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There may already be a thread on this but i couldnt find it. What got me thinking about this is I was in Iowa last weekend pheasant hunting. one of the guys i was hunting w/ said there is a statistic that says if you shoot a hen it affects the life of 400 future birds. I usually shoot whatever comes in my spread with how duck hunting has been lately. What is everybodys thoughts on how shooting hens or mallard hens specifically affects the future population.

I really try to avoid shooting hen mallards, all other hens are fair game.

At this point...I'd shoot my 2 and be VERY gratefull. Generally I shoot for color in groups of dux

Dead spoonies don't lay any eggs, we call them dog trainers and don't count'em against our limit!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The doctor is pretty bad about shooting hens, so is Mudbuddy, too, if he's lurking out tthere.

I get a bad rap for shooting the mamas,but honestly try not too,.... most of the time. I have been known to get the "goose egg" off of me by bagging the brown, but if ducks are flying, I'll pass several up to get green. Have done that. I used to preach it on here...Save the hens!

One thing is for sure, if you shoot them, they will die, and not make more eggs.... More eggs=more ducks.

If there is color to shoot at then i'll pass on hens, but if a lone hen comes in i'm gonna shoot it.

A pheasant rooster can breed many,many,many,many hens in one season, a drake duck cannot breed as many times. The comparison is not a good one, but shooting hens will ultimately have an adverse affect on the population as a whole. Just shoot the hen spoonies and FAGETABOUTIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

i prefer to shoot drakes, sometimes their is a hen killed and that person is usually ragged almost to the point of fight'n. now i do have a couple of friends that have a hard time with someone calling the shot.. thet're good guys just get REAL excited and can't hold back.. it's pretty funny.. the ragging is mostly just for fun. everyone knows unless you're by yourself or a group you've hunted with for years... everynow and then a hen''s gonna get smoked... p.s. i also kill only male deer, rabbits, hogs,doves, pheasants,and keep only male fish

wrdabney wrote:There may already be a thread on this but i couldnt find it. What got me thinking about this is I was in Iowa last weekend pheasant hunting. one of the guys i was hunting w/ said there is a statistic that says if you shoot a hen it affects the life of 400 future birds. I usually shoot whatever comes in my spread with how duck hunting has been lately. What is everybodys thoughts on how shooting hens or mallard hens specifically affects the future population.

I take it you do not shoot Gadwalls, Black ducks or Mottled ducks, ever?

despite the handle,when possible,I try not to. Often (ie;early teal season,mottles,grays early in the season) I just have to take what I can.

That's those brown ones, isn't it?

Bankermane wrote:That's those brown ones, isn't it?

yup,it is!

they band hens too.....

At first, I would be happy with just killing a real duck. Now we try to shoot for green if it is mallards.

over here in East Alabama you shoot what you can get. But I am always trying to shoot the drakes but, the hen's eat just like the drakes. And they do band the hen's too.