground sluicer?

[Ian F.]

To be a little tangental...

In the south, the epitome of calling is to land the ducks on the water, they even have a term for it, can't remember right now. Then they scare them up to shoot, which in my estimation is the easiest deadliest shot on ducks, straight up from the water that is...

Get some ducks under your belt, then worry about how.

Ian

[jethro]

I wouldn't have a problem hunting with a water-swatter or a ground-pounder. Its the skybusters that piss me off!!!!!

[PGK]

Well it's been said. Legal, but in most circles frowned on.

Upland for me is slowly becoming the only hunting I want to do. In slow years like this one, I will take em where I can get em. Running flying or sitting! In good years like 2006, I will try to kick them up (scare them into flushing) so they have a sporting chance.

Waterfowl, I prefer to wingshoot and get the cleanest kills that way. Every duck I shot this fall except one had at least one hole in the head and died instantly. I did sluice one, but that was only because I didn't want to buy McDonalds and he didn't want to flush :lol:

I would suspect every waterfowler out there was done it at least a few times, and those that say they haven't are probably too embarassed to admit it.

All that said, the end result is still meat on the table.

[Lone Ranger]

All that said, the end result is still meat on the table.

I haven't been duck hunting in a long time, probably 15 years. I always enjoyed wingshooting personally and I'd wait to shoot until then - but we weren't depending on them for food either. I hunt grouse all the time, and I'll take them either off the ground or treed, its a little hard to pick them with a .22 while flying!

And legal meat on the table, in the end thats all that really matters. Sportsmanship is the first day attitude, meat on the table is the last day attitude!! I'm sorry, I really couldn't resist saying that (many times I've had to resort to the latter of the two attitudes lol). LR

[sneg]

For me biggest enjoyment is to call ducks in and let them land. I shoot when I see duck really commit to my decoys or land than I stand up and flush it and have good sporting shot at distance I m comfortable with. I do not understand pass shooting,when someone shooting well beyond reasonable shooting zone, just for chance that some single pellet hit poor duck or snow geese. No work done here ,seems live target shooting only.And they never care if dead or wonded bird fall down in some unreachable place. If person is not comfortable to wing shoot ,but hit only sitting ducks than let it be and do not discourage it. This is more ethical to me than any high sky wing shooting. Every hunt I see number of birds wonded by hunters sitting on side of the road in their casual dress and hoping that killed duck or goose will fall down exactly in their back pack.