shooting hens ?

steel shot · Postby **steel shot** » Mon Dec 10, 2001 9:40 am

Who does and who doesent??I find it hard to let a hen go when im only seeing a few birds.What kind of effect does it have on the population,help me out with some info..

CB · Postby CB » Mon Dec 10, 2001 9:44 am

Don't do it!!!! Sure you shoot one every now and then by accident but I only try to shoot Greenheads. I had rather go home empty handed than with a limit of susie's.
CB [img]images/smiles/icon_eek.gif[/img]

damnyankee · Postby **damnyankee** » Mon Dec 10, 2001 9:57 am

Sometimes yes sometimes no, I try not to shoot too many.
How do shoot one by accident?
I did shoot a half and half this weekend in AR. First one I ever shot that was so perfect in both ways. Big green head, big hen chest.

feedcall · Postby **feedcall** » Mon Dec 10, 2001 10:28 am

Actually, one of the most common crossbreeds is a mallard, black duck. Look closely at the hen part and see if the feathers are dark colored similar to a black duck then you have yourself a crossbreed. I killed one about ten years ago. I didn't get it mounted, wish I would have, but I have a lot of pictures of it. Anyway I took it to the Ms game and fish and that is what they told me. Mount it if you can. I don't miss very many days of the season, haven't for a lot of years, and I have only seen one.

Bigpoppa · Postby **Bigpoppa** » Mon Dec 10, 2001 8:33 pm

Hey steel shot,
You know how i feel.If the feds think its ok, so be it. If given the oportunity I will take a Drake over a hen but dont let a lone hen come in on a slow morning. If the ducks are flying well and the shooting is good go for the green heads, other wise make yourself happy. This sport is way to expensive to not be productive even if it includes a hen or 2.I will get some flack, but if they dont want you to shoot hens they should make it illegal.

mwtrip · Postby **mwtrip** » Mon Dec 10, 2001 8:45 pm

I agree with Xpress, 100%, as a rule, no, but don't let a lone hen on a slow day float in or be the deciding factor in a limit.

MSDuckmen · Postby **MSDuckmen** » Mon Dec 10, 2001 8:46 pm

Never have let a slow morning draw me into shooting a hen, Most of you boys know my stand on it so I want bore you with it again.

It's a personal thing and I do what I personally feel is right and let them fly.

damnyankee · Postby **damnyankee** » Mon Dec 10, 2001 8:51 pm

The only hen part was the belly. When I shot it I knew it was a drake. As I watched the dog run out to I realized it was a hen, I had no idea how I confused them since I saw a greenhead.
Anyway dog brought back a green head that was perfect in everyway but for the belly which was pure mallard hen.

Postby **Greenhead22** » Mon Dec 10, 2001 9:00 pm

If she has jewelry on her foot, I'll shoot her, otherwise I won't.

[ December 10, 2001: Message edited by: Greenhead22 ]

Postby **GulfCoast** » Mon Dec 10, 2001 10:33 pm

On a species of ducks where it is easy to pick out the hens, I let them go, i.e. mallards, woodies, widgeon and so forth. I can tell the difference in flight between mottleds, grayducks and hen mallards MOST of the time, but occasionally goof. Now, on ducks where I CAN'T easily tell the difference between drakes and hens, like in a big group of grayducks or mottled ducks, I just kill 'em and let the good Lord sort those out. I am getting to where I can sort of tell the difference in sex for grayducks if they are REAL close, but no way on mottled ducks.

Bigpoppa · Postby **Bigpoppa** » Mon Dec 10, 2001 10:52 pm

They have spent a lifetime researching the age old question about shooting hens. They have incorporated all the data into the limit. The feds. and all the agencies that are resposible for the data cosider 2 hens per day to be ok. I think they probably know best.
What amazes me is no matter how many times this question comes up you will get a line of garbage from someone.
Heres one better for you...A lot of the people who think it is outrageous to shoot hens will do the tag team limit thing everyday they hunt. I am not saying I have a huge problem with people doing this but it is an illegal act. Killing hens is a legal act and tag team limits are not. Before we start questioning data that took millions of our dollars to compile lets eliminate illegal acts first.

Johnboy114 · Postby **Johnboy114** » Mon Dec 10, 2001 11:55 pm

Those of you that will not shoot a hen and also deer hunt; do you shoot does? just curious.
Matt

[ December 10, 2001: Message edited by: Johnboy114 ]

MSDuckmen · Postby **MSDuckmen** » Tue Dec 11, 2001 12:02 am

Express

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote

Heres one better for you...A lot of the people who think it is outrageous to shoot hens will do the tag team limit thing everyday they hunt. I am not saying I have a huge problem with people doing this but it is an illegal act. Killing hens is a legal act and tag team limits are not. Before we start questioning data that took millions of our dollars to compile lets eliminate illegal acts first.

LETS NOT, The fundimental difference is that it is legal to kill hen and not to take birds that are not your own.

Killing hens is a personal choice and has little to do with research. All this research that you are talking about is on numbers and not so much sex. It is no question that if you shoot a hen it will not breed. It is also proven in the research that our money went to that mallard drakes will mate with multiple hens.
So this garbage as you view it is still just a personal choice and has little to do with research. Some of us are out there for more reasons than to simply kill to the limit regardless of the sex.
There is no proof that 9 extra days would hurt the bird population yet we didn't get it. however it is fine to use spinners, mallard machines and other such toys to increase your odds at killing.
When a person elects not to take a certain bird it does not mean that they simply believe that it will save the species but more that it will help to increase them.

Killing the layers can't do it any good (period)

Your choice, but to put all your reasoning into the limited research done on hen harvest is really a joke.

And if you would like I will gladly post the only research documented on this subject if you wish, but I will tell you up front that there is no proof that it doesn't hurt them either.

And I said I wasn't going to get into this again but when someone thumbs their nose at those of us that hunt on a higher level than they do and justify it using the same logic the flyway councel stopped our 9 days from coming back it just make ya want to voice your opinion all over again.

better days

MSDuckmen · Postby **MSDuckmen** » Tue Dec 11, 2001 12:16 am

Johnboy114
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><HR>Those of you that will not shoot a hen and also deer hunt; do you shoot does? Just curious.
Matt <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

It never fails that someone will throw apples into the orange bin.

Fundamental difference in managing a herd of deer to fit into an environment that will hold only so many per acre of land. Habitat differences in mammals and birds differ greatly, big difference in migratory birds and native wildlife. Would you rather have the does starving or people hitting them in cars at a higher rate than it is happening already?
Yes I would shoot a Doe if I wanted one. They are managed much different than birds.

If ya can't see that then I'm spinning my wheels anyway.

magnum · Postby **magnum** » Tue Dec 11, 2001 12:35 am

"And I said I wasn't going to get into this again but when someone thumbs their nose at those of us that hunt on a higher level than they do and justify it using the same logic the flyway councel stopped our 9 days from coming back it just make ya want to voice your opinion all over again."

Posted by Duckmen-

So you are on a higher level? Come on man- get off your high horse.

MAG

[ December 11, 2001: Message edited by: magnum ]

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