Hey all I forgot to ask this during the season.

I caught the tail end (last weekend of the season) and I ran into a group of two guys who were shooting ducks as they were still on the water. I thought this was illegal in Texas? But then again I am new to Texas..

Am I wrong on this? Or did I miss a bunch of opportunities for nothing?

Haha


Thanks!

you can water swat all you want. but I prefer backpedaling at 15yds as do most!

Well crap HAHA

Live and learn.

I never shoot Ducks while they are swimming.










I wait for them to stop first.

HAHA some states its illegal to shoot while they are on the water. But as you can tell I am a noob to Duck hunting here.. BUT I did get 5 on the last weekend of the season which was my first time ever duck hunting.

Name one

pretty sure its not illegal in any state. And were these ducks the black ones with white bills and green lobed feet?

or any large black ones with orange beaks?

I agree, tough to hit will swimming. I like to wait till they stop and turn broad side. More pellets to the vitals!

Water swatting is the best.

Queensland, Australia

It's called 'skillet shooting'. And your friends give you hell when you miss a skillet shot.

Got me there, but the only reason it's illegal to shoot a duck on the water in the state of Queensland is because they banned all recreational duck shooting in the sunshine state around 10 years ago.

Maybe I am thinking of quail or pheasant when they must be in flight to shoot. But like I said I am new to duck hunting in all and I have not done my full research. which will be done before next season.

All this talk of water swatting is getting me fired up. I've got to stay off these boards until we get closer to the season.

My thought is that if your spread and calling are good enough to get them to land then you've earned the right to shoot 'em on the water. You do catch hell when you miss 'em though

I usually don't, but I don't care of somebody else does as long as they don't pepper my dekes. There are exceptions of course:
- Wood dux and redheads will sometimes just try to swim away when you try to jump them up.
- Sometimes teal do the same but won't even swim away. After 30 seconds of yelling I've had enough.
- More than one duck right on the edge of range. And it's a slow day. Choot one on the water and clean up the others when they jump up.

I used to be anti-water swat, but I've changed my opinion. I'd rather see somebody cleanly kill a duck on the water than cripple one in the air that can't be recovered.

Great first post, my thoughts exactly.

Yep, and it's cool watching them land. But if they land, you are better off pointing your gun right above them, as soon as they take off pull the trigger. You do this and pellets hit the vital organs and bird drops dead. On the water bird vital organs are protected by the wings and water, on the water you need a pellet to the head. #6 shot best for water swat. I used to carry #6 shot just to kill wounded birds.

Winchester experts makes a 2 3/4" steel #6's upland load that I like to use for swatting. $5.99 a box

So those are your "go to" water swatting load?

Duck commander water swats. CD I have of his, he says best way to call a wood duck is when they are on the water, he says they will come to you in single line and then you water swat them. He says you can jump out of the bushes and scare them up if you want to, but he just water swats them. He has some funny bits in his CDs..

I'll do it as long as they are not in my decoys, just never had time to switch loads.