20 replies to this topic

[Chris M]

My brother took me duck hunting this past weekend. The spot is only 10 minutes from my house - 5 minutes from his. We got there late, and had less than an hour of shooting time, and only one gun. Since it was my first time, he let me do the shooting. I found out quickly that I'm not a very good shot. I've never even shot clay pigeons. I had about 8-9 opportunities, took about 5-6 shots before I hit one. One time I left the safety on, then I forgot to cycle the next round. Anyways, here's what I got, with only about 3 minutes of shooting time left in the day. Click to enlarge.It was a perfect head/neck shot. None landed in the body.

[ShooterJohn]

It's fun though isn't it? Everybody does the safety trick. I've almost broken a finger trying to get that safety to fire. Go out and shoot some clay's, it's great practice and good fun.

[Chris M]

It's fun though isn't it? Everybody does the safety trick. I've almost broken a finger trying to get that safety to fire. Go out and shoot some clay's, it's great practice and good fun.

I need to get a shotgun first. I was borrowing a friends Benelli Nova for the hunt.In case anyone is interested, I used 12ga 3" 4 shot Remington Nitro Steel. It was the most suitable ammo I could find on short notice.

[ShooterJohn]

I guess a shotgun would help.

[Buckaroobarnone]

Nice going Chris! Once you get a gun and get some time on it things will improove. Nice pics, that last one at sundown is gorgous!

[Chris M]

Thanks. Can you tell I need to get some boots? I was in San Antonio last week, visiting my mother...so of course I had to go to Bass Pro & Cabelas while I was there. Neither one had any hunting boots in my size (15) for under $100. I was bummed, but I got a nice waterfowl 'Starter Kit' at BPS for only $50...it had a floating gun case, the neoprene 'fanny-pack' in the photo, ankle straps, a mesh decoy backpack-bag, a blind/gear bag, and some other accessories like bottle/can insulators.

[Buckaroobarnone]

Your on your way! Keep it up it only gets more fun by the way!

[DEERSLAM]

Way to go on the spoonie

[Chris M]

I was told it was a Shoveler. Spoonies are Scaups, right? Or is there a larger group of several species called Spoonies?

[DEERSLAM]

Shoveler, spoonie...same bird. The later is slang.

[bzzrd feedr]

The Great Northern Shoveler aka as a Spoonie, or a Broadbill is a very common duck in the Pacific flyway. It is not a scaup. They are not the most desirable table fare of the duck family but for your first duck it is a beautiful drake. Congrats! Caution it is a very expensive hobby that causes financial hardship and various other domestic problems. Many a duckhunter ended up with the locks changed and sleeping with his Lab.

[Jeff]

Once you duck hunt once, you won't stop. It's what I look forward to all year. Wait until you get a stringer full of birds.Here's me on this years opener after getting out of the waders with all of our ducks (3 bird or so average, which sucks for an opener - and that included a coot because there was nothing flying). Notice the T.P. And the last one is my little (yep, he's bigger than me) brother with his first two birds ever.As for causing strife...let's just say I'd rather be in those white trash trailers you see behind me than at home during duck season.

[Jeff]

And for the record, I've never seen a better looking spoonie. You'll learn that breasting those ducks is the quickest way...they aren't worth the extra effort of dressing.

[Thumper Dunker]

Duck hunters are all nuts just a bunch of Quacks sitting in the rain in neck deep water just to shoot a scrawny little bird . almost as as bad as sitting in the mud under a tree waiting for a coyote to show up Thats a pretty bird there what ever it is I can't tell a mallard from a swan.Every one needs at least one shot gun.

[Moe]

Spoonie.....Spoonbill....Shoveler.......As Shakespeare said, "A rose by any other name would smell just as much." Or something like that. Once you get into the sport of duck hunting you'll find that almost every duck has a host of names. Scaup are also called Bluebills, Pintails are called sprig or longnecks, depending on where you're at. Baldpates are known as widgeon almost anywhere you go, etc. Get yourself a good reference book and learn the lingo. Once you spend a few thousand dollars on gear, gas, calls, etc, this is what you have to look forward to. That's my then partner holding up our take for a morning hunt at Umatilla NWR last season.

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[clampdaddy]

Hey Jeff, I bet you guys are having alot of fun bustin' all those ducks that used to come down here before the enviromentalists made the rice farmers quit burning their fields off.

[Chris M]

They are not the most desirable table fare of the duck family

You'll learn that breasting those ducks is the quickest way...they aren't worth the extra effort of dressing.

Tell me about it. I should have just breasted it. I tried to cook up the whole thing in a slow cooker with some veggies and spices - neither my wife nor I could stomach it. It tasted like dirt with a hint of poo. Oh well...Live & Learn. We couldn't even eat the veggies.I always eat everything I kill. I felt kind of bad not eating more than a couple bites. The dogs liked it though.

[lilwes278]

I always eat everything I kill.

If that was the case I'd have to stop hunting for anything but big game & birds. There's no way you'd catch me eating ground squirrels, jackrabbits, coyotes, bobcats, crows, coons, etc. unless it was necessary for survival.

[Chris M]

I haven't gotten into hunting the Pests yet.

[Jeff]

Jacks are good, and I know people who eat coons. Yank the backstraps from your cats...I had a bite once, tastes no worse than rabbit.

[Truckeedan]

Chris M.Ah yes! Spoonies, the flying dump truck of the duck family. You can always tell when the are coming in because you can hear their lips fapping in the wind.You should learn to ID ducks in the air because bag limits are type and sex specific. If you buy a used shotgun, be sure it is capable of firing steel shot, I believe all new guns are now.If you shoot a bunch of Spoonies you should try my Duck Summer Sausage recipe posted in the Kitchen. Spoonies, Teal, Mallards, whatever, it all tastes the same (good) when it's ground up with pork and smoked.Welcome aboard.Truckeedan