doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com So, how poorly do 'most' hunters shoot?

On that point of feeding predators and scavengers---and how poorly do we shoot?---around here bald eagles roost near where they see active blinds and gunners.

If you haven't got good retrievers or boat nearby, eagles snatch cripples before we can get to them. When I become king I'm proclaiming regulation requiring dogs for waterfowl hunting.

I hope that would be a local requirement. Every now and then a story goes around about someone losing a dog on one of the local lakes. The image of seeing an alligator eating a beloved pet is enough that I would be willing to break that law. My dog only hunts with me on the coldest days when the chances of encountering either a gator or cottonmouth are diminished.

Snipe Hunter, are you suggesting more rules and regulations taking the place of common sense? What is wrong with the Bald Eagles snatching a few cripples?

King said boat or dog. I don't hunt where King does but I spent decades hunting waterfowl with neither. Requires thoughtfulness and commitment. I didn't lose many. I'd rather a few predators feast on cripples than add to the overwhelming level of regulation we are already subject to.

This is what King said:

"When I become king I'm proclaiming regulation requiring dogs for waterfowl hunting."

Apparently you saw his allowance of the use of a boat as an option to a dog that does not show up on my computer. And no, I'm not suggesting more rules or regulations. I'm suggesting that if he wanted such a law, and I realize his comment was in jest, I would hope that it would be something that would only affect him where he hunts, not me. Hence, a "local requirement". Then I went on to say that if it did apply to me it would be a law that I would be willing to break. I hope that clears up any confusion.

James, my post is as serious as the other part of becoming king! It's a reflection of the lousy judgement re range and retrieval prospects, sky-busting, no effort to retrieve cripples or even dead drifting offshore.

It's endemic. I shoot mostly over decoys, pick my shots and have lost exactly three birds over the last 45 years: once when a black came down dead and pierced the ice and slid for about six feet. The ice was too thick for dog and too thin for me.

The other two occasions were when I called in great dogs pursuing crippled bluebills in foot-and-half whitecaps 300 metres from shore. They would have stayed until they drowned. Duck hunting for me is mostly the dog. Today's gunners don't approach the ethos of even the old poachers.

"Today's gunners don't approach the ethos of even the old poachers." LOL

King, you know me....I'm not a fan of more government regulation, for anything! And in particular regulations that take the place of common sense. Regulation is the bane of common sense for when you follow the regs, you no longer think. And if you don't think.....

I sometimes hunt waterfowl with dogs now and love doing so. But sometimes I don't. I own setters, not labs. The lack of an appropriate dog for duck hunting shouldn't limit my ability to do so.

It's just another version of putting cart before the horse. If you want regulations, make it a problem if you don't find and gather all shot ducks! The dog is just a method for accomplishing that goal. But there are other methods. Forgive me here becasue we are not in misfires but it's the age old problem of the left, regulating behavior, not outcome.

Snipe, I was confused by the intent of your post and I did get King's humour. He must have edited it to add the boats part. I only saw "dogs and boats"

And the alligators still creep me out! LOL

I probably didn't elaborate as well as I could have in my initial reply to Mr. Brown. Factor in that many of the replies in this thread should not be taken seriously and we only have a greater chance of being taken out of context. In that regard I am as guilty as anyone.

And still the shot was taken. There must be some regulation to add to all the others that would've prevented the duck hunt in the first place. Sorry about that. In a small way I'm glad you lost those bluebills. You got one of those rare looks at truly exceptional dog work. When you got them back on shore, I bet all they wanted was a big attaboy from you.

Me too King. It is all about the dogs. I just transport them to the hunting grounds, shoot the birds for them, and carry their water and dead birds for them.