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Wednesday, April 1, 2015

A lesson in duck identification - a column for Shotgun Life

I've heard some people say you have no business hunting ducks if you can't accurately identify the species you're shooting at every single time.

Obviously that's ideal, but it's not very real-world. I've hunted with plenty of seasoned veterans who weren't sure exactly what species it was - was it a gadwall or a hen wigeon that just zipped through the spread in the pre-dawn light? But they knew it was a duck, and they knew it wasn't a duck they couldn't shoot, e.g. a pintail if they'd already gotten their limit.

I think that's OK. But I've learned that not being too sure has its risks, as you'll see in my latest column for Shotgun Life.

© Holly A. Heyser 2015