doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Ground swatting.

Has anyone else noted the number of hunting videos that commonly show shooting birds on the ground or water? I’ve seen more ducks swatted than killed in flight it seems. Worse in some ways are the shooting of birds of low interest, just to have a bag. Perhaps you have a sweet recipe for Hooded Merganser or Ruddy ducks but I don’t. Shooting a cripple on the water is one thing, but shooting anything else is a total nonstarter for me. In fact I click out or change channels if it is on the TV. Hunting ethics and etiquette are lacking in too many ways these days. I won’t allow it if you hunt as my guest and won’t watch it on any screen.

This is not meant to be argumentative.

If you start from the premise of “What is legal?” There’s much latitude involved.


From the guides end, 6 ducks is 6 ducks. He guided you to a full bag, and his job is done. If a full bag was the deal.

I would never go to a rice field shoot and fill my sack with spoonies, but there is clear pressure to “Git’er done” and expect a tip for shooting shit ducks.


When I am collecting species, you can really see the guide squirm when I am passing on birds that I would not mount.

They have a vested interest in a full bag, whatever shooting style is employed.

I do not watch hunting shows on TV and rarely pause to look at a youtube clip. But I do not think ground swatting is nearly as bad as the 500-1000 big game "hunting" videos, though the motivation seems much the same. It is mostly about killing, not hunting. 90 yd turkeys, 70 yds "archery" whitetails, 500 yd rifle mule deer, 1000 yd antelope, swatting ducks and geese standing in a field - all pretty much the same. Every day, it is a new and ugly world. I imagine my predecessors thought much the same back in their later years.

... pen raised birds?

Not defending swatting, but will defend the eating of Ruddy ducks. Back in the market hunting days they were known as "dollar ducks" reflecting the marketability and price. I've eaten them and they aren't bad, but in fact, quite good. Gil

In my view it starts with “What’s legal?”
Then if I want to add additional restraints or style restrictions, no one should care.

I really hate “whoopin’ and hollering’” over a kill. It seems vulgar. Those Germans have it right with their moments of reverence. Again, just in my view.

I’m sure my market hunting ancestors stacked them up in whatever way was most efficient and profitable.

Legal isn’t everything. Fair chase, giving the bird a chance, not shooting any deer 🦌 in a fenced in area. I value any bird taken in the air far more than any bird shot on the ground or water. And I agree some of the over the top antics after the shot are just plain ridiculous. I am here to shoot birds in a reasonable even chance situation, not to shoot pen raised bird in the pen because I don’t want to walk too far. Fair chase we use to call it. It all is about content to these “hunters”. They need 23 minutes of content for their show. Even faked, hyped, ground swatting is acceptable to them, not me. Ground swat and I tune you out or turn you off.

do shoot a few pen raised birds so my senior lab can get some action. But they all get pointed by her and then shot in flight. Then she gets to find them and bring them to hand. If I had any wild birds locally I’d go after them with her. Watching a smart dog try to outsmart a smart bird is 90% of the enjoyment. I even laugh when she gets frustrated.

The unhinged jubilation of shooting early season geese in the process of landing (wings spread feet nearly touching the sod) is beyond me. Little or no skill required.

You swat a duck on the water, you get a quick ride back to your truck. I n the morning when the teal are swimming around the decoy and trying to chat them up I'll stand up and flush them. I've even walked out into the decoys to flush them. If they are smart enough to swim out of range before flushing they get a free pass.

Grouse are a canundrum, with a shotgun in my hands there isn't a finer game bird and Id never swat one on the ground or off a limb. When I was running my traplines an occasional grouse that sat still for my 22 pistol found its way into the camp pot. Beaver liver and onions, beaver stew and beaver jerky can use a change of pace once in awhile.

Woodcock, huns, pheasants, sharptails and quail require a flush. Although sometimes I'm tempted after running around in the desert trying to get NM quail to flush

I have a hard time with the high-fives and happy dances. Never in my 77 years have I jumped around looking like an idiot because I killed something.

Ruddy ducks were also called butterballs in the market hunting days. They are very tasty, even after they have been on salt water.