# Roost morning?



## mbentle2 (Nov 16, 2014)

Got a beaver pond on my place the ducks fly in after sunset. Brother sat there this morning to watch and there were ducks before light that flew out. After light ducks started to fly in. Should we just get in early and quiet and shoot the ones that come after light?


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## BassnG3 (Nov 16, 2014)

Go after the ones that fly back in but only do it only once a week to keep them coming back.


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## jay sullivent (Nov 16, 2014)

BassnG3 said:


> Go after the ones that fly back in but only do it only once a week to keep them coming back.



What he said


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## vrooom (Nov 16, 2014)

Trying to sneak into a roost pond in the morning to shoot them leaving is very difficult.  It's so easy to bust them and them all fly out when you walk in


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## GSURugger (Nov 16, 2014)

^yup


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## DEE--Bo (Nov 16, 2014)

Get in there right at shooting time and you can shoot the ones flying out.


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## jay sullivent (Nov 16, 2014)

vrooom said:


> Trying to sneak into a roost pond in the morning to shoot them leaving is very difficult.  It's so easy to bust them and them all fly out when you walk in


It doesn't matter, there will be birds that fly in that have roosted somewhere else. I don't think it would hurt your hunting at all spooking those roosting birds, if they start to roost elsewhere I think they would still prob visit the pond during the day. As far as shooting birds on there way out of the roost...not very likely


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## HalOutdoors (Nov 16, 2014)

if the ones coming in in the afternoon are coming in during legal shooting hours shoot them in the afternoon.roost shoots are very fun.


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## GSURugger (Nov 16, 2014)

Good lord


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## steelshotslayer (Nov 16, 2014)

GSURugger said:


> Good lord


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## tradhunter98 (Nov 16, 2014)

steelshotslayer said:


>



^^x2


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## deast1988 (Nov 17, 2014)

If you try an after noon. We got a nice talking too. Even though we hadn't shot since legal time ended. We were stopped in the process of leaving and getting to the trucks. And they (Green Jeans) said we were suppose to be gone by legal time. Not sure how to decipher that, something about disturbing wildlife I guess. Either way since it was now marked on their GPS our parking location we found better roost more remote. Cross your (Ts) because federal regulated birds they'll burn you up! Good luck,


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## GSURugger (Nov 17, 2014)

Here's an idea...don't shoot the roost.


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## BobSacamano (Nov 17, 2014)

well, there's that. Good thought Rugger.


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## chasinggreenheads (Nov 17, 2014)

more than likely, you will never SNEAK up on them while
they are on the roost.  So, you gotta find where they are going when they leave the roost (where they want to go and lounge during the day)....woodies are a frustrating bird to hunt


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## waistdeep (Nov 17, 2014)

Never shoot a roost during the season,chance you'll run off the birds, if you must shoot it last day of season, that way it can rest and hold some birds for next year.


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## steelshotslayer (Nov 17, 2014)

I can already tell this is gonna be a great year for how to spot that guy.  HAHAHAHA


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## GSURugger (Nov 17, 2014)

BobSacamano said:


> well, there's that. Good thought Rugger.



I do what I can.


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## Flaustin1 (Nov 17, 2014)

Hate to be "that guy" but we shoot a roost often every year.  Just wait till about 30 min after legal light to go in.  Plenty of birds come into our roost swamp after those that were roosted there have left.  Never has affected it negatively.  Just my experience.


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## tradhunter98 (Nov 17, 2014)

He is talking about shooting it in te afternoons which can mess it up for more then one swamp.

I hope you are talking about 30min after light in the morning not the afternoon. Haha


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## rnelson5 (Nov 17, 2014)

Flaustin1 said:


> Hate to be "that guy" but we shoot a roost often every year.  Just wait till about 30 min after legal light to go in.  Plenty of birds come into our roost swamp after those that were roosted there have left.  Never has affected it negatively.  Just my experience.



Agreed.


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## DEE--Bo (Nov 17, 2014)

Nothing wrong with hunting a roost in the morning.  Afternoon hunting is a different story.  Save it for the last day of the season.  Has anybody ever hunted divers coming in to roost in the afternoon?


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## Scrapy (Nov 17, 2014)

An old saying, "if a duck ever sees fire coming out of your gun barrel, he won't be back". I believe it morning or evening.  

The same for a roost pond as for a day feeding pond. A few ducks roost in it but they bust out when you go in.  Sometimes, before shooting time they start coming in by the tens and twenties.  If more that half of what you expect to come in are on the water before shooting time it is best not to shoot any. Just bust them out as you are going back to the hill to drink coffee. They are still hungry. Of course other have come in and they bust out when you go back. Don't pop a cap then either.  In a little while ducks start coming back in two's and threes. You can get a good hour steady shoot instead of a five minute rush.  

Of course if the ducks hold off coming in till shooting time there is lots of fun in a five minute rush too.

Not to be a downer but a roost pond is a roost pond and nothing much changes that but a crop of corn next year.

A roost pond shot when they leaveout. Gives you a bout a thirty second "hunt",  not worth me getting up for. On the last evening of the season can be fun but don't wear waders, have your runnin shoes on. LOL


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## jay sullivent (Nov 17, 2014)

DEE--Bo said:


> Nothing wrong with hunting a roost in the morning.  Afternoon hunting is a different story.  Save it for the last day of the season.  Has anybody ever hunted divers coming in to roost in the afternoon?


Most divers roost in rafts way out in open water


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## GSURugger (Nov 17, 2014)

A roost shoot is not hunting. It's shooting.


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## BobSacamano (Nov 17, 2014)

Flaustin1 said:


> Hate to be "that guy" but we shoot a roost often every year.  Just wait till about 30 min after legal light to go in.  Plenty of birds come into our roost swamp after those that were roosted there have left.  Never has affected it negatively.  Just my experience.



thats different. thats not shooting the roosting birds.


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## rnelson5 (Nov 18, 2014)

GSURugger said:


> A roost shoot is not hunting. It's shooting.



I may disagree to a certain extent. If you are hunting a place where birds roost but other birds also use during the day and you hunt it in the morning killing both some birds coming out and birds coming in that is hunting.


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## deast1988 (Nov 18, 2014)

rnelson5 said:


> I may disagree to a certain extent. If you are hunting a place where birds roost but other birds also use during the day and you hunt it in the morning killing both some birds coming out and birds coming in that is hunting.



I agree, it's safer to from a legality stand point. Having lots of birds using your spot is great not abusing and ruining it is the key.


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## GSURugger (Nov 18, 2014)

rnelson5 said:


> I may disagree to a certain extent. If you are hunting a place where birds roost but other birds also use during the day and you hunt it in the morning killing both some birds coming out and birds coming in that is hunting.



I am referring specifically to standing near/at/on/etc. a pond used for roosting in the evening and shooting in the evening.


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## HookinLips (Nov 18, 2014)

LOL^!!! 
Someone please tell me why it's worse than murder to shoot ducks coming into a roost hole..... I just got back from Saskatchewan and they do it all the time up there. In fact, MOST duck hunts are evening roost shoots up there, BUT they can shoot up till 30 minutes after sunset. And yes, they have more birds than Georgia hunters could ever dream of but this doesn't "ruin spots" up there.... The outfitter we went with rotates the same 6-8 holes and it's limits every night. If your birds are coming to the hole in the evenings during legal light, why wouldn't you hunt them in the evenings??? And how on earth is roost shooting "not hunting"? Whether you shoot them coming in to a feeding/resting area in the morning or coming in to roost for the night, is it really a big difference?


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## GSURugger (Nov 18, 2014)

LOL^!!!
You have your opinion and I mine.  I feel as if your logic is patently flawed; you're comparing apples to oranges.  You said it yourself "they have more birds than Georgia hunters could ever dream of" & "The outfitter we went with rotates the same 6-8 holes" which directs me to the thought that due to migration and bird numbers, the same birds may not be shot at more than once on a given pothole.  Comparing a Georgia summer duck roost to a Saskatchewan pothole is hilariously ridiculous.  I'm speaking specifically with regard to posting up on a Georgia pond dam while several hundred woodies pour in at dark.  IC choke and some 2-3/4" #7's and that's like shooting proverbial fish in a barrel.  FWIW, I do enjoy evening hunts, though I prefer to seek out afternoon feeding, loafing, or transition areas.  Not small roost holes.  

Respectfully.


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## HookinLips (Nov 18, 2014)

In agreement on the apples to oranges comparison. I still do not see it "ruining" a hole down here considering the fact that the birds down here are STILL migratory birds. lol. I know people that will shoot a wood duck roost pretty regularly and are successful at it from time to time. GRANTED, I don't see it being effective unless you plan on shooting after legal hours down here because that's when the bulk of them seem to come in.


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## GADawg08 (Nov 18, 2014)

HookinLips said:


> In agreement on the apples to oranges comparison. I still do not see it "ruining" a hole down here considering the fact that the birds down here are STILL migratory birds. lol. I know people that will shoot a wood duck roost pretty regularly and are successful at it from time to time. GRANTED, I don't see it being effective unless you plan on shooting after legal hours down here because that's when the bulk of them seem to come in.




I've heard a lot of guys say "man we wore em'out shooting a roost the other day I couldn't keep my gun loaded"......and then they wonder why there aren't any birds coming in 2 days later.....I see nothing wrong with shooting birds that may be coming in to a roost early if its before legal shooting time ends....after all, I would imagine that quite a few deer have been killed on the way to a bedding area. But as I highlighted in red above, this is what I think of when a GA duck hunter talks about shooting a roost.....very few guys actually shoot a roost legal


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## HookinLips (Nov 18, 2014)

Yes. Seems like the only way to have a successful roost shoot would be if you shot after legal light down here. Like I said in my earlier post though. It's perfectly legal to shoot 30 minutes after sundown in Sask. And if it means limits of mallards and pintails doing it like it did for us, I'm all in.


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## king killer delete (Nov 18, 2014)

HookinLips said:


> LOL^!!!
> Someone please tell me why it's worse than murder to shoot ducks coming into a roost hole..... I just got back from Saskatchewan and they do it all the time up there. In fact, MOST duck hunts are evening roost shoots up there, BUT they can shoot up till 30 minutes after sunset. And yes, they have more birds than Georgia hunters could ever dream of but this doesn't "ruin spots" up there.... The outfitter we went with rotates the same 6-8 holes and it's limits every night. If your birds are coming to the hole in the evenings during legal light, why wouldn't you hunt them in the evenings??? And how on earth is roost shooting "not hunting"? Whether you shoot them coming in to a feeding/resting area in the morning or coming in to roost for the night, is it really a big difference?



The reason is that 99% of the birds killed on a roost shot in Georgia would be illegal. Roost shooting  wood ducks is not hunting in Georgia. I have hunted in Georgia for many year and it is just recently that we got a 3 wood duck a day limit. You are not shooting over decoys on a roost shot. You are not calling,  You are just shooting. The folks that shot a roost in Georgia are for the most part are not going to stop at 3 birds. That is the reason that an ethical duck hunters would not take part in a roost shoot. They still use sinkboxes in Canada. I would advise you not to do that in the USA either. Just because they do it in Canada does not make it the way we do it in the lower 48 or Alaska. They also put gravy on their French fries. Most folks down here don't do that.


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## steelshotslayer (Nov 18, 2014)

killer elite said:


> The reason is that 99% of the birds killed on a roost shot in Georgia would be illegal. Roost shooting  wood ducks is not hunting in Georgia. I have hunted in Georgia for many year and it is just recently that we got a 3 wood duck a day limit. You are not shooting over decoys on a roost shot. You are not calling,  You are just shooting. The folks that shot a roost in Georgia are for the most part are not going to stop at 3 birds. That is the reason that an ethical duck hunters would not take part in a roost shoot. They still use sinkboxes in Canada. I would advise you not to do that in the USA either. Just because they do it in Canada does not make it the way we do it in the lower 48 or Alaska. They also put gravy on their French fries. Most folks down here don't do that.





Canada the upstairs apartment to the greatest party on earth


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## deerbuster (Nov 18, 2014)

I'm not a big fan of shooting a roost pond, I feel like I mess everything up. A roost pond, to me, is a duck sanctuary to go to stay the night and not get messed with. Even shooting them leaving just kinda erks' me wrong. I would rather figure out where they are going when they leave, get permission to that pond and shoot them away from the roost pond. Just my thought.


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## GSURugger (Nov 18, 2014)

Good thought!


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## T Tolbert (Nov 18, 2014)

killer elite said:


> The reason is that 99% of the birds killed on a roost shot in Georgia would be illegal. Roost shooting  wood ducks is not hunting in Georgia. I have hunted in Georgia for many year and it is just recently that we got a 3 wood duck a day limit. You are not shooting over decoys on a roost shot. You are not calling,  You are just shooting. The folks that shot a roost in Georgia are for the most part are not going to stop at 3 birds. That is the reason that an ethical duck hunters would not take part in a roost shoot. They still use sinkboxes in Canada. I would advise you not to do that in the USA either. Just because they do it in Canada does not make it the way we do it in the lower 48 or Alaska. They also put gravy on their French fries. Most folks down here don't do that.




Soooo you are saying that just because I've shot roost ponds before ( and had a real good time ) I'm an unethical hunter?
That is one of the most ridiculous things you have ever said there killer 

You may have invented the retriever and shot one of the two ducks on the ark, but you can't say someone is not ethical because of a roost shoot.  

For along time the roost pond was one of the only place I had to hunt. So what did I do? I shot the crap out of the birds. 

You are just way off on your statement.


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## SantaGertrudis (Nov 18, 2014)

t tolbert said:


> soooo you are saying that just because i've shot roost ponds before ( and had a real good time ) i'm an unethical hunter?
> That is one of the most ridiculous things you have ever said there killer
> 
> you may have invented the retriever and shot one of the two ducks on the ark, but you can't say someone is not ethical because of a roost shoot.
> ...



lol!


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## king killer delete (Nov 18, 2014)

T Tolbert said:


> Soooo you are saying that just because I've shot roost ponds before ( and had a real good time ) I'm an unethical hunter?
> That is one of the most ridiculous things you have ever said there killer
> 
> You may have invented the retriever and shot one of the two ducks on the ark, but you can't say someone is not ethical because of a roost shoot.
> ...



What I said is if you shot a roost. If you shot late , over the limit. Then you were unethical. You know exactly what I am talking about. If you shot your spot during legal hours and followed the limit then you have not done anything wrong . But you know and I know that some of these killers shot to shot and they leave the birds in the swamp


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## king killer delete (Nov 18, 2014)

BassnG3 said:


> Go after the ones that fly back in but only do it only once a week to keep them coming back.



This^^^


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## T Tolbert (Nov 18, 2014)

I think you should reread your post. There was a pretty broad statement in there


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## deerbuster (Nov 18, 2014)

Uhh Oh!


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## MudDucker (Nov 19, 2014)

Now hold your cotton picking high horses right now.  Let me tell y'all one dad gum thing and that is finding where the ducks want to be ... the X spot ... is 99% of duck hunting.  If you ain't on or near the X, all the decoys and calling in the word aren't going to help you.  I've killed a LOT of ducks without making a single sound on a call (some who hunt with me claim that is a real plus) and with few or no decoys floating out in front of me.  Why ... because I scouted and scouted and found the X. I have seen where the ducks wanted on the X during daylight hours as bad as they wanted into a roost.  If anyone wants to tell me that isn't hunting, they can go fiddle dixie upside down!   You can legally  and ethically shot a pond that ducks use as a roost so long as you start and stop shooting by the end of legal shooting hours.  A lot more ducks usually come after legal hours, but I've killed quite a few early birds and birds leaving the roost in the AM.  Again, if anyone wants to tell me that isn't hunting, they can go fiddle dixie sideways and upside down!  The only unethical duck hunt is one over illegal bait and outside of legal hours.  

Having said that, you know you are in a country founded by great men, but run by idiots when you can get arrested for hunting violations while illegal foreigners flood into our country.


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## king killer delete (Nov 19, 2014)

T Tolbert said:


> Soooo you are saying that just because I've shot roost ponds before ( and had a real good time ) I'm an unethical hunter?
> That is one of the most ridiculous things you have ever said there killer
> 
> You may have invented the retriever and shot one of the two ducks on the ark, but you can't say someone is not ethical because of a roost shoot.
> ...


Yep I also have an Georgia State EMT number of 64 that one is for you . And you guys wonder why you dont have ducks.


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## jay sullivent (Nov 19, 2014)

deerbuster said:


> I'm not a big fan of shooting a roost pond, I feel like I mess everything up. A roost pond, to me, is a duck sanctuary to go to stay the night and not get messed with. Even shooting them leaving just kinda erks' me wrong. I would rather figure out where they are going when they leave, get permission to that pond and shoot them away from the roost pond. Just my thought.


So if some ducks spend the night in a pond, you won't hunt it?


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## deerbuster (Nov 19, 2014)

jay sullivent said:


> So if some ducks spend the night in a pond, you won't hunt it?



That's right. A roost pond to me is the ducks sanctuary, I don't mess with a duck sanctuary. Doesn't make sense to me to do it


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## jay sullivent (Nov 19, 2014)

deerbuster said:


> That's right. A roost pond to me is the ducks sanctuary, I don't mess with a duck sanctuary. Doesn't make sense to me to do it



I hope a duck doesn't decide to stay the night in your favorite spot. Don't hunt any lakes either. Ducks roost there


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## deerbuster (Nov 19, 2014)

jay sullivent said:


> I hope a duck doesn't decide to stay the night in your favorite spot. Don't hunt any lakes either. Ducks roost there



Lakes are completely different than one of my duck holes, lakes are huge and provide plenty of areas for ducks to go. My holes are no bigger than 3 acres max. So I'll still stand by my ways and continue to limit out.


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## jay sullivent (Nov 19, 2014)

deerbuster said:


> Lakes are completely different than one of my duck holes, lakes are huge and provide plenty of areas for ducks to go. My holes are no bigger than 3 acres max. So I'll still stand by my ways and continue to limit out.


I guess it isn't as ridiculous as it seemed if you have multiple private ponds you get to pick from. Most people don't have that luxury.
On a side not, if you think 3 acres is small, I've hunted litlle beaver ponds the size of my living room and had woodies dropping in Luke little helicopters


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## T Tolbert (Nov 19, 2014)

killer elite said:


> Yep I also have an Georgia State EMT number of 64 that one is for you . And you guys wonder why you dont have ducks.



Ok I kill my birds who said I don't have ducks ?


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## HookinLips (Nov 19, 2014)

MudDucker said:


> Now hold your cotton picking high horses right now.  Let me tell y'all one dad gum thing and that is finding where the ducks want to be ... the X spot ... is 99% of duck hunting.  If you ain't on or near the X, all the decoys and calling in the word aren't going to help you.  I've killed a LOT of ducks without making a single sound on a call (some who hunt with me claim that is a real plus) and with few or no decoys floating out in front of me.  Why ... because I scouted and scouted and found the X. I have seen where the ducks wanted on the X during daylight hours as bad as they wanted into a roost.  If anyone wants to tell me that isn't hunting, they can go fiddle dixie upside down!   You can legally  and ethically shot a pond that ducks use as a roost so long as you start and stop shooting by the end of legal shooting hours.  A lot more ducks usually come after legal hours, but I've killed quite a few early birds and birds leaving the roost in the AM.  Again, if anyone wants to tell me that isn't hunting, they can go fiddle dixie sideways and upside down!  The only unethical duck hunt is one over illegal bait and outside of legal hours.
> 
> Having said that, you know you are in a country founded by great men, but run by idiots when you can get arrested for hunting violations while illegal foreigners flood into our country.



Best post on here. Thankfully, someone gets it.


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## king killer delete (Nov 19, 2014)

What I said is if you shot a roost. If you shot late , over the limit. Then you were unethical.


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## king killer delete (Nov 19, 2014)

A true roost shoot is when the birds are coming to the roost in that 30 minutes after sunset. Most roost shooters are shooting lead but may be shooting steel, who may be using  unplugged guns , over the limit and after legal hours.  This is the unethical practice that is a true roost shoot


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## king killer delete (Nov 19, 2014)

[QUOTE=killer elite;9101502]What I said is if you shot a roost. If you shot late , over the limit. Then you were unethical. You know exactly what I am talking about. If you shot your spot during legal hours and followed the limit then you have not done anything wrong . But you know and I know that some of these killers shot to shot and they leave the birds in the swamp[/QUOTE] This is what I said.


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## MudDucker (Nov 20, 2014)

killer elite said:


> What I said is if you shot a roost. If you shot late , over the limit. Then you were unethical.




You did, but I thought it needed some clarification.  Too much PC these days comes from a short misunderstood statement.  Much better to have a misunderstanding after a bombastic post!  

Rock on KE!


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## king killer delete (Nov 21, 2014)

MudDucker said:


> You did, but I thought it needed some clarification.  Too much PC these days comes from a short misunderstood statement.  Much better to have a misunderstanding after a bombastic post!
> 
> Rock on KE!


 Did not want to ruffle any feathers but what I said I think needed to be said. To me a roost shot is just that, wearing them out when they come to the roost. Now on salt water the birds come to the roost during legal shooting hours. That aint no roost shoot.


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## mbentle2 (Nov 22, 2014)

Just wanted to let y'all know the hunt went great. We slipped in on the opposite side they roost in, before it got light the ducks started flying out. After it got light ducks started to trickle in. We got our birds and got out. Ducks were still feeding in the back end when we left.


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## DEE--Bo (Nov 22, 2014)

What did you shoot?


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## king killer delete (Nov 22, 2014)

Sounds like a good hunt


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