Do you consider it ethical to shoot divers on the water?

[canvasbackhunter]

Do you consider it ethical to shoot divers on the water?

[bayouwoof]

No.

You are supposed to shoot waterfowl in flight.

[Ontario Honker Hunter]

I don't care to eat divers usually so I won't bother shooting them in the air let alone on the water.

[FirstBubba]

Guess it all depends on how hungry you are! LOL!

As a knot headed kid, I did lot's of jump shooting on a small creek.
I don't know all the logistics behind it, but it's difficult to kill a duck sitting on the water. I tried. Killed a few. But it became apparent it was easier to "kill" them on the wing.
I understand the ethics, morals and sportsmanship of only shooting game birds (except turkeys!) on the wing, I don't know anybody that hasn't at some time or another.
Before some of you go to screaming, "HELL NO!", did you ever dispatch a cripple on the water?
...and no, I'm NOT advocating shooting sitting ducks! Just an observation!

[FirstBubba]

Here's another "dilemma".

Your last round hits a mallard squarely and hits the water with enough steam to remain just out of reach. You don't have a dog. You find one round buried in a forgotten corner of your vest. As you start to stuff it into the chamber, tou realize it's a "lead" dove/quail load.
Do you dispatch the cripple with lead, or leave it to suffer?

[Treestand]

JMO~ It all comes down too Sport&Fun hunting or meat hunting, I know both for some Times are Hard!
For others not so Hard. No matter what I'm a Fare Chase Hunter.

[FirstBubba]

Oh Tree! If I'm in "survival" mode, like most of us, all bets are off.
I'm killin' sittin' ducks, skillet shots on quail covey's, does, bucks, fawns and just about anything else that bleeds!
Until that time, yes, I believe in "fair chase"!

[Guest]

I quit shootin' ducks a long time ago, but if I need to feed hungry folks, I'll shoot 'em any way I can, with what ever I got.

[ozarkghost]

I would think that with all the tanks and hoses and such it would kinda hard to kill a diver.

[canvasbackhunter]

Thanks for answering guys. I have always been taught never to shoot a bird unless its in flight. I have mostly hunted puddle ducks and was able to jump shoot them. Then I jumped up and yelled at a Bufflehead to convince him to leave the water. I wasn't expecting him to go under, I didn't know what to do. I wanted to establish we're the majority of people stood on this subject before the season.

[Panfry101]

The only divers I shoot are Canvasbacks, and I only shoot them in flight. If I've crippled a bird of course I'll hit it with a cripple load to finish it off if I can't get to it first...but I have only ever crippled one bird out of multiple seasons hunted fairly hard.

[Greenhead]

I don't think it is sporting to shoot any gamebird (excluding turkeys) that isn't flying, regardless of species. On the other hand, I think it is equally unethical to not dispatch a cripple as soon as possible.

[mike0714]

I dont like to but when it comes to duck hunting i use to only go out when i don't have meat or money because with a box of shells I can limit out and get enough meat to fill some of the freezer(i.e. i would shoot ducks off the water). now that i have some more money i only do it when im bow hunting them in a local creek.

[DakotaMan]

Nope! If I can't hit them in the air, they fly free.

[miller73]

i wouldent because of 2 reasons number 1 being its harder to hit them on the water and number2 being i dont think its ethical