Whats the most difficult duck to shoot

[irishevox]

Kinda fun  thread though i would start here, just to see what you have thought to be the most difficult duck to shoot.... i have found for me it is teal.  Those little guys are lighting fast!   I have got my fair share through the years, but i find that they can be difficult to whack some times just do to thier flying speeds!

[Blacktail Sniper]

The ones that are flying....

[boneaddict]

For me it would be Harlequin or Canvasback....because I never saw them when I was hunting. 

[baldopepper]

Green Wing teal-they swoop in over your decoys at about 100 mph and about the time you're ready to shoot they shoot upwards like a jet fighter.  I've wasted a lot of shells on very windy days trying to hit those little buggars. Lot of fun though.

[boneaddict]

Notice I don't post very many flight pictures of them

[C-Money]

I would have to agree, the green wings are a challenge!

[pianoman9701]

Teal for me.

[Curly]

Blue wing teal because I rarely ever see them.

[Sitka_Blacktail]

Teal aren't just fast with quick turns, they are small too so harder to hit.

[washingtonmuley]

For me it would be Harlequin or Canvasback....because I never saw them when I was hunting.

Have you ever targeted harlequin?

[vandeman17]

hardest ducks for me to shoot are the ones that fly into my spread when I have my waders down taking a leak and my shotgun leaning against the sagebrush. It never fails! 

[270Shooter]

While not that hard to hit, the toughest duck by far is a goldeneye. Shot some of those things on the Columbia and they will be floating belly up and when we go out to grab them they get up and fly away lol.  After cleaning and eating a few of them I've learned not to shoot them anymore. Generally speaking pintails are somewhat difficult for me to decoy, but I do fool one every once in a while. Teal usually have a death wish and that's unfortunate for them because I do love to eat them!

[boneaddict]

For me it would be Harlequin or Canvasback....because I never saw them when I was hunting.

Have you ever targeted harlequin?

I'd say very limited because I have only hunted Eastside and there aren't very many (that I've noted anyway)

[HUNTINCOUPLE]

All ducks for me. I grew up shooting grouse in the head either on a tree limb or on the ground with a .410. Flying ducks are super tough!

[baldopepper]

hardest ducks for me to shoot are the ones that fly into my spread when I have my waders down taking a leak and my shotgun leaning against the sagebrush. It never fails! 

LOL - geeze, I thought I was only one that happened to!! Geese are just as bad, won't see a flock all day until you walk out and start picking up the decoys. I'm confident they have spies watching.

[Goldeneye]

  For flat out speed I have to give the diver ducks the nod.  Canvasbacks are probably easiest to mis-judge the lead on due to speed.  Teal aren't really that fast just switch direction a lot.

  I did a quick look online and the 2nd fastest duck ever clocked was a canvasback at 72 MPH.  The fastest was a red breasted merganser that was clocked at 100 mph.  Anyhow, here's a link to some other interesting duck trivia. 


http://www.ducks.org/news-media/news/5989/waterfowl-on-the-move

[washingtonmuley]

Oldsquaw can been tough at times if the don't commit to the decoys.

[vandeman17]

not to thread jack but the comments about speed and lead made me think about this. I can't recall ever actually thinking about leading a duck or goose when shooting at it... Do you guys consciously think about and try to lead birds when you shoot? I consider myself to be a pretty good shot and fold birds that are quick moving and a bit of a poke. I just let my instincts take over when I shoot. 

[Tealer]

For me it would be Harlequin or Canvasback....because I never saw them when I was hunting.

Those two are pretty location specific.


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[pianoman9701]

It's this one. He was shot in the butt with a rifle and is still standing.

[RadSav]

While not that hard to hit, the toughest duck by far is a goldeneye. Shot some of those things on the Columbia and they will be floating belly up and when we go out to grab them they get up and fly away lol. 

That is my problem with Male Buffleheads.  We used to hunt them at the mouth of a short canal.  They would come busting around the corner and I'd dump the male.  He'd skip across the water and the float belly up, sometimes paddling in a circle.  I'd keep the dog close waiting for the ladies to reach the end of the canal turn around and come back past.  When they would come back that darn male would get up and rejoin them!  And they say cats have nine lives...in my experience a cat has got nothing on a bufflehead 

[jmaster4880]

While not that hard to hit, the toughest duck by far is a goldeneye. Shot some of those things on the Columbia and they will be floating belly up and when we go out to grab them they get up and fly away lol. 

That is my problem with Male Buffleheads.  We used to hunt them at the mouth of a short canal.  They would come busting around the corner and I'd dump the male.  He'd skip across the water and the float belly up, sometimes paddling in a circle.  I'd keep the dog close waiting for the ladies to reach the end of the canal turn around and come back past.  When they would come back that darn male would get up and rejoin them!  And they say cats have nine lives...in my experience a cat has got nothing on a bufflehead 

 

Ive had that happen more often then not. But i love blasting them while there speeding across the water top. the Surf scoters (forgive the mis-spelling) are a tough one.

[kodiak 907]

Scoters and Goldeneyes hands down.  Those things can take a pounding, and when you finally get one to fall the scoters will often dive and hold onto the bottom

[JJB11B]

The ones that come in when you are picking up the decoys never fails, I started taking my shotgun with me but then they never fly by

[thequickfox]

i find wood ducks to be challenging

[huntnphool]

Green wing teal

[JBG]

GWT's are tough but I bet we have all shot a lot.  The ones I never seem to shoot are the drake buffleheads and drake hollywood ducks, every. single. time. I shoot one of these in a moment of weakness its always a suzie. 

[JimmyHoffa]

Cold front ducks!  Take a bird that is flying 45 mph and give it a another 45 mph as a tailwind.

[Bullkllr]

Gotta go with ringnecks that strafe over the blind from behind at an altitude of about 5 feet. Seems like I always get left with a "how did I miss" look on my face 

[jennyfell55]

Gotta go with ringnecks that strafe over the blind from behind at an altitude of about 5 feet. Seems like I always get left with a "how did I miss" look on my face 

I agree on that one! One day my buddy and I had a ringneck almost hit us in the face! I could have butt stroked it more effectively than trying to shoot it! 

[h2ofowlr]

Hardest to kill are scoters!  If up close they can be killed if a pellet hits the head.  Otherwise the chase is on.  They will dive before the pellets hit again.  You can burn half a box of shells on a wounded one.

Easy to decoy, but tuff as hell.

[Jellymon]

This one. He only lives at a few places in the world and when you show up to ask permission to hunt they always call the cops.  Maybe next time I should try asking without the full camo, shotgun, and lab.........

[whtelk]

Hardest to shoot? Green wing teal on a windy day.