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Duck hunting
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Waterfowl hunting (also called duck hunting, goose hunting, or wildfowling) is the practice of hunting ducks, geese, or other waterfowl for food and sport. In many western countries, commercial waterfowl hunting is prohibited, and duck hunting is primarily an outdoor sporting activity.
Many types of ducks and geese share the same habitats, have overlapping or identical hunting seasons, and are hunted using the same methods.
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Encyclopedia
Waterfowl hunting (also called duck hunting, goose hunting, or wildfowling) is the practice of hunting ducks, geese, or other waterfowl for food and sport. In many western countries, commercial waterfowl hunting is prohibited, and duck hunting is primarily an outdoor sporting activity.
Many types of ducks and geese share the same habitats, have overlapping or identical hunting seasons, and are hunted using the same methods. Thus is not uncommon to take several different species of waterfowl in the same outings.
History
Prehistoric waterfowl hunting
Wild waterfowl have been hunted for food, down, and feathers worldwide since prehistoric times. Ducks, geese, and swans appear in European cave paintings from the last Ice Age, and a mural in the Ancient Egyptian tomb of Khum-Hotpe (c. 1900 BC) shows a man in a hunting blind capturing swimming ducks in a trap. Muscovy ducks were depicted in the art of the Mochina culture of ancient Peru by 200 BC, and were likely hunted by many peoples of the Americas before then.
The rise of modern waterfowl hunting
The rise of modern waterfowl hunting is tied to the history of the shotgun, which can kill more reliably at greater ranges than a weapon that shoots a single projectile. In the 19th century, the seemingly limitless flocks of ducks and geese in the Atlantic and Mississippi Flyways of North America were the basis for a thriving commercial waterfowl hunting industry. With the advent of punt guns- massive, boat-mounted shotguns that could fire a half-pound of lead shot at a time- hunters could kill dozens of birds with a single blast. This period of intense commercial waterfowl hunting is vividly depicted in James Michener's historical novel Chesapeake.
Although edible, swans are not hunted in many Western cultures because swans were historically a royal prerogative.
Conservation and the Duck Stamp Act
By the turn of the century, commercial hunting and loss of habitat lead to a decline in duck and goose populations in North America, along with many other species of wildlife. The Lacey Act of 1900, which outlawed transport of poached game across state lines, and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918, which prohibited the possession of migratory birds without permission (such as a hunting license), marked the dawn of the modern conservation movement.
In 1934, at the urging of editorial cartoonist and conservationist J.N. "Ding" Darling, the US government passed the Migratory Bird Hunting Stamp Act, better known as the Federal Duck Stamp Act. This program required hunters to purchase a special stamp, in additional to a regular hunting license, to hunt migratory waterfowl. Revenues from the program provided the majority of funding for conservation for many decades and funded the purchase of 4.5 million acres (18,000 km2) of National Wildlife Refuge land for waterfowl habitat since the program's inception. The Duck Stamp act has been described as "one of the most successful conservation programs ever devised." Duck stamps have also become collectible items in their own right.
Modern hunting techniques in the Americas
Waterfowl hunting season is generally in the winter and fall. At this time of the year, the birds have finished raising their young and are migrating to warmer areas. There are three elements used by almost all waterfowl hunters — a shotgun, a hunting blind, and decoys. The decoys are used to lure the birds within range, and the blind conceals the hunter. Once the birds are within range, the hunters leap up from the blind and quickly shoot the birds before they are frightened off. Duck or goose calls are often used to attract birds; sometimes calls of other birds will also be simulated to convince the birds that there is no danger. Waterfowl hunters also often use dogs to retrieve dead or injured birds; there are many retriever breeds, such as Labrador Retrievers and Chesapeake Bay Retrievers, specifically bred for the task.
Guns and shells
The most commonly used guns are 12 gauge shotguns, usually with number 5, 4, 3, 2, or 1 shot for ducks and larger shot, such as B, BB, BBB, or even T-shot for geese. In many areas, buckshot and larger shot is illegal to use for taking migratory birds. Ten, 16, and 20 gauge guns are also used. Although it is legal to use a bow or crossbow to take migratory waterfowl in many areas, most hunters prefer taking migratory birds with a shotgun because of the difficulty of striking a moving bird with an arrow or crossbow bolt. Taking migratory birds with a rifle is illegal. due to the inherent danger of lobbing long-range bullets into the air; also, the ability to take birds on the water at long ranges would give hunters an unfair advantage and endanger hunters who may not be seen on opposite shore.
Waterfowl hunting with lead shot, along with the use of lead sinkers in angling, has been identified as a major cause of lead poisoning in waterfowl, which often feed off the bottom of lakes and wetlands where lead shot collects. In the United States, UK, Canada, and many western European countries (France as of 2006), all shot used for waterfowl must now be non-toxic, and therefore may not contain any lead. Steel is the cheapest alternative to lead, but steel has a much shorter effective range than lead because of its lower density: Thirty to forty yards is considered the maximum effective range for duck hunting.
Although steel is the most prevalently used shot, many hunters do not like its shooting properties. Steel is less dense than lead, therefore, its effective range is decreased due to a faster decrease in velocity. Many companies have improved steel shot by increasing muzzle-velocity and making more consistent 'shot' or pellets. Within recent years, several companies have created "heavier than lead" non-toxic shot out of tungsten, bismuth, or other elements with a density similar or greater to lead. These shells have a more consistent patterns and greater range than steel shot. The increase in performance comes at a higher cost.
Calls
In old times, a duck call was a very simple woodwind instrument. It had a barrel, a sounding board and a reed. Hunters would grunt into the call while saying "hut", "quit" or "ut". With the improvement of calls and calling techniques the best callers are able to use no voice. The most prevalent and hunted duck in the United States, the mallard, makes the well known "quack" sound many associate with ducks. Other species make many different sounds, ranging from high-pitched whistles to very low, grunt-like quacks. There are calls for almost all species of ducks. Pintails, teal, wood ducks, diving ducks and other ducks including the calls of both the male, or drake and the female, or hen.
In many species, the call of the drake (male) is different from that of the hen (female). Mallard drakes make a lower pitch, longer quack than the hen mallard, and is actually more of a buzzing sound than that of a quack. This call is often used while feeding and when a mallard drake is landing. It gives the other birds a heads up. The quack of a mallard drake requires voice and is replicated by humming into a special whistle-like call. This whistle is often called a 6-in-1 whistle, due to the fact that it can replicate six different duck species sounds.
In teal, the drakes make a call of short bursts of a high pitch whistle. The "teet! (pause) teet! (pause) teet!-teet!" or any other order of repetition. This call can be made by blowing short bursts of air into the "6-in-1" whistle.
The majority of duck sounds such as quacking people have heard and are familiar with comes from females, or hen, mallards. Hen mallards are extremely vocal and this is probably why the number one call for duck hunting in North America is a mallard hen call. Many calls from the mallard hen include feeding call (when the hen has found food), the hail call (when the hen sees other ducks high in the air), and the comeback call (when many ducks are spooked and the hen stays and is telling the other ducks to come back because it is safe).
Blinds
There are numerous types of structures that qualify as duck blinds. Blinds can be temporary or permanent. They are very effective at concealing hunters and making their movements unnoticed.
For hunting over water, the types of blinds are almost unlimited.
A blind may be constructed out of plywood. Many of these permanent blinds look like a small shack with an opening that faces the water and a portion of the sky.
Often creating a temporary, natural blind as a method of concealment is a hunter's best bet. This is done by using native grasses or marsh vegetation and natural material and simply hiding in a tree, clump of grass or a shrub. More sophisticated natural blinds may have large logs or branches leaned together or lashed together using rope.
Temporary blinds are common in protected and public areas where a permanent fixture is forbidden. Temporary blinds can be very simple and usually require a three dimensional enclosure to conceal hunters from circling flocks.
With the growing popularity of motorcraft, such as boats, in waterfowl hunting, many individuals have chosen to use boat blinds, also known as pop-up blinds. Boat blinds are used to conceal a hunter while hunting from a boat. Boat blinds can be handmade or are available from manufacturers.
There are two common types of blinds for land and field based waterfowl hunting: pit-blinds and layout-blinds. The pit blind is a solid structure that is placed into a hole in the ground or on the bank of a waterbody. Lay out blinds allow a hunter to have a low profile in a field without digging a hole. It is made of a metal frame and canvas. The hunter crawls in and lies down in the blind. When birds are coming in the hunter can sit up and shoot.
Clothing
Duck season takes place in the fall and winter where the weather can be harsh. Waterproof clothing is critical to duck hunting. Most duck hunters hunt over water, and they stand in water or in a boat. In order to stand in the water and stay dry the hunter must wear waders. Waders are waterproof pants (usually made of a neoprene like material) that have attached boots and are completely waterproof. Typical waders are chest high, but waist high and knee high waders are sometimes used in shallow water. Duck hunting is a cold sport and the hunter must be well insulated from the cold. Ducks also have great vision which requires the hunters clothing to be well camouflaged.
Many clothing manufacturers, such as Drake, Ducks Unlimited, Herter's, Mad Dog Under Armor, and Whitewater, have incorporated use of modern apparel technologies to provide added comfort and protection from the diverse weather elements to which waterfowl hunters can be subjected.
Dogs
Duck hunters quite often employ a dog to retrieve downed birds. Most often hunters use Labrador Retrievers, though Spaniels and some versatile breeds can also fit the bill. The use of a dog provides a number of advantages. As duck hunting often takes place in cold wet locations, the use of a dog frees the hunter from potentially dangerous forays into cold water to retrieve the bird. Such efforts can be dangerous for the hunter, but are managed by a dog quite easily. It also allows for the recovery of wounded birds that might otherwise escape. A dog's acute sense of smell allows them to find the wounded birds. The use of a dog prevents waste and ensures that a higher percentage of the birds shot end up on the table.
A disadvantage of having dogs in the duck blind is possible loss of camouflage: Dogs that are not well-trained to sit still can potentially ruin a good hunt.
Wildfowling in Europe and the UK
Wild ducks and geese are hunted over foreshores and inland and coastal marshes in Europe. In Britain, the sport is known as wildfowling. Birds are hunted with a shotgun, and less commonly, a large single barreled gun mounted on a small boat, known as a punt. Due the ban of use of lead shot for hunting wildfowl or over wetlands, many wildfowlers are switching to modern guns with stronger engineering to allow the use of non-toxic ammunition such as steel or tungsten based cartridges. The most popular calibre is 12-gauge.
Only certain 'quarry' species of wildfowl may legally be hunted in the UK, and are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. These are Mallard, Wigeon, Teal, Pochard, Shoveler, Pintail, Gadwall, Goldeneye, Tufted Duck, Canada Goose, White-fronted Goose (England and Wales only), Greylag Goose and Pink-footed Goose. Other common quarry targets for the wildfowler include Common Snipe, Common Moorhen, Eurasian Coot and Golden Plover.
An intimate knowledge of the quarry and it's habitat is required by the successful wildfowler. Shooting will normally occur during the early morning and late afternoon 'flights', when the birds move to and from feeding and roosting sites. The wildfowler is not hunting for a large bag of quarry and his many hours efforts are rewarded by even a single bird. It is recommended that wildfowlers always shoot with a dog, or someone with a dog, to retrieve shot birds on difficult estuarine terrain. When a bird is in hand, wild ducks and geese make fabulous eating, but not all are available to buy. You cant sell wild geese for example, and ducks other than Mallard are difficult to find; but try farmers markets. The favourites on the table are Mallard, Wigeon and Teal.
Wildfowling has come under threat in recent years through legislation. Destruction of habitat also has played a large part in the decline of shooting areas, and recently in the UK "right to roam" policies mean that wildfowler's conservation areas are at risk. However, in most regions, good relationships exist between wildfowlers, conservationists, ramblers and other coastal area users.
In the UK wildfowling is largely self-regulated. Their reppresentative body, WAGBI (Wildfowlers Association of Great Britain and Ireland), was founded in 1908 by Stanley Duncan in Hull. This Association changed its name in 1981 to become the British Association for Shooting and Conservation (BASC) and now represents all forms of live quarry shooting at European, national and local levels. There are also many wildfowling clubs around the coast of Great Britain, often covering certain estuary areas where wildfowl are found in large numbers.
Anyone wishing to try wildfowling are recommended to contact a local club or try the wildfowling permit scheme run by British Association for Shooting and Conservation (BASC).
Regulations, sportsmanship, and safety
Waterfowl hunting is highly regulated. In most western countries, hunters are required to obtain a hunting license and face strict limits on the number of birds that can be taken in a day (bag limits) and the total number of birds a hunter can possess (possession limits).
In the United States, hunters must also purchase a federal duck stamp and often a state stamp. It is illegal to shoot ducks from a motor vehicle, a moving boat, or to shoot sitting or swimming ducks; this is also considered unsportsmanlike and possibly unsafe. Many practices that were once common in commercial duck hunting before the turn of the century, including laying baits such as corn, use of live ducks as "decoys," and use of guns larger than a 10-gauge, are now prohibited. In most areas, shotguns that can hold more than two or three shells must be modified to reduce their magazine size. Legal hunting is limited to a set time period (or "season"), which generally extends from fall to early winter, while birds are migrating south.
It is also considered good sportsmanship to make every possible attempt to retrieve dead or injured waterfowl the hunter has shot. Shooting before birds are within range is also considered poor form, as this often merely injures the birds and may drive them away before other hunters can fire.
Many provinces in Canada require hunters, including waterfowl hunters, to complete hunter safety courses before they can obtain a license.
Waterfowl hunters fire short-range shotgun rounds into the air over often deserted bodies of water, so accidental injuries are rarer than in other hunting activities such as big game or deer hunting.
Hunting areas
In the Midwest and central United States, wildfowl hunting generally occurs on lakes, marshes, swamps, or rivers where ducks and geese land during their migration. Cornfields and rice paddies are also common hunting grounds, since geese and ducks often feed on the grain that remains in the field after harvest. In some areas, farmers rent or lease hunting rights. Some farmers or hunters form hunt clubs, which can cover thousands of acres and have resort-like amenities, or be as simple as a shallow pit blind dug into a field. On the East and West coast of America and many parts of Europe, waterfowl hunters often focus on the seashore. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service maintains millions of acres as National Wildlife Refuges open to public hunting.
Stuttgart, Arkansas is the self-proclaimed "Duck Capital of the World." As a major rice producing area, eastern Arkansas and nearby areas attract millions of birds each year eager to eat rice lost during harvest.
Conservation
Waterfowl are indigenous to marsh and wetland areas, which are shrinking at alarming rates. Wetland conservation and restoration is critical for the continuance of waterfowl hunting. Organizations such as Ducks Unlimited are making a concerted effort to maintain and expand waterfowl and marshland conservation to ensure safety and expansion of the sport.
See also
External links
- - Waterfowl research and conservation
- - Wetlands and Waterfowl Conservation
- - A collaborative effort of waterfowl managers across the continent
- - Sir Ralph Payne Gallwey, 1886 (full text)
- - Joseph Whitaker (full text)
- The de facto international collectors group
- - Covering wildfowling in the UK
- - Anti Duck hunting website in Australia
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