Shooting waterfowl

[Knobbies]

I heard somewhere that it's illegal to shoot waterfowl unless they're airborne. Reading through the regs, I can find no reference to this. Is it BS, or am I just not finding it?

[Tanya]

Not true, but it is considered "unsporting" by many.

[Marc]

It is legal to shoot birds on land and water but definitely seems harder to kill them that way.

When a bird is flying it exposes it's vitals and wings. Where as if a bird is sitting on the water it's chest is under water and it's back is covered with the wings making it a hard target to kill or knock down. I used to think that my chances were better shooting birds on the water but once I started shooting birds on the wing I started getting more birds.

Then like Tanya said some think it's unsportsmanlike like to shoot waterfowl on land or water, but the majority of the people who condemn it, shoot grouse sitting on the road or turkeys on the ground.

[PGK]

It is legal to shoot birds on land and water but definitely seems harder to kill them that way.

When a bird is flying it exposes it's vitals and wings. Where as if a bird is sitting on the water it's chest is under water and it's back is covered with the wings making it a hard target to kill or knock down. I used to think that my chances were better shooting birds on the water but once I started shooting birds on the wing I started getting more birds.

Then like Tanya said some think it's unsportsmanlike like to shoot waterfowl on land or water, but the majority of the people who condemn it, shoot grouse sitting on the road or turkeys on the ground.

Truer words have never been spoken. I find the same, sitting ducks are easy to hit, but hard to kill. The only two times I've done it, both ducks required two shots to put them down. So far, all of the ducks I have shot on the wing have hit the ground stone dead in one shot.

[Crazy_Farmer]

No laws against it, some states have a law that says you cant shoot a waterfowl while its at "rest" but rest is not decribed its up to the COs choise at the time I guess. The say the law came from market gunning days when they didnt want you sculling into a large flock resting out in the water and shooting them all.

Geez, on the water or land, is probably the easiest shot and kill of all. Sure on the wing you can hit the vitals through the chest, neck or head but also you can just cripple a wing and still have to retrieve and kill it after. The majority of our shots are decoying ones so they're straight on shots which are fairly easy but shooting a duck on water is real easy.

Same as geese, hit em in the head or neck and they'll be dead quickly.

[sparkes3]

shoot em dead water land or air if you so choose

[huntwriter]

It is legal to shoot birds on land and water but definitely seems harder to kill them that way.

You can kill a duck/goose on land with one single shot. The mistake some hunters might make is to point the gun at the bird, as they would when the bird is in flight. However, if a duck/goose is on land you do not point the gun at it, you AIM the gun below its noggin. Just like you would do with a turkey.

[PGK]

You can kill a duck/goose on land with one single shot. The mistake some hunters might make is to point the gun at the bird, as they would when the bird is in flight. However, if a duck/goose is on land you do not point the gun at it, you AIM the gun below its noggin. Just like you would do with a turkey.

othmarvohinger - ground sluice xpert