Your dream waterfowl hunt ??

[3legged_lab]

I've had one fold up after bein shot and right before it hit the water it flew away

Had the exact same thing happen with a Canada goose one time. I'm convinced that I only knocked it out for a second or two.

[Ajverret]

Some tricky little bastards

[Tiler_J]

I've had one fold up after bein shot and right before it hit the water it flew away

Had the exact same thing happen with a Canada goose one time. I'm convinced that I only knocked it out for a second or two.

I did the same thing also a few years ago with a gadwal. Shot it and it crumpled. It regained consciousness after about 2 seconds, it's head came up and off it flew. It never even hit the water and looked strong flying away. My buddy and I couldn't believe it.

[Bootlipkiller]

I've had one fold up after bein shot and right before it hit the water it flew away

Had the exact same thing happen with a Canada goose one time. I'm convinced that I only knocked it out for a second or two.

I did the same thing also a few years ago with a gadwal. Shot it and it crumpled. It regained consciousness after about 2 seconds, it's head came up and off it flew. It never even hit the water and looked strong flying away. My buddy and I couldn't believe it.

Had a pintail do this to me once.

[obxbufflehead]

I've had one fold up after bein shot and right before it hit the water it flew away

Had the exact same thing happen with a Canada goose one time. I'm convinced that I only knocked it out for a second or two.

I did the same thing also a few years ago with a gadwal. Shot it and it crumpled. It regained consciousness after about 2 seconds, it's head came up and off it flew. It never even hit the water and looked strong flying away. My buddy and I couldn't believe it.

Had a pintail do this to me once.

We know Assa doesn't have this problem.

[hotrodtoad]

I've had probably 1/2 dozen Woodies dive on me or the dog and never come up. Tough birds to retrieve if you don't kill 'em dead.

[goodkarmarising]

Wanting to go to NODAK for spring snows...might try to make it happen this coming spring.

[Goldfish]

With the woodies I wonder if you didn't actually hit them. When I was picking up decoys I watch the woodies splashing down all around me and they got just above the cat tail height, and just folded up and Ker-Sploosh down into the water. They made zero attempt at soft landings like other birds. It was insane. Either that or concussion from BBs whizzing past their noggin maybe?

[Weston81]

My Dad was huting out of one of those cheap haybail popup blinds from Cabela's two years ago,in a flooded field. He shoots a gadwall and brings it back to the blind and sets it down by his feet in the water. Gets up a little bit later to leave and unzips the door and gets out. Goes to pick up the duck and it's swam out of the blind and flys off! He didn't even tell me until after the season was over he was so embarressed, guess he just tossed it down and went back to hunting and didn't realize it was still alive. He bought a duck strap very soon after this incident.

[jehler]

hunting out of the barge is also up there on my list. (never been on a big water diver swatting trip)

the barge has been so pimped up in pics and internet lore, it isn't really that big of a deal, its just boat with a blind. I will say there is a bit of a no chit feeling when you are sitting out in the middle of the lake in such a high profile blind and the birds come in like they are on a string but honestly, it's not that exciting unless it's windy as hell and things are going wrong

still, i would be happy to make a hunt come true, just don't show up expecting magic

[Olly]

The barge lives up to its reputation. So does Jehler.

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[GadwallGetter530]

I've had specks dive on me before at a couple different refuges. The first time I saw that I was about 10 or so old.My dad knocked one down out of a flock , we all thought it was stone dead. Then it stared running from the dog. A moment later down it went. I still remember my cousin sayin "you gotta be chittin me."

[Goldfish]

My dad has of stories of geese diving under the water and winding themselves up in the weeds to get away. Obviously, they drown and die, but they "got away" I guess. I saw one try to do it to my dad and uncle that my uncle started jabbing at under the water with the paddle to get it back up.

[assateague]

I don't stop shooting until I'm out of shells in the gun. Then I reload and blast as I walk out into the water toward them, Kurt Russell Tombstone style.

[GadwallGetter530]

I swear some times specks act more like mallards then they do, say snow geese. They work like mallards and they will try their damndest to evade capture like a crippled greenhead.

[QH's Paw]

Probably 6 years ago, while hunting at a local WMA, my dog was chasing a crippled suzie. He kept spending all his time in an area of tall weeds out in about 3' of water and refused to leave that area to search out or "hunt up" the bird. Let me just say I trust this dogs nose. So, I walk out over there and send the dog back to the blind. I keep walking around real slow, waiting for the bird to pop up. After at least 5 mins, probably more like 10, I stepped down on this spot and instantly, I knew I had stepped on the bird, holding onto grass or weeds under water.
I couldn't believe it had held on for so long but, I was more amazed when I reached under water and pulled it loose and it was still alive. Needless to say it was not alive when I arrived back at the blind. The 2 people that were with me were just as amazed as I was.
Then, last year, on the Salt river in Wyoming, I shot a greenhead. He kinda got upriver a bit before the dog got to him. The chase went on for a while. The bird actually made it out of the water and I was laughing to myself, realizing the birds always lose against a dog's nose on land.
So my dog is chasing him and tearing up the willow bush where he is under. I see the dog with the bird in his mouth and, here is where things get bad, the dog trys to get a better grip and when he opens his mouth, to get him further in his mouth or positioned better, the bird gets away.
My dog started shredding the roots and everything else under the willows. I could tell the bird dove in the water from where I was but, the dog wouldn't leave the spot.
Finally, I call the dog off and we move onto another down bird that had been floating.
Having had other experiences that have instilled confidence in my dogs nose, I decide to go back over where it all happened. I'm probably 20 feet from the other bank when, I look into the water 4' feet from the willow and the drake is holding onto the roots of the willow in about 18" of water and he seems to be looking at me. I reach down in the water and and grab him by the neck and pull him loose from the roots. Actually, I tried to take a picture of it with my phone but, the reflection of the water kept the picture from being viewable, you couldn't see the bird under water.
I will always trust my dogs nose over what I think I saw.