Resolve shooting problems to bag more ducks
Some Arkansas waterfowlers hunt ducks almost daily throughout the season. Unfortunately, most of us aren’t so lucky. Work, family matters and other commitments only permit a few hunting forays each year.
That’s one reason we want to resolve problems that can result in empty duck straps. A dozen or more shots at ducks could represent a big portion of our hunting season. We want to make those shots count so we can enjoy more ducks on the dinner table.
The good news is most complications can be avoided. If we know what to look for, we can determine if missed shots are the result of poor shooting practices, and if they are, we can correct our mistakes and expect to become better marksmen. More successful days afield will be the result.
PROBLEM NO. 1: USING A POORFITTING SHOTGUN
Being a good marksman starts with shooting a shotgun that feels comfortable, mounts easily to your shoulder and points like an extension of your arm. As waterfowling expert Wade Bourne wrote, “A shotgun should be like a good dance partner that flows smoothly with your lead.”
It is surprising then that many waterfowlers don’t consider proper fit when purchasing a duck gun. As a result, their aim is off, and they make fewer kills.
To determine if a poorfitting gun might be causing problems, be sure your fowling piece is unloaded, and point it at a target like a ceiling light. Do this with both eyes open; then without moving, close one eye and look down the barrel. If you’re on target, your gun fits properly. If you see the entire barrel, or none of it, your gun does not fit properly. If you have to move your head to align your eyesight down the barrel, your gunstock is too long or too short.
If poor fit seems to be a problem, find a gunsmith who can custom-fit your shotgun to your exact measurements. Be sure he measures you while you’re wearing the clothes you typically hunt in, including your coat. If you don’t, the gun’s fit may still be out of whack.
PROBLEM NO. 2: SHOOTING A SHOTGUN LIKE A RIFLE
Hunters often miss ducks because they try to shoot their shotgun like a rifle. They analyze each shot, trying to determine a bird’s flight angle and speed and the exact aim needed to hit it. But overanalysis like this often leads to more misses than hits.
In his book Modern Water
Fowling, John Cartier explained the difference between shotgun and rifle shooting: “Shotgun technique is directly opposite that of a rifle,” he said. “With a rifle, you place your single bullet with perfect aiming and slow precision triggersqueezing. With a shotgun, you ‘throw’ a cloud of shot with lightning reaction.”
Maintaining proper lead is necessary for clean kills. But if you try computing the proper lead in your head each time you shoot, you’ll get frustrated because each shot is different. Some shots are going away, some head-on and some passing at 90 degrees. Some shots are at ducks rocketing past; others are at birds hovering
over the decoys. If you must consciously think about how much lead to hold, you’ll probably miss.
Shotgun shooting should be instinctual. Don’t waste time figuring answers. Let unconscious reaction take care of safely firing the gun. Focus on your target, and follow it with your shotgun. Your brain will automatically determine the correct lead, and if the bird is within range and you have good shooting form, you’ll connect.
Frequent shooting practice can help cure this problem. Sporting-clays courses
with targets simulating ducks floating into the decoys, flying straight overhead and passing at various angles are particularly good. Shoot, shoot and shoot some more. The more you shoot, the more instinct takes over.
PROBLEM NO. 3: SKY BUSTING
“Sky busting” is a waterfowler’s term for shooting at a duck that’s too far away, then missing or wounding it. It’s a common problem. We eagerly await the next shooting opportunity, then fail to let the birds
fly into range before shooting. Some hunters even buy heavyload shotshells, thinking these will allow longer shots. That’s not the case.
It’s important to wait until ducks are within range — 40 yards or less — before firing. That’s a shorter distance than you may realize. Pace it off and see. It may help to place a marker (a spinning-wing decoy, for example) within your hunting area that will help you know the distance beyond which you should not shoot. After a while, you’ll be better able to judge the right distance in a snap.
To resolve this problem, don’t get overanxious. Focus on a single bird, and quickly try to determine if it’s within proper shooting range. If you don’t think it’s close enough, let it pass. Don’t waste shells on a bird you could miss or wound.
Another good practice is to allow one person in your party — someone who is a good judge of birds’ range — to call all the shots. No one shoots until that person says “Shoot!” If the person calling the shots is proficient at judging proper shooting distances, this practice should result in far more ducks on your strap and far fewer wounded or missed birds.
Will fixing these problems allow you to kill every duck you aim at? Not likely. There will still be times you’ll wonder how you missed such an easy shot.
One thing’s for sure, however. If you analyze your shooting habits and make an effort to correct problems, you’ll become a better shooter. And being a better shooter is part of being a good sportsman. We may not bat a thousand each time we’re up to the plate, but true sportsmen feel an obligation to try.