# Retrieving Crippled Diving Ducks



## John Singer (Aug 20, 2004)

There has been a great deal of discussion lately on other threads about the difficulties of retrieving wounded diving ducks. Some of the discussion on the thread "Illegal Charter" has generated a great deal of heat and little light about whether or not guns should be loaded in a moving motor boat. In some states, it is legal to have a loaded gun when retrieving wounded ducks in their "Sea Duck Zone" That is not the case here. Presently, in Michigan, it is a violation to have a loaded shotgun in a motor boat that is under power. Michigan law reads as follows:

_A craft under power may be used to retrieve dead or crippled birds; however, crippled birds may not be shot from such craft while under power or until forward progress has ceased. A loaded gun shall not be transported in an automobile, aircraft, motorboat or sailboat, motor bike, tractor, ORV, snowmobile or other motorized vehicle. _

I thought I would start a thread on how to legally recover wounded diving ducks. Below is how I do it.

After a flight of ducks has a come into the decoys and been shot at, everybody should immediately reload and focus their attention on any duck that has its head up. If the birds are still in range, shoot them immediately and save the aggravation of chasing after wounded ducks. If you have any experience duck hunting at all, you know that this does not always work. Often it does not.

If a wounded bird swims out of shotgun range, it is time to take an unloaded gun, some ammunition and motor out after the wounded bird. I have done this alone but prefer to have another guy in the front of the boat as the shooter. What I do is motor close to the bird and try to force it to dive. I then shut off the motor, allow the forward progress to cease, and have the shooter load his gun. I try to stop the boat in a location between the blind/layout and where the bird dove. The shooter should then look for the duck to resurface. If and when it does, engage it quickly and shoot if it is in range. Repeat as necessary. Many birds can be recovered this way. Sometimes it does not work. Sometimes, a bird appears to disappear in rough water and is not recovered.

I also offer the following if you hunt with a dog. This is a great time of year to train a dog to chase and retrieve swimming/diving ducks. Get an anchor (mushroom anchor, coffee tin with concrete and eyebolt, etc), and pass a long rope through the eye. Tie one end off to a training dummy. Take it to a place where you can wade out into waist deep to chest deep water and place the anchor. Heel the dog and toss the dummy to one side of the anchor. Send the dog. When the dog approaches the dummy, pull the rope to make it swim away from the dog. The dog will chase it. Alternate the following: 1. Allow the dog to catch the dummy and return it to you. 2. When the dummy is over the anchor, pull it beneath the water. The dog should swim in circles looking for the bird. After some time, relax the tension on the rope and allow the dummy to resurface. Dive it again or allow the dog to catch it. 

Enjoy this drill. My dogs always did. Some eventually learned to dive underwater and recover the dummy. A few even did the same with wounded ducks.

If anybody else has any tips here, please share.


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## DecoySlayer (Mar 12, 2016)

Dogs don't work all that well in deep water where layout hunters normally hunt. When we hunt the layouts can be a hundred yards away from the "base". Kinda far for a dog to swim in river currents. 

I like hunting with dogs, in the marshes, or in a boat blind, next to shore. I don't believe they are all that practical off shore, but if there is someone using them, take me out and show me how they work out there, I am open to anything.


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## craigrh13 (Oct 24, 2011)

I would LOVE to see the law changed to what they can do in the sea duck zone. Nobody is talking about running wide open with a loaded gun. It's barely over idle or a little throttle. Common sense has to apply here. I personally feel fumbling around with your gun unloading and loading it again is more dangerous possssing a secured gun with the safety on. It also can be more of a hassle to QUICKLY kill the cripple. Not all cripples play the Houdini technique but Buffies have got to be the hardest damn duck there is to kill. Those suckers are small and will dive and swim 40-50 yards or more in every direction at times.


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## John Singer (Aug 20, 2004)

DecoySlayer said:


> Dogs don't work all that well in deep water where layout hunters normally hunt. When we hunt the layouts can be a hundred yards away from the "base". Kinda far for a dog to swim in river currents.
> 
> I like hunting with dogs, in the marshes, or in a boat blind, next to shore. I don't believe they are all that practical off shore, but if there is someone using them, take me out and show me how they work out there, I am open to anything.



I did not imply that dogs should be used for layout shooting. 

A well trained dog is a tremendous asset for a shore blind, stake blind or floating blind.


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## DecoySlayer (Mar 12, 2016)

John Singer said:


> I did not imply that dogs should be used for layout shooting.
> 
> A well trained dog is a tremendous asset for a shore blind, stake blind or floating blind.


I thought the discussion was about chasing cripples while layout hunting. Sorry if I misunderstood. 

Dogs are a great asset, within their limitations. We still have the problem chasing cripples on open water.


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## Gamekeeper (Oct 9, 2015)

I used one of my smaller labs pretty regularly while open water gunning. I'd say it was a waste.
Too much water dragged into the boat for starters.
A dog that isn't totally comfortable swimming open water will quickly become a scary disaster. They lose line of sight in the swells and panic. Also, they swallow a lot, and will either puke or crap in the boat with you. If they can't follow a line, they'll swim in a circle. As they panic, you have to go get them. Then, they'll climb you like a telephone pole, right up to your shoulders.

They like to sit up too high, but they are also warm laying by you.
Overall, the misery index is too high, and the danger increase out weighs the novelty of it.


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## TSS Caddis (Mar 15, 2002)

Cripples to under power is legal on the ocean but not Great Lakes. Makes no sense.


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## Far Beyond Driven (Jan 23, 2006)

Puddlers we can just seem to run down. Motor to where they were and make them dive, then wait for them to pop up, motor over there, usually after a couple rounds they stay on top. Usually don't even load the gun on them.

Divers not so much. We all load and spray out to 60, even 70 yards hoping for that golden BB to prevent a chase. Then I run the boat to where they were, but not quite, as I don't want to give them 360 degrees to escape and I don't want them popping up between me and the blind (had a newby spray me once when that happened). I stop a little short and try to steer them to an ope area. Wind direction also factors in here, as the boat may drift away from them.

Guys in the blind do not take their eyes off the bird on the water, and steer the boat with hand signals until the boat makes contact.

When hunting solo I've been bringing the kayak and putting it by me so I can go after them right now without needing to break contact and get the boat from down the shore.

In actuality, we lose very few cripples, I think 7 out of 87 birds shot this year. But two were divers that either we never saw come up, or by the time we got to the boat we lost contact in the chop. Another was a shot on 5 ringers from the kayak in wicked chop where one folded and two fell crippled. Got one cripple at the expense of the other.


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## Jerry Lamb (Aug 3, 2015)

Learn to park upwind idling in nuetral, forward progreess ceased, load one, wait to drift into them, whack a mole.
Miss, motor to next upwind spot, load one. Not that difficult


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## DecoySlayer (Mar 12, 2016)

Jerry Lamb said:


> Learn to park upwind idling in nuetral, forward progreess ceased, load one, wait to drift into them, whack a mole.
> Miss, motor to next upwind spot, load one. Not that difficult


 That works well except when it does not.


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## Far Beyond Driven (Jan 23, 2006)

I know a BPS is the most horrid thing to have to load and unload after shutting down the motor. I usually grab my daughter's A390 from her when it's time to chase one. Leave the bolt retracted drop one in and slap the button...


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## Far Beyond Driven (Jan 23, 2006)

Idling bad. Idling leads to tickets from CO's, even though you're following the intent of the law, you're not following the letter.


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## UplandnWaterfowl (Jan 3, 2010)

Fishing net should be a mandatory item for all layout tenders, great aid in scooping crips and you don't have to shut down to use it; also, safer for crew to not have to hang over the gunwale and try and scoop them by hand (dead or crip). It is worth taking a run or two at it with the net before beginning the start/stop/load/shot/unload/start/stop/load/shot...... portion of the show.


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## craigrh13 (Oct 24, 2011)

Jerry Lamb said:


> Learn to park upwind idling in nuetral, forward progreess ceased, load one, wait to drift into them, whack a mole.
> Miss, motor to next upwind spot, load one. Not that difficult


That works the majority of time. Every now and then you get a smart one that will dive and swim forever. That's when it becomes a challenge. I still do not understand why they can do it in a sea duck zone yet not here? What's the difference?


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## BFG (Mar 4, 2005)

Seen guys get tickets one time for not counting lost birds to their count while layout hunting.


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## craigrh13 (Oct 24, 2011)

BFG said:


> Seen guys get tickets one time for not counting lost birds to their count while layout hunting.


I would fight that. It says ducks bagged or in possession. Crippled are not counted towards that.


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## DecoySlayer (Mar 12, 2016)

I seen a ticket written for not have separate "buckets" for each hunter to put their individual ducks in. The CO said that putting them in one bucket made it impossible to know who killed which ducks.


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## craigrh13 (Oct 24, 2011)

DecoySlayer said:


> I seen a ticket written for not have separate "buckets" for each hunter to put their individual ducks in. The CO said that putting them in one bucket made it impossible to know who killed which ducks.


Now that is legitimate. Even though nobody really follows it that well.


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## BFG (Mar 4, 2005)

craigrh13 said:


> I would fight that. It says ducks bagged or in possession. Crippled are not counted towards that


Lost cripples are to be reduced to possession. I mean..you lose a bird for whatever reason and you think you can shoot another one?


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## Jerry Lamb (Aug 3, 2015)

The letter of the law states "forward progress has stopped". That means legally the motor can still be running, just has to be in nuetral. We are very careful to make sure not to load until this is the case. If we get a prick then obiously it's a he said/ she said thing.
The only time we lose birds is in waves up to 1' when they are playing whack a mole. I assign eyes on all compass points but a wing shot bird, otherwise healthy, will cover at least 40-50' with every cycle. If you miss one cycle that's 100' further away. I think its actually better drifting and watching than running the boat.
And also sometimes they'll dive and not come up.
And yes gang limits are a no-no. We use game straps in shooter positions. They're attached to my blind so the bird goes in as soon as it's brought to the boat.


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## DecoySlayer (Mar 12, 2016)

craigrh13 said:


> Now that is legitimate. Even though nobody really follows it that well.


Yeah, but it's getting picky. Makes it hard to have ten buckets for ducks. If that logic is followed then each boat would have to have separate live wells, or coolers, for each fisherman. Bet the charter boys would love that. 

I only know on ONE CO who is THAT picky. (I do NOT mention names so no one ask)


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## DecoySlayer (Mar 12, 2016)

Jerry Lamb said:


> The letter of the law states "forward progress has stopped". That means legally the motor can still be running, just has to be in nuetral. We are very careful to make sure not to load until this is the case. If we get a prick then obiously it's a he said/ she said thing.
> The only time we lose birds is in waves up to 1' when they are playing whack a mole. I assign eyes on all compass points but a wing shot bird, otherwise healthy, will cover at least 40-50' with every cycle. If you miss one cycle that's 100' further away. I think its actually better drifting and watching than running the boat.
> And also sometimes they'll dive and not come up.
> And yes gang limits are a no-no. We use game straps in shooter positions. They're attached to my blind so the bird goes in as soon as it's brought to the boat.


There are no shooting positions in the boat, just buckets, everywhere. In the splash well, on the floor, where ever you can fit one without tripping on in and falling into Lake Erie in November.


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## Lamarsh (Aug 19, 2014)

Labs can most certainly be trained to dive for retrieving objects, I've seen it first hand; however, I can think of plenty of reasons why it would not be a good idea in connection with retrieving waterfowl...


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## DecoySlayer (Mar 12, 2016)

Lamarsh said:


> Labs can most certainly be trained to dive for retrieving objects, I've seen it first hand; however, I can think of plenty of reasons why it would not be a good idea in connection with retrieving waterfowl...


Double that in water that is 12' deep with strong currents.


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## craigrh13 (Oct 24, 2011)

BFG said:


> Lost cripples are to be reduced to possession. I mean..you lose a bird for whatever reason and you think you can shoot another one?


I specifically asked a CO about this and was told that they do not count towards your limit.


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## craigrh13 (Oct 24, 2011)

BFG said:


> Lost cripples are to be reduced to possession. I mean..you lose a bird for whatever reason and you think you can shoot another one?


Here's your answer. By letter of the law it is not counted towards your limit....
http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/f...vered-cripples-count-in-the-bag-limit.116121/


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## craigrh13 (Oct 24, 2011)

DecoySlayer said:


> Yeah, but it's getting picky. Makes it hard to have ten buckets for ducks. If that logic is followed then each boat would have to have separate live wells, or coolers, for each fisherman. Bet the charter boys would love that.
> 
> I only know on ONE CO who is THAT picky. (I do NOT mention names so no one ask)


Why are you putting your birds in a bucket? Just throw them on the deck. As long as they are in individual piles you are ok.


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## DecoySlayer (Mar 12, 2016)

craigrh13 said:


> Why are you putting your birds in a bucket? Just throw them on the deck. As long as they are in individual piles you are ok.


On the deck? Not possible. The buckets, for the most part, sit in the splash well. All deck space is being used. There is really no usable open deck. We need space for cooking, gun, gear, clothing storage, sleeping, eating, etc. etc. I may have to build a "bucket rack" and hang them.

Here is a picture of the boat they go on.

You can see the "multi-buckets" in the splash well


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## craigrh13 (Oct 24, 2011)

DecoySlayer said:


> View attachment 217166
> 
> 
> On the deck? Not possible. The buckets, for the most part, sit in the splash well. All deck space is being used. There is really no usable open deck. We need space for cooking, gun, gear, clothing storage, sleeping, eating, etc. etc. I may have to build a "bucket rack" and hang them.
> ...


You literally have no room to throw a few ducks at your feet? Behind you? Under your seat? Sounds like you bring to much crap out with you!


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## DecoySlayer (Mar 12, 2016)

craigrh13 said:


> You literally have no room to throw a few ducks at your feet? Behind you? Under your seat? Sounds like you bring to much crap out with you!


FEW DUCKS??????????????? We often have 7-8 guys hunting, so "FEW" just might not be the exact number!!!!! LOL!!! 

TOO MUCH CRAP? US? NO WAY! There is the cook stove, propane, coolers with all the hot dogs, chili, pots, pans, fishing rods, tackle, shotguns, shells, clothing for a half a zillion guys. Water, pop, 3lbs of candy, two pounds of cookies, beef jerky, apples, pears, sandwiches, potato chips, and a few other minor things. That is NOT too much crap! LOL! 

Just take a look at my avatar picture, few ducks my hind end! HEHEHEHE


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## craigrh13 (Oct 24, 2011)

DecoySlayer said:


> FEW DUCKS??????????????? We often have 7-8 guys hunting, so "FEW" just might not be the exact number!!!!! LOL!!!
> 
> TOO MUCH CRAP? US? NO WAY! There is the cook stove, propane, coolers with all the hot dogs, chili, pots, pans, fishing rods, tackle, shotguns, shells, clothing for a half a zillion guys. Water, pop, 3lbs of candy, two pounds of cookies, beef jerky, apples, pears, sandwiches, potato chips, and a few other minor things. That is NOT too much crap! LOL!
> 
> Just take a look at my avatar picture, few ducks my hind end! HEHEHEHE


Oh Lord. Yeah I've never been one of those people that wanted to cook and take all sorts of crap out. I like room to sprawl out.


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## craigrh13 (Oct 24, 2011)

DecoySlayer said:


> FEW DUCKS??????????????? We often have 7-8 guys hunting, so "FEW" just might not be the exact number!!!!! LOL!!!
> 
> TOO MUCH CRAP? US? NO WAY! There is the cook stove, propane, coolers with all the hot dogs, chili, pots, pans, fishing rods, tackle, shotguns, shells, clothing for a half a zillion guys. Water, pop, 3lbs of candy, two pounds of cookies, beef jerky, apples, pears, sandwiches, potato chips, and a few other minor things. That is NOT too much crap! LOL!
> 
> Just take a look at my avatar picture, few ducks my hind end! HEHEHEHE


by few I mean even a few limits. Hell, we throw ours all over the place.


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## DecoySlayer (Mar 12, 2016)

craigrh13 said:


> Oh Lord. Yeah I've never been one of those people that wanted to cook and take all sorts of crap out. I like room to sprawl out.


The "RiverWolf" often sprawls out on the front deck, with the clothes, food, shotguns etc, and sleeps. Those are the days we don't shoot many ducks, his snoring puts them off from 500 yards out. 

Then I have to sit on the stool that we use to make easier to get out of the tender into the mother boat. The boats slowly rocks, I start to fade out. "Magnum" is sitting on port gunnel, working a couple of perch rods. Alex and "Hipboot" are out in the layout, missing birds, falling asleep from the 4 chili dogs, potato chips and cookies they ate before they went out. 

Throughout the day, other hunters drop by to talk with us, even some who sometimes post in here. We have many friends on the River. 

This year we have 3 "donated" hunts. One for DU, one for Waterfowl USA and one for the "Refuge Alliance". The party that "bought" the hunt at the DU dinner is another "famous" bunch out there. The "team" from the "Duck Factory", out of Humbug, will be joining us. I cannot wait for that hunt, ALLL those stories, the memories, decades of friends and family, all on one hunt. WOW!!! 

I am a lucky man.


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## BFG (Mar 4, 2005)

craigrh13 said:


> Here's your answer. By letter of the law it is not counted towards your limit....
> http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/f...vered-cripples-count-in-the-bag-limit.116121/


A hunter who cripples birds and is unable to retrieve them for whatever reason, and then believes they can "just shoot more" is unethical in my book. The rub in all of this lies in the "attempt to retrieve" because now you bring in wanton waste rules. The guys I saw get tickets were making virtually zero attempt to retrieve cripples...they were shooting birds just to be shooting birds, and they got busted for it. 

I would be very careful in this regard, not to mention how does one not believe that a bird that was knocked out of the air...will not die, and shouldn't be counted towards your limit? 

I've said for a long time that waterfowlers should have to use single shots. We'd have a lot less cripples and a lot better decoying. 

Yep..I'm a grumpy old man, but dammit the young folks that are introduced to the outdoors must be taught the ethical side of hunting and fishing right along with the process involved with the pursuit and harvest. This idea of "knock 'em down and if you can't find them, don't worry about it, just keep shooting" is very, very disturbing. 

This is more than a "letter of the law" issue...it's an ethics issue.


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## DecoySlayer (Mar 12, 2016)

I don't agree with much of what was said, single shots would not likely reduce the numbers of cripples. I believe that numbers would stay the same or they would somewhat increase.

I have "finished" off many birds, that "juked" at the last second while deep into my decoys. They make that last second movement and instead of a head shot I clip a wing. I see they are hit and take them down with the second shot.

Having multiple shots also has reduced many cripples to the "bucket". A bird is hit, smacks the water hard and pops right up. A quick follow up saves chasing that cripple half way to Canada, or worse, losing it.

There is a HUGH difference between not being able to find a bird and wonton waste.


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## KLR (Sep 2, 2006)

DecoySlayer said:


> View attachment 217166
> 
> 
> On the deck? Not possible. The buckets, for the most part, sit in the splash well. All deck space is being used. There is really no usable open deck. We need space for cooking, gun, gear, clothing storage, sleeping, eating, etc. etc. I may have to build a "bucket rack" and hang them.
> ...


*WEEEEEE-OOOOOOOOH WEEEEEE-OOOOOOOOH WEEEEE-OOOOOOOOOHHH!!!!*


VIOLATOR!!!!! SOMEONE CALL THE FISH-COPS AND START A MULTI-YEAR INVESTIGATION - ASAP!!!!


*Operator*: "911 - what is your emergency?"

*MS Know-it-All/Saint*: " I need to report an egregious violation of the penal code."

*Operator*: "Sir are you in danger?"

*MS Know-it-All/Saint:* "Well, I should say so. I nearly had a stroke"

*Operator: *"Sir, what is your address - I'll send an ambulance"

*MS Know-it-All/Saint: *"No - no ambulance. Send the Cops and maybe the National Guard and like 2-3 Navy SEALs"

*Operator: *"Sir??"

*MS Know-it-All/Saint: *"I just witnessed someone hunting ducks with a *150 horsepower motor*. And I know that is a serious violation of the penal code"

*Operator:* "Sir, this line is for emergencies only."

*MS Know-it-All/Saint: *"Um, this is awkward - but I'm a *Member *on Michigan Sportsman Forum. You probably didn't realize who you're talking to - I didn't want to pull that card. But you brought it on yourself"

*Operator: *[....dial tone.....]

*MS Know-it-All/Saint: *"Hello? Helloo???"


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## DecoySlayer (Mar 12, 2016)

KLR said:


> *WEEEEEE-OOOOOOOOH WEEEEEE-OOOOOOOOH WEEEEE-OOOOOOOOOHHH!!!!*
> 
> 
> VIOLATOR!!!!! SOMEONE CALL THE FISH-COPS AND START A MULTI-YEAR INVESTIGATION - ASAP!!!!
> ...



LOL! Only one thing wrong, we were not hunting ducks with a 150HP motor, we all use shotguns! The motor is too heavy to shoot with.


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## KLR (Sep 2, 2006)

Nice try buddy - tell it to the judge.


**For Immediate Release*
*
Today, the MS-Internet Police Department has charged DecoySlayer with 92 counts of duck hunting with a motor larger than the maximum allowable.
The charges stem from a 30 second investigation whereby the violator admittedly engaged in the pursuit of waterfowl with a motor greater than 12 horsepower.
"We could have charged him with 138 counts for violation of MS penal code 322.9-7, but chose to hold those additional charges, pending his cooperation with authorities" an un-named MS-IPD investigator stated. "I'm really proud of the work that the team put in to nailing this piece of garbage - there is no room in the outdoor community for such egregious violations of the MS penal code" the officer went on to state.
During the investigation, the violator was observed enjoying the outdoors with friends and family in conditions that could have been dangerous.
"The point of being outdoors is not to enjoy time spent with yourself and your companions" clarified a MS-IPD official. "You need to be diligent in observing anyone who may be having more fun than you, and immediately become jealous and seek ways to disparage their character and draw hasty conclusions as to the nefarious reasons as to why they are having more fun than you" the official went on to state. "Make no mistake - time spent on the water is only enjoyable if you do it exactly the way I do it" the official concluded.

We will follow this story as more information is made up/becomes available.


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## DecoySlayer (Mar 12, 2016)

KLR said:


> Nice try buddy - tell it to the judge.
> 
> 
> **For Immediate Release*
> ...


Wrong again, as always. We NEVER pursue waterfowl, that is a TOTAL waste of time! We go out fishing and ducks just naturally fly in to get shot by us. They consider it a privilege to die by our shot. Only lesser beings must pursue game.


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## Neubys (Oct 18, 2011)

DecoySlayer, I have personally shot out of a layout boat with you. It's not your shooting that kills birds it's your looks! The birds aren't crippled you missed and they fainted...

Thanks to you and Riverwolf I have sold off a whole bunch of personal items and have now invested in diver duck decoy futures!


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## just ducky (Aug 23, 2002)

Gamekeeper said:


> ... Another added benefit is as a dog gets more proficient, you can find all kinds of birds that others shot....


yeah except....I had a buddy who had a great lab. Dog could find damn near any bird that was down, no matter how thick the cover. Problem was he was SOOOO good that when we hunted managed area corn strips, we would barely get to the crop strip and the dog would be bringing back others crips that he found. I'm not talking dead birds....I'm talking live crips. A couple times we had half a limit before we even pulled a trigger! Got to the point that we would not take that dog when we hunted the bingo's because it was not "hunting" anymore.


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## Gamekeeper (Oct 9, 2015)

It is hunting. It's not shooting on those days. The jewelry makes up for the lack of shooting.
All those laws are there because people are lazy.

There are plenty of people that knowingly take shots that if not a bang flop, are unrecoverable for them. Disappointing is an understatement.


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## craigrh13 (Oct 24, 2011)

BFG said:


> Exactly what should be done is the bird is counted towards the possession of the person that pulled the trigger. If more hunters followed this line of thinking, the 50 yard Hail Mary shot might not be taken.


So if a bird hits the water still alive its because someone was sky busting??? I'm assuming every bird you shoot in the decoys is dead on the water and never ever dives.


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## Shiawassee_Kid (Nov 28, 2000)

i have limited out on the flats before without pulling the trigger. once. found 2 on the way in that dog snagged live. and 2 on the way out. haha. all drakes too.


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## DecoySlayer (Mar 12, 2016)

I have always wondered about when ethics and law conflicts. Let's say a person limits out. 6 nice birds. On the way out the dog picks up two live, cripples. IF that person keeps them, they are in violation. IF they don't are they guilty of an "ethics" violation? 

There are many things that can happen hunting that would put a person in conflict with either the law, or ethics, at the same time.


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## Shiawassee_Kid (Nov 28, 2000)

DecoySlayer said:


> I have always wondered about when ethics and law conflicts. Let's say a person limits out. 6 nice birds. On the way out the dog picks up two live, cripples. IF that person keeps them, they are in violation. IF they don't are they guilty of an "ethics" violation?
> 
> There are many things that can happen hunting that would put a person in conflict with either the law, or ethics, at the same time.


twist the neck and leave it lay. its a no win situation.


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## DecoySlayer (Mar 12, 2016)

Shiawassee_Kid said:


> twist the neck and leave it lay. its a no win situation.


Yeah, I get it, it always bothers me. Back in the "old days", when it was illegal to hunt redheads I found a cripple on Celeron. I popped it, but spent the rest of my day looking over my shoulder.


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## Shiawassee_Kid (Nov 28, 2000)

DecoySlayer said:


> Yeah, I get it, it always bothers me. Back in the "old days", when it was illegal to hunt redheads I found a cripple on Celeron. I popped it, but spent the rest of my day looking over my shoulder.


no ones perfect (other than a few posters on here), i've seen my share of extra hens brought out because someone mis-ID'd it or it was collateral damage on a flock back in the single hen days. I will always encourage to bring out in that situation, never stomped a bird in life. I've actually had a friend bring out an extra hen, got checked by CO and he was straight up with him...even went over to him to tell him what he did. the CO wrote him a warning. rare case there.


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## just ducky (Aug 23, 2002)

Shiawassee_Kid said:


> ...I've actually had a friend bring out an extra hen, got checked by CO and he was straight up with him...even went over to him to tell him what he did. the CO wrote him a warning. rare case there.


Raising my hand and openly admitting to having shot two hens a couple times in my 38 years of duck hunting, and they all came out with me. What you described happened to me at Harsens back in the early 90's. Stupid mistake on my part, but I shot a 2nd hen. I had no intention of leaving it, so out it came with me, and at Harsens (at least in those days) you had to check your bag after the hunt. I walked right into the check station with the extra hen, and explained it to them. Guys at the counter are not COs', so they can't write you. But there just happened to be a CO there at the time. He listened to my story, and let me go with a warning. I would've accepted the ticket though.


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## Lurker (Jan 25, 2009)

Shiawassee_Kid said:


> i have limited out on the flats before without pulling the trigger. once. found 2 on the way in that dog snagged live. and 2 on the way out. haha. all drakes too.


 makes up for a poor draw


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## Lurker (Jan 25, 2009)

just ducky said:


> Raising my hand and openly admitting to having shot two hens a couple times in my 38 years of duck hunting, and they all came out with me. What you described happened to me at Harsens back in the early 90's. Stupid mistake on my part, but I shot a 2nd hen. I had no intention of leaving it, so out it came with me, and at Harsens (at least in those days) you had to check your bag after the hunt. I walked right into the check station with the extra hen, and explained it to them. Guys at the counter are not COs', so they can't write you. But there just happened to be a CO there at the time. He listened to my story, and let me go with a warning. I would've accepted the ticket though.


still have mandatory check in on your birds


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## BFG (Mar 4, 2005)

craigrh13 said:


> So if a bird hits the water still alive its because someone was sky busting??? I'm assuming every bird you shoot in the decoys is dead on the water and never ever dives.


I never said all the birds I knock down are dead. I said that if I can't recover a bird I crippled, I reduce it to my possession. Do that a couple times, and you'll eventually become a more selective shooter, because ultimately it is the responsibility of the hunter to recover his/her game.


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## Tavor (Sep 10, 2011)

BFG said:


> I never said all the birds I knock down are dead. I said that if I can't recover a bird I crippled, I reduce it to my possession. Do that a couple times, and you'll eventually become a more selective shooter, because ultimately it is the responsibility of the hunter to recover his/her game.


I understand what you're trying to say, but you're using the phrase wrong. To reduce a wounded bird to possession means to _physically _take possession of it. You can't do that if you cannot recover it. The rule is pretty clear; a wounded bird that has been reduced to possession must be killed immediately and included in you bag. It says nothing about a bird that cannot be reduced to possession.


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## BFG (Mar 4, 2005)

Thanks Tavor...that's what I was getting at there.


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