# Advice on marsh hens / rail?



## tricky (Sep 9, 2010)

Good day Gentlemen,
I currently live in Statesboro and have heard about marsh hen hunting in passing. Every time I have heard it mentioned, it seems like it was in hushed tones and very esoteric. I love flyfishin for redfish in the salt marshes, so it seems like this form of wingshooting would be right up my ally. Do any of y'all have any help on the subject? Where is it legal to hunt? I know nothing, so anything you can offer up would be greatly helpful. Thanks!


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## lakelbr (Sep 9, 2010)

I've been a couple of times outside of Tybee.  Lead shot is OK.  Go at the absolute highest tide (you can google for tidal charts).  You need a GPS unless you are exceptionally familiar with the area, as coming back after the tide has receded can be difficult.  Shooting them under power is illegal, and it is difficult to paddle around.


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## rdnckrbby (Sep 9, 2010)

Lead shot is NOT okay for rails. They are a federally regulated migratory bird that is waterfowl so steel shot only...know this from personal experience last season when a few dove loads were in my bag while being checked


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## Vernon Holt (Sep 9, 2010)

You can hunt them satisfactorily with a 9 to 9.5 foot tide.  Ideally, if you are lucky enough to catch a 9 foot tide with help from a northeast wind, then you are in business.  Under these conditions, a 9 foot tide will become a ten foot tide.

With little or no wind, a 9 foot tide will likely only allow you 30 to 40 minutes of shooting time.  Any help from a northeaster will extend your shooting time up to one hour.

Obviously paddling any boat in the wind can be tough.  I always used a 12 foot push pole with a fork on the end.  Works well.  Herters waterfowl catalog offers a push pole for sale.

If you have an opportunity to scout, select an area where the marsh grass is relatively short.  You can get into the shorter grass quicker, and you can stay longer.  You will find the density of birds to be adequate anywhere you decide to hunt.  I always hunted close to the mainland, as opposed to hunting the distant marshes.

Use a "beat up" aged shotgun or make sure you do a thorough clean-up.  Hot water bath is recommended, then dry well and oil.

A john boat and a small motor is ideal for this use.

If you hunt with more than one man in the boat, make sure that that gun safety is stressed!!

I lived on the GA Coast for 30 years and enjoyed the diversity of hunting in the area.

If you know how to fry squirrel and make gravy in with the squirrel, cook your marsh hens the same way.  You will love it.


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## Public Land Prowler (Sep 9, 2010)

rdnckrbby said:


> Lead shot is NOT okay for rails. They are a federally regulated migratory bird that is waterfowl so steel shot only...know this from personal experience last season when a few dove loads were in my bag while being checked



The ban states for geese,coots,ducks,brant..doesn't say anything about dove,marsh hens,or snipe,quail..etc..Is this just a GW that may have not known himself..did you have ducks in your possesion as well??You can't have lead shot at all while shooting ducks...curious..because there is no law that I can find that says lead for rails is illegal.Were you on a nwr?non tox only on nwr's.



> The ban on the use of lead shot for hunting waterfowl was phased-in starting with the 1987-88 hunting season.  The ban became nationwide in 1991. Nontoxic shot regulations apply only to waterfowl, defined as the family Anatidae (ducks, geese, [including brant], and swans) and coots.




http://www.fws.gov/migratorybirds/CurrentBirdIssues/nontoxic.htm

The Clapper Rail (Rallus longirostris) is a member of the rail family, Rallidae..not Anatidae

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clapper_Rail

My understanding is they are not considered waterfowl,but are considered a shore bird.

http://www.pbase.com/nomofilm1/image/58255461

It is my belief that either you were in a NWR,or the GW was just wanting to write you up for something.I've talked with a few guys who do it,and they all use lead.But if they find one duck,and one lead shell you are fried.





> A 2006 survey of existing nontoxic shot regulations for hunting waterfowl contacted 50
> U.S. states, 10 Canadian provinces and 2 Canadian territories (D.J. Case & Associates 2006). In 2006, 23 states had nontoxic shot regulations for dove, crane, rail, snipe, quail, and/or pheasant hunting on some state-managed lands that go beyond those required by federal law for waterfowl hunting (Alaska, California, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming). Some of these restrictions apply to public, but not private land, and in 7 states the restrictions only apply to mourning dove and/or marsh species such as snipe and rails. In general, the regulations are more widespread for species that overlap in habitat with waterfowl (such as crane rail, and snipe), and to a lesser degree, doves, and are less restrictive for upland game birds such as grouse, quail and pheasant. Of the 40 states that allow dove hunting, 16 have some level of nontoxic shot requirements specific to dove hunting.


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## rdnckrbby (Sep 10, 2010)

We had no ducks in our boat that morning, we were hunting the shellmans bluff/pelican point adjacent marshes and got checked. He made it a clear point to us that marsh hens could only be shot with steel so we have done so since....i've seen what you posted before but he made his point that lead could not be used and it was big trouble if you were using it, i called a local GW last night William Vickers and he said that steel shot CANNOT be used marsh hen hunting but i described that the laws said nothing of it, so hunt with lead at your on risk but the new #6 low brass steel is pretty much cheaper than lead shot and is plenty enough to knock one down


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## lakelbr (Sep 10, 2010)

Before I went I checked the Regional DNR office in Thomson.  They didn't know and had to check with the Feds in Savannah.  Came back and said rails were classified as a shore bird not waterfowl and therefore not subject to the steel shot requirement.


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## rdnckrbby (Sep 10, 2010)

Thanks for clearing that issue up. I will save my money and buy cheap lead from now on!


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