Skybuster - why?

[scottr]

I'll admit I am not the worlds greatest shot. I tend to snap shoot targets instead of swinging through and sometimes I think my cheek gets off the stock a bit if I lift my head to look at the target. I known I have these tendencies and so I will sometimes hold up on shots that other guys could probably hit. Because of this I like my shots to be in a bit closer.

But from time to time I will take poke at something of what I think is out of my personal range. I would guess this is 30-40 yards out (thinking the longest I may break a target on the trap range). This is my on version of sky busting but compared to what I have seen this is nothing

To illustrate, I went hunting at Skagit yesterday. The ducks were flying aplenty but with most of the ponds covered with ice and snow the ducks did a lot of fly-bys and wouldn't commit to the deeks. Over my deeks, me and my partner shot twice all morning and missed both times. One shot was high but not totally out of range and the other was a lower passing shot on a fast flying drake mallard.

It was a little crowded yesterday but not to the point where I was felling unsafe or getting pissed off from people encroaching on my spot. One thing that stood out to me was what crazy frickin shots some guys are willing to take. We are talkin shots that are, by my estimation, 60+ yards. I saw guys in boats on the river shooting at ducks over the trees by the dike near the planted fields. Guys shooting geese way, way up in the sky, and guys pass shooting at ducks that they could not hit using a slug if they were standing still and the size of a deer.

To me this seems like 1) a total waste of ammo, 2) hurting the resource as you'll leave a lot of cripples in the field 3) why duck hunting is so friggin hard because guys shoot at ducks that don't get hit but do learn that decoys=danger or that they shoor ducks that get peppered but don't die thus learning that decoys=danger.

I know this is a bit of a rant but I really want to know:

do you yourself, guys you hunt with, or guys you know sky bust and if so why?

[jackelope]

do you yourself, guys you hunt with, or guys you know sky bust and if so why?

lack of experience IMO.
if people haven't seen ducks cupped up set and coming into the dekes, they won't know what they are missing

[Choclab]

How long have you been waterfowling??? LOL. Skybusters are all part of this sport sometimes. People just get frustrated and desperation takes over. I have done it more times than I would like to admit when I first started out, and have done it a few time since. Sometimes the birds take a wrong swing when you are already coming out of the blind. *censored* happens. I would suggest finding new areas that don't hold as many people. There really isn't anything you can do about it....piss, moan, rant and rave, they will always be out there no matter what you say or do. You just have to make sure that you don't become part of the problem and do it yourself when everyone else around you is doing it. It sucks, but it's all part of the game.

[scottr]

As a follow up at what distance do you consider a shot out of range and/or into sky busting territory? 

[WAcoyotehunter]

I like the nice close shots, inside 30 yards for sure.  The only time I'll go longer is if i've hit one and not killed it...then I shoot until he's gone.  It's a bad feeling watching a bird fly off when you know you hit him. 

[scottr]

How long have you been waterfowling???

Why is that relevant. It doesn't seem to be an issue of time in the field as much as knowing good hunting technique from bad. I was making an observation and trying to understand the rationale behind the practice of skybusting.

LOL. Skybusters are all part of this sport sometimes. People just get frustrated and desperation takes over. I have done it more times than I would like to admit when I first started out, and have done it a few time since. Sometimes the birds take a wrong swing when you are already coming out of the blind. *censored* happens.

That is big of you to admit (honestly, no sarcasm). We all do stuff wrong from time to time, especially when we are new at something. And as I said, I shoot out of my range from time to time as well. Sometimes you just got to throw up the hail Mary and take a poke at them so I guess for you and me this is the exception and not the rule .

That being said, I am still left wondering more about the people who should know better and still do it, not out of desperation or bad timing but because they feel they can't pass on the shot .

I would suggest finding new areas that don't hold as many people. There really isn't anything you can do about it....piss, moan, rant and rave, they will always be out there no matter what you say or do.

As I said it didn't ruin my day and I didn't feel the need to move. I did end up going to another spot to try and find more action (because the ice more than anything else) and got a snow goose and a duck.

You just have to make sure that you don't become part of the problem and do it yourself when everyone else around you is doing it. It sucks, but it's all part of the game.

I won't. As I mentioned, I tend to hold my shots in closer than most people I see around me. It seems to be about knowing your limitations, personal choice, and good hunting practices.

There is a lot about hunting and hunters that are old issues (take poaching or trespassing for examples) but it still seems good to talk about it and try and change attitudes, especially for newer hunters on the site and in the sport. Just accepting "as this is the way it has been and always will be" seems very self defeating.

[addicted]

I'll admit I am not the worlds greatest shot. I tend to snap shoot targets instead of swinging through and sometimes I think my cheek gets off the stock a bit if I lift my head to look at the target. I known I have these tendencies and so I will sometimes hold up on shots that other guys could probably hit. Because of this I like my shots to be in a bit closer.

sounds like my shooting.

i was out at the ponds at skagit yesterday too.  there were some crazy 80+ yard shots where guys just wanted to jack off their gun i guess.   between me and my buddy we took 3 shots at birds i think.  even the gunshy dog was feeling alright in the blind with us.   it was really discouraging didnt have one duck commit to the decoys all day. 

[jackelope]

yeah but i can break clays at 80 yards, doesn't that count??
(insert sarcasm here)

[sisu]

This is a good thread that touches on things I find irritating also. I've seen the skybusters, felt as if I have been guilty of it at times, but probably just poor shooting since some people say I wait too long to shoot.
With that said, I have two very good friends in Michigan who only shoot reloads that they have fine tuned to a point where they do some shots at geese and ducks I find too far for my comfort level, but they are successful with their loads. Neither them nor I would never attempt to do what they do with store bought loads.
Christmas is coming and with that I'll start reloading steel to come up with a load similar to Rick and John's. Then I'll get comfortable with the load by shooting some clay. Will it change the distance I risk on a shot? Probably not because I have been doing this so long it's ingrained into me.

[scottr]

Skagit is a joke it is the breeding grounds for stupidity. Welts and most all the other public areas are about the same.

BTW.

The snow goose I took was out on a log in the flats. I spotted it from a distance and walked in on it. It did not fly until I got about 50 yards from it. It got up and made the mistake of flying towards me (and the bay) instead of away from me (towards the River).

I dropped it on the third shot (snapped the first two but swung through on the last thinking "head"). It was DOA with shots in the head and neck.

Upon further inspection the bird was a cripple. It had dry blood on the very inside (wing pit?) of it's left wing (btw away side from me when I shot) and after dressing it out I found it had two more non life threating shots (skin only) on its lower breast. This bird was healthy enough to fly away but hurting to the point that it wanted to be away from the flock and did not spook from my approach until the last moment.

Who knows if this bird would have lived or died from it's injuries or the circumstances under which it was shot but if I was asked to speculate I would say sky busting.

[Shadow Cat]

I can say this. I was a fairly good shot with a shotgun. I have found this year I have gone through 1 box of shells and only have 7 ducks to show for it. I am in a slump that is irritating for me.
I saw on a waterfowl show a few weeks ago with Tom Knapp the discussion on shooting slumps. He said the first reaction is to put the gun up for a while and it will pass. He said this is totally the wrong thing to do. Get yourself shooting more and EVALUATE the WHY for your shooting slump. Is it a change in clothing? Are you closing an eye? Are you raising your head from the stock? These were just a few suggestions he had.
I guess I need to do more shooting to figure out what I have changed. I am suspecting it is my jacket as it has gotten colder and I am using my heavy hunting jacket. But who knows, it may be something else all together. I may just be anticipating the shot instead of just letting the shot happen. I have noticed that my lead has been wrong a few times because I got used to shooting faster flying birds and I am anticipating where they should be in the shot process and they aren't there because they are actually flying slower. I need to slow down a bit and let the gun do the work instead of trying to force a shot. 

[Choclab]

Landshark.......LOL!!! Learn to call better eh? Thats funny *censored* right there. I admitted to sky busting when I was younger and inexperienced, but these days its all shoot em' in the face stuff. The only time I have sky busted in recent years is when I take to long to get up out of the blind and they got out farther than I thought they did. And then it's usually only one shot and I stop once I realized my mistake. If you claim you never do it by accident or on purpose or what ever..... I also use the best dekes I can find to help seal the deal even more. I try to use FB's when I can, even in the water if it's shallow enough. Learn to call better....thats funny as hell!! Re-read my post before you start telling me to learn to call better.

[Ray]

There are some people who run stop signs once in a while. There are others who run them all the time.

[Choclab]

There are some people who run stop signs once in a while. There are others who run them all the time.

LOL....how true

Landshark,
I don't know you and you don't know me. I don't know your ethics and you don't know mine. I screw up and take a pokes that I shouldn't once in a blue moon. It's not common practice. Your comfort range is probably different than mine. I shot 5k rounds at LIVE birds....not at a friggin trap range this year. My comfort zone is a little longer then some guys. With that being said I do all I can to get the birds as close as possible. I spend a ton of money on good looking dekes and spend the time to take care of them. I practice calling for hours each night (equipment operator). I do all I can. There will always be sky busters. Once there is a group of sky busters in a public spot alot of good callers will kinda start following suit. They get the "hey, if they are gonna do it so am I" mentality. It sucks, but it happens. The only way to stop it is to not let yourself get that mentality. It's hard at times, I'll admit it, but there is really nothing you can do about it. You can voice your opinion from across the blinds, but that usually doesn't end well. So what can we do, besides not do it ourselves? You have any ideas??

[washingtonmuley]

Is it just me or are there a couple of people that start crap on every post. I wish I was perfect.