# To swat or not to swat



## Public Land Prowler (Feb 9, 2010)

Who here will not shoot a duck on water unless it is to make a finishing shot?

Who will shoot a duck on water injured or not?

Guess me being a rookie..I will swat one injured or not...am I breaking a "rule"


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## gaturkey99 (Feb 9, 2010)

i'll be honest, i'll swat em if they ask for it. aka sneak in from behind and land quickly. hate me if you want. thats how it is


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## GSURugger (Feb 9, 2010)

swat all day long.  if he's dumb enough to swim around in a bunch of plastic ducks he deserves it.


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## Arrow3 (Feb 9, 2010)

I have no problem swatting one...


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## duckhunter2010 (Feb 9, 2010)

GSURugger said:


> swat all day long.  if he's dumb enough to swim around in a bunch of plastic ducks he deserves it.



x2.


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## PaulD (Feb 9, 2010)

swat and swat alike! Skybusting is a sin. If one lights in your decoys then mission accomplished, swat um!


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## BREAK'N WINGS (Feb 9, 2010)

swat= a gaurantee kill


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## gsubo (Feb 9, 2010)

If I dont kill 3 woodies on the fly..Ill hang out and call em in to me on the water out the swamp!

You know randolph


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## gsubo (Feb 9, 2010)

BREAK'N WINGS said:


> swat= a gaurantee kill




Not necessarily..


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## mcarge (Feb 9, 2010)

If oppurtunity presents itself....I am going to take the shot either way.


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## capt stan (Feb 9, 2010)

Lets see.....I got a few that way....and I have no remorse about it either!!!!!!  of course this is my first year of duck hunting.....so I guess I got a LOT of swatting to do in the future to catch up with the pros.....


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## BREAK'N WINGS (Feb 9, 2010)

gsubo said:


> Not necessarily..



true!!! dont like to tell those stories though.


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## capt stan (Feb 9, 2010)

BREAK'N WINGS said:


> true!!! dont like to tell those stories though.



 Yea Its hard to admitt ya missed one at 25 steps setting on the water...two times...hu Eric


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## BREAK'N WINGS (Feb 9, 2010)

Cant kill'm when your shootin at ripples (thats all you can see sometimes)


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## Robk (Feb 9, 2010)

less pellets in the breast if it's submerged....


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## Dustin Pate (Feb 9, 2010)

No problem with it at all.


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## MorganCounty1210 (Feb 9, 2010)

gsubo said:


> Not necessarily..


I agree, I missed a Drake Merganser just floating around..........It was pretty devastating, the ragging never ends.


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## dawg2 (Feb 9, 2010)

Sky bust:  NO

Water Swat: YES


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## good33 (Feb 9, 2010)

swat yes, head clean off and dont mess no meat up


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## BREAK'N WINGS (Feb 9, 2010)

MorganCounty1210 said:


> I agree, I missed a Drake Merganser just floating around..........It was pretty devastating, the ragging never ends.



I have officially come to the conclusion that mergansers can duck every one of the steel balls that comes out the end of a shot gun.   SEEN IT


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## wareagle5.0 (Feb 9, 2010)

Swat


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## leeledger (Feb 9, 2010)

They can fly?

I'll shoot them on the water if they give me a chance,


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## chadf (Feb 9, 2010)

Didn't make up a team for nothing!!!!

I feel if they land you've done something to fool them, plus you payed for dekes or time getting on the "X", so swat away!!! 

If birds are pileing in on you, it would be diffrent.....


* note- no birds were water swatted in avatar!


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## Swamp Star (Feb 9, 2010)

chadf said:


> Didn't make up a team for nothing!!!!
> 
> I feel if they land you've done something to fool them, plus you payed for dekes or time getting on the "X", so swat away!!!
> 
> ...





TRUE DAT team mate.

Hes liein about the avatar too


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## Hunter/Mason (Feb 9, 2010)

Swamp Star said:


> TRUE DAT team mate.
> 
> Hes liein about the avatar too






He has to SWAT EM, because he sure can't hit em FLYIN!!!!


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## Quackmaster (Feb 9, 2010)

I dont mind swatting ducks at all. "If it flies it dies, but if it just sits there it still dies " Phil Robertson


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## kscoggins (Feb 9, 2010)

Way I see it, if it lands in the dekes, I was hid good enough and had decoys set right to fool it and deserve to take the shot.

Just as much so, if I can put the stalk on one and get within good killin range.....game on!!  Killed 2 woodrows with 1 shot this year doing so.  

If the action gets slow, do what ya gotta do.  Just DON'T SKYBUST !!


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## WOODIE13 (Feb 10, 2010)

Public Land Prowler said:


> Who here will not shoot a duck on water unless it is to make a finishing shot?
> 
> Who will shoot a duck on water injured or not?
> 
> Guess me being a rookie..I will swat one injured or not...am I breaking a "rule"


 

The decoys did their job then  Ducks or geese, but a water swat offers a smaller target, best to jump them right as they leave the water.

If you are going to swat them, same goes for cripples, aim just a little lower.


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## castaway (Feb 10, 2010)

Im not above shooting one on the water wounded or not. That means Im just one closer to a limit!


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## Sling (Feb 10, 2010)

As few ducks as I get to shoot at, I'd shoot one in the tub.


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## 01Foreman400 (Feb 10, 2010)

It all depends on how the morning is going.


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## GTN (Feb 10, 2010)

Ya'll let birds light in the deks?

But yeah no prbolem with swatin if one sneaks in. I'm not gonna let one lite on purpose and then swat him though.


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## Esylivin (Feb 10, 2010)

If you're a 13 yeard old kid and it's your first duck, swat.  Otherwise flush them off the water and make it sporting.


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## PaulD (Feb 10, 2010)

GTN said:


> I'm not gonna let one lite on purpose and then swat him though.




I refer to it as my high percentage shot.


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## green46 (Feb 10, 2010)

I'm new to duck hunting and this year I took all the shots I could get.  I might get a little more choosey when I've been in more ducks but if I want to bust one on the water I will.


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## fishndinty (Feb 10, 2010)

It was my first year this year. I swatted.

Probably will next year, too


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## gaturkey99 (Feb 10, 2010)

Sling said:


> As few ducks as I get to shoot at, I'd shoot one in the tub.



amen to that!!


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## LOVEMYLABXS (Feb 10, 2010)

I'll only swat a wounded bird but if it lites in the deks I'll flush it up but his feet may not have cleared the water but at least his wings are flappin makin a WIDER TARGET


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## bhamby (Feb 10, 2010)

i save more shells by swatin, if i see a big group come in i will let them land then swat the first one then lay the wood to the rest when they get up,  let a bunch land and it gives me time to get the plug out and more shells in     j/k bout plug but as few ducks i see each morning i try to let them all come in before i start fireing away


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## kkennett (Feb 10, 2010)

I see no problem at all with swatting.  Frankly, if you're good enough to work them all they way down to the water, you deserve the higher percentage shot.  Just don't shoot the dekes and know where your companions are.


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## chashlls150 (Feb 10, 2010)

^^agreed^^ I am a huge fan of the deadly water swat


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## Golden BB (Feb 10, 2010)

I have no issue swatting on the water or out of tree.  Yes, woodys will land in trees


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## grim (Feb 10, 2010)

Esylivin said:


> If you're a 13 yeard old kid and it's your first duck, swat.  Otherwise flush them off the water and make it sporting.




This is how I was raised, but do whatever makes you feel good on this issue.  Sometimes jumping up and down will not flush them and one will need to be swatted to get the rest up.


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## ericflowers (Feb 10, 2010)

chadf said:


> Didn't make up a team for nothing!!!!
> 
> I feel if they land you've done something to fool them, plus you payed for dekes or time getting on the "X", so swat away!!!
> 
> ...



what is pileing?  but i can testify those birds were at least 4 inches off the water.


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## Hooked On Quack (Feb 10, 2010)

Esylivin said:


> If you're a 13 yeard old kid and it's your first duck, swat.  Otherwise flush them off the water and make it sporting.





LOVEMYLABXS said:


> I'll only swat a wounded bird but if it lites in the deks I'll flush it up but his feet may not have cleared the water but at least his wings are flappin makin a WIDER TARGET



Yep!


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## MudDucker (Feb 10, 2010)

Dang bunch of rookies ... this is not a swat shot, this is a skillet shot.

Please remember this in the future.  Its just plain embarrassing.


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## ericflowers (Feb 10, 2010)

heck, i've seen woodies in the tree.  would you shoot them?  by the way i'm considered one of the top 5 water swatters in the nation, got certificates to prove it too.


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## Golden BB (Feb 10, 2010)

ericflowers said:


> heck, i've seen woodies in the tree.  would you shoot them?



Yes, refer to post above.


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## chadf (Feb 10, 2010)

ericflowers said:


> heck, i've seen woodies in the tree.  would you shoot them?  by the way i'm considered one of the top 5 water swatters in the nation, got certificates to prove it too.




You shoot them turkey style.....!


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## PaulD (Feb 10, 2010)

sitting on  a tree, log, stump, or bank. In the air, on the water.  Awake or a sleep.  eating, breathing, mating, fainting, flyings, landing, swimming, diving, quacking, whistling.............if it's inside kill range, it dies.


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## chadf (Feb 10, 2010)

ericflowers said:


> what is pileing?  but i can testify those birds were at least 4 inches off the water.



Don't you have a dog to be training??? Instead of


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## fishndinty (Feb 10, 2010)

ericflowers said:


> heck, i've seen woodies in the tree.  would you shoot them?  by the way i'm considered one of the top 5 water swatters in the nation, got certificates to prove it too.



I should enter this competition....I water swatted a goose from an honest 70 yards out this season.  Aimed above its head and fired.  Still got pellets in the breast, too

It wasn't my fault it wouldn't swim into the dekes closer!!!!


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## fishndinty (Feb 10, 2010)

btw, ditto for woodies in trees.  I am waiting for the magical roost shot on woodies where I can take two drakes with the same shot.  Will post pics!


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## 01Foreman400 (Feb 10, 2010)

fishndinty said:


> I should enter this competition....I water swatted a goose from an honest 70 yards out this season.  Aimed above its head and fired.  Still got pellets in the breast, too
> 
> It wasn't my fault it wouldn't swim into the dekes closer!!!!



Would that be considered water bustin?


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## fishndinty (Feb 10, 2010)

01Foreman400 said:


> Would that be considered water bustin?



I dunno, but my wife's family (who got me into this addicting mess) all still give me props for the shot.

They all say it's gonna be over when I learn to shoot em half as well in the air as I can on water 

I tell them to be nice to me b/c it's only a matter of time!!

It ain't water bustin' if they don't fly away!!!


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## MudDucker (Feb 10, 2010)

PaulD said:


> sitting on  a tree, log, stump, or bank. In the air, on the water.  Awake or a sleep.  eating, breathing, mating, fainting, flyings, landing, swimming, diving, quacking, whistling.............if it's inside kill range, it dies.



Ahhh, a master hunter!


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## slayer1 (Feb 10, 2010)

In my early days I would swat one in a heartbeat just chalk it up to him/her being in the wrong place at the wrong time.  Not to mention I had done all of the work of putting out dekes and foolin em into landing.  But now I kind of see it this way.  If God didn't want me to kill this animal he would not have let him/her lite in my decoys so I usually give a warning yell to the effect of " Get up duck" and usually the get up and once they clear about 3 or 4 feet I'll shoot em, so as not to damage any of the decoys and it also makes a larger target to shoot at. Still it seems every now and then you get one that for some reason or another likes swimming in the decoys and trys to swim his/her way away from the sound of my voice.  The only thing I can figure is the animal is thinking , "I'm safe nobody else is flying out of here" and then you just take advantage and gracefully accept the gift the good Lord has put in front of you and shoot it on the water after all you did give it a chance to retreat.  When you get one of these dumb ducks as my friends and I call them  just remember one thing, don't shoot the decoys they tend to float kind of awkward when a third of there body is filled with water.


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## shortstroke (Feb 10, 2010)

i will swattem,stalkem,chokem,hittem with boat whatever it takes to kill them jokers!!!


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## Gaducker (Feb 10, 2010)

PaulD said:


> sitting on  a tree, log, stump, or bank. In the air, on the water.  Awake or a sleep.  eating, breathing, mating, fainting, flyings, landing, swimming, diving, quacking, whistling.............if it's inside kill range, it dies.





I concuer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!       and sometimes if it outside realistic kill range it still dies!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## illinoishunter77 (Feb 10, 2010)

MudDucker said:


> Ahhh, a master hunter!


NOPE!   Master hunters swat'em from tree stands.


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## mizzippi jb (Feb 10, 2010)

You havent hunted till you waterswat em from a baker treestand


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## Gut_Pile (Feb 10, 2010)

PaulD said:


> sitting on  a tree, log, stump, or bank. In the air, on the water.  Awake or a sleep.  eating, breathing, mating, fainting, flyings, landing, swimming, diving, quacking, whistling.............if it's inside kill range, it dies.



Agree 100%

Except a lot of the times if it's inside kill range...I still miss


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## Swamp Star (Feb 10, 2010)

Chadf can testify to a certian 60+yard swat on a hood.


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## Flaustin1 (Feb 11, 2010)

Ima water swatter and proud of it. . . .after all my favorite saying is "Im hungry, bet he'll taste good"


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## MudDucker (Feb 11, 2010)

illinoishunter77 said:


> NOPE!   Master hunters swat'em from tree stands.



NOPE, those are grand master hunters!


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## chadf (Feb 11, 2010)

This is good stuff!!!!


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## illinoishunter77 (Feb 11, 2010)

MudDucker said:


> NOPE, those are grand master hunters!


Good one..


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## Robk (Feb 11, 2010)

Esylivin said:


> If you're a 13 yeard old kid and it's your first duck, swat.  Otherwise flush them off the water and make it sporting.



Yeah, a 12 gauge against a beak... sporting it is...  SWAT!


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## grim (Feb 11, 2010)

I have to say, I am pretty surprised at the responses here.  

Growing up, you didnt want to be the guy back at the landing that got caught taking pot shots on the water.  There were always lots of excuses about shooting cripples and what not.

Like I said before, I dont really care, its just interesting that the times have changed so much.


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## BullRed (Feb 11, 2010)

With steel/nontoxic shot @ $1.00-$2.00 a whack, just consider it being conservative with your investment.


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## WOODIE13 (Feb 11, 2010)

Here is to sluicing and a few months to practice getting down the technique


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## emusmacker (Feb 11, 2010)

Some will say you're not a duck hunter if you water swat, but I guess I just ain't a duck hunter then. But I've seen it with my own eyes, there are plenty people who will say they don't on the computer but when actually hunting, well, then it changes.

Yeah I'll swat em in a heart beat too.


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## CUOffshore (Feb 11, 2010)

Interesting thread.

It's an age thing.  

When I was growing up, nobody would ever do that.  If you did, you'd not get another invitation to hunt with us.  Then again, we'd never hunted for deer on a "food plot" (because we'd never heard of a "food plot"...  or a trail cam for that matter).  

Things have _really_ changed.

Same thing with doves.  If they aren't flying, I won't shoot them.

-Dave


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## SHMELTON (Feb 11, 2010)

Yall must be talking about swatting ruddies.  I've never given a puddler a chance to land inside the decoys.  If his landing gear is down, he is getting shot.  I do not understand why you would want to ruin your dekes, when you can just pull the ol 1-2.


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## CUOffshore (Feb 11, 2010)

SHMELTON said:


> If his landing gear is down, he is getting shot.



Now _that_ is when you shoot them.  Funny how if they're on the water, even these kids won't say that they "shot" them...  they call it "swatting."  There is something to be learned from that simple fact.

Incidentially, if one does make it into your decoys, for God's sake let him stay there and swim around...  now you're hunting with "live bait."


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## cutiger99 (Feb 11, 2010)

shortstroke said:


> i will swattem,stalkem,chokem,hittem with boat whatever it takes to kill them jokers!!!



Hey shortstroke!  I just moved to Washington from Greenville, SC.  Sounds like you and I have the same hunting theory.  Maybe we could share a hunt this upcoming season.  I plan on doing a lot of scouting in the meantime!


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## Savage7mm (Feb 11, 2010)

Take em where you get em!


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## CUOffshore (Feb 11, 2010)

Hitting them with the boat? Swatting them on the water? Whatever it takes?  Do you kids really have THAT hard of a time killing ducks?


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## gsubo (Feb 11, 2010)

CUOffshore said:


> Do you kids really have THAT hard of a time killing ducks?



Yup. With all the rivers and creeks up so high this year it was hard pinpointing where the birds were comin down at for me.  So if he dropped in a couple hundred yards away from me in the river swamp that was over a mile wide..and he swam up to my callin and decoys..he got blasted this year.  Im not that good to pass em up like that yet. Maybe one day


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## CUOffshore (Feb 11, 2010)

If you feel good about shooting... err.. swatting them off of the water, that's all that matters.

-Dave


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## fishndinty (Feb 11, 2010)

CUOffshore said:


> Hitting them with the boat? Swatting them on the water? Whatever it takes?  Do you kids really have THAT hard of a time killing ducks?



I have trouble answering without typing around the censor.

Short answer: yes!


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## Flaustin1 (Feb 12, 2010)

Ima water swatter. . .After all my favorite saying is "I'm hungry . .. bet that one will taste good."


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## grim (Feb 12, 2010)

CUOffshore said:


> Do you kids really have THAT hard of a time killing ducks?



Swatting is my favorite station on sporting clays.


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## MudDucker (Feb 12, 2010)

illinoishunter77 said:


> Good one..



You first.


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## fishndinty (Feb 12, 2010)

grim said:


> Swatting is my favorite station on sporting clays.



LOL  I was thinking of inventing something to float a clay bird on to make it more realistic!


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## mdhall (Feb 12, 2010)

They're easier to hit if you wave at them, when they spring up breast open. But just the same, I'll take em all day off the water. I was where they wanted to be, thats hunting.


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## TDB (Feb 12, 2010)

i will swat one


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## JDAWG (Feb 12, 2010)

MudDucker said:


> Dang bunch of rookies ... this is not a swat shot, this is a skillet shot.
> 
> Please remember this in the future.  Its just plain embarrassing.



hahaha you are correct. As a young man once said of his kill "they met jesus with their little feet in the water"....


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## Alan D. (Feb 13, 2010)

I'll swat one. I really dont like to but if they land in behind me or swim up to me thats their problem. I use to try to flush them but I have had a couple of woodies that dove under when I did that so I quit flushing ducks. I will still try to flush geese tho.


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## HuntNTails (Feb 14, 2010)

I will definitely swat at em. Can't say I get all of them I swat at though.

Like someone else said before takes more skill to get them to land in front of you and in the dekes.


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## KULL NUTHIN' (Feb 14, 2010)

"Kull Nuthin"


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## Nitro (Feb 14, 2010)

It's a learned skill. 

I will say this, I would much rather hunt with a man who can "light" ducks than the jackleg who has to shoot swing ducks or skybust because he doesn't have the skill to finish them.

Years ago, my AR mentor wouldn't let us shoot until they lit and then we jumped em- often times at the report of the first Greenhead getting the chop as he settled himself and arranged his wings.........

I don't get too caught up in "ethics" or "fairness"

We are not out there to take prisoners.........in the dekes is where they need to die. Sitting on the water or 6" above is semantics......


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## WOODIE13 (Feb 14, 2010)

Nitro said:


> It's a learned skill.
> 
> I will say this, I would much rather hunt with a man who can "light" ducks than the jackleg who has to shoot swing ducks or skybust because he doesn't have the skill to finish them.
> 
> ...


 

Nicely said

How have you been doing?


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## Nitro (Feb 14, 2010)

WOODIE13 said:


> Nicely said
> 
> How have you been doing?



Good. Traveling Turkey show is about to begin...Three weeks til FL.


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## grim (Feb 15, 2010)

Nitro said:


> I don't get too caught up in "ethics" or "fairness"



Its not really ethics or fairness to me.  Its about sport.  I am long past my meat days as a duck hunter.  It took awhile, but I finally am able to admit to myself that I dont like the taste of duck, or the ritual of covering up said taste with complex marinading and/or recipes.  And since I was also raised to eat what you shoot, I pass on trash ducks as well.  The shot, to me, is much more satisfying than the bird in hand.  

My favorite shot is wings locked, gear down.  They only get to land when they sneak up on me.


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## yellowduckdog (Feb 15, 2010)

CUOffshore said:


> Interesting thread.
> 
> It's an age thing.
> 
> ...



Same here, I was told always give them a sporting chance That said This year I did shoot at a Can after I yelled get up duck & she started swimming away I shot..1st time for everything I guess


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## Wild Turkey (Feb 15, 2010)

Normally stand up
When they lift their wings to fly
kill
Not technically a water shot


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## gdhall (Feb 15, 2010)

all means necessary to put the ducks in the freezer.


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## fyrdawgf24 (Feb 15, 2010)

Get 'em anyway you can. I've even had a local game warden tell me if it's stupid enough to land, then it's stupid enough to die


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## fishndinty (Feb 15, 2010)

fyrdawgf24 said:


> Get 'em anyway you can. I've even had a local game warden tell me if it's stupid enough to land, then it's stupid enough to die



LOL  All this thread was missing was the requisite "I once had a game warden tell me...."


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## Core Lokt (Feb 16, 2010)

LOVEMYLABXS said:


> I'll only swat a wounded bird but if it lites in the deks I'll flush it up but his feet may not have cleared the water but at least his wings are flappin makin a WIDER TARGET



Ditto

Now my first yr duck hunting I'd swat one in a heart beat if they snuck in and landed.


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## ParkerWildfire (Feb 16, 2010)

When im in 15 degree weather, have put out decoys, spent god knows how much on shells and license. I consider myself to be hunting. so if  it comes into range i will make sure he dont fly out.


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## SCSurveyor (Feb 16, 2010)

Do you yell at deer to get 'em running before you shoot? A duck in the decoys = mission accomplished. Swat away, my friend, swat away...


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## grim (Feb 16, 2010)

SCSurveyor said:


> Do you yell at deer to get 'em running before you shoot?



Only if I am skybusting them from a climber....  

Or maybe I would if he was 30 yards away, I had a shotgun and I could only see his head.


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## KULL NUTHIN' (Feb 16, 2010)

SCSurveyor said:


> Do you yell at deer to get 'em running before you shoot? A duck in the decoys = mission accomplished. Swat away, my friend, swat away...



Good point


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## castaway (Feb 17, 2010)

SCSurveyor said:


> Do you yell at deer to get 'em running before you shoot? A duck in the decoys = mission accomplished. Swat away, my friend, swat away...



Nuff said!


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## thompsonsz71 (Feb 23, 2010)

take it as you will..... i swat.... to swat or not to swat, that is the question......... im thinkin yes


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