Waterfowl hunting
MAINELY OUTDOORS
by Bill Graves
Describe regional upland bird hunters and the term avid often is applied, but talk to or about waterfowl gunners and the word fanatic regularly enters the conversation.
Local sportsmen targeting puddle ducks, diving ducks, sea ducks, and various species of geese as their favorite quarries frequently become addicted to their endeavors. Waterfowl tend to be extremely wary, wily, sharp-eyed birds, and offer an exciting challenge generally superior to partridge, pheasant, and woodcock.
In the mid 1960s when I first got into duck hunting, a moderate number of black ducks, blue and green-winged teal, wood ducks, and a few mallards inhabited most Aroostook waterways. Geese of any species were rare. Jump-shooting small ponds and marshes, floating down rivers and streams in a canoe or Jon boat, or occasionally setting out decoys on a waterway were the most utilized tactics. Any old shotgun and shells used for partridge or pheasant usually did double duty for ducks as well.
Leap forward into the 21st century and autumn in the Crown of Maine sees great numbers of mallards, fewer, but still good populations of black ducks and a wide variety of other species in small populations. Ringneck ducks, widgeon, scaup, gadwall and even a rare few pintails are bagged on local waterways. Thanks to a pro-active Fish and Wildlife Department, Canada geese were captured in other New England states and transported and transplanted throughout Aroostook. Results were amazing and we now enjoy an early native goose season each September.
Migrating geese from Canada discovered regional harvested grain and potato fields as well as green cover crop fields about 20 years ago. Now the County seems to attract and hold more honkers, as well as a few snow geese and white fronted geese each fall, and they remain in the area to feed and fatten until deep snow or heavily frozen ground drives them south in mid to late November. Field gunning over decoys for ducks and geese has grown in popularity and productivity over the last couple of decades.
Environmental concerns have also increased leading to frequently changing limit numbers on several species and of most concern to waterfowlers nationwide, a full ban on lead pellets in shotgun shells. While prohibition of lead loads decreased loss of waterfowl and other species from ingested lead poisoning, developing a lethal, dependable substitute of non-toxic pellets has been challenging for ammunition manufacturers.
Steel was and continues to be the prime substitute, but while early steel loads were efficient out to the 30 to 35 yard range, pattern density and pellet penetration dropped notably beyond that distance. More game birds were only wounded or crippled and lost with steel. Just as important, while lead pellets are very soft and malleable, steel is hard and solid. Many older shotgun barrels can’t withstand the abuse of steel, and larger pellet sizes can actually bulge the muzzle and ruin the gun.
Non-toxic substitutes such as bismuth, iron/tungsten, Hevi-Shot and tungsten matrix combos were created to fill the void. These high tech shells proved deadly on waterfowl, some killing birds further and quicker than lead pellets, but the price was breathtaking. Sold mostly in boxes of 10, each shell cost two to three dollars. Hunters envisioned ten dollar bills floating away each time they emptied the shotgun! But at least favorite old scatterguns could still be used.
The next step was to speed up the steel loads to produce a longer range, more lethal shell. Older lead loaded shells fired at 1200 feet per second offered a great load, the new steel loads topped 1500 F.P.S., Winchester XPert Hi-Velocity, Kents Fasteel and Remington Hypersonic are all comprised of newly invented shell components that withstand the increased speed and protect gun barrels with steel yielding lethal loads, all for 17- to 25-dollars per box of 25 shells.
In the last couple of years, two truly futuristic shotgun shells have hit the market and also hit the target. Federal Ammunition’s Black Cloud shells introduced the first pellets with other than a round shape. These black-colored steel pellets actually feature a thin ring or band around the center like the planet Saturn which creates a larger, more lethal wound track, tight patterns and fewer wounded or lost ducks and geese.
This year, Winchester unveiled Blind Side shotgun shells. The pellets are hexagonal shaped allowing more to fit in a shell, therefore a denser pattern with more pellets in the kill zone. The odd shape also offers more lethal wound tracks and quick, humane kills. True sportsmen demand dependable ammunition that produces fewer wounded or lost birds.
Duck populations are way up this year on all Aroostook waterways and Canada geese numbers continue to increase as more and more migrating birds stop over this month and nest. Don’t forget you need a federal and state stamp to hunt waterfowl, and while a 3-inch 20 gauge will work, 12-gauge shotguns offer better results. Foremost, steel or non-toxic shot shells are the law, so check out the stock at your local sporting goods store and make sure your shotgun can safely fire steel pellets. New types and styles of shot shells are the first step to success and a tasty meal of duck l’orange or roast stuffed goose for Thanksgiving dinner.
