Thread: has 10 years steel use been benificial for waterfowl numbers

I haven't seen any reports stating that banning lead shot was done so to increase the duck population. Not that I've been looking though. I think you have to seriously look elsewhere to reasons of population decline if it is happening at all. All the areas I shoot offer as healthy a population of ducks as ever before. Of the two opening ponds I have been involved with in the last ten years (built, established, fed, pest control, shot yearly, etc), duck numbers have grown and bag limits are shot according to the weather more than anything.

Shooting with steel vs. lead is not something we've (my duck hunting mates) really worried about. Sure for a start it was a challenge, but we didn't shoot more ducks using lead than we do now. Pattern your gun, choose appropriate loads and go hunting. Getting birds closer sure helps with clean kills, i.e. within 30m, and now we are getting mostly one shot dead duck kills now that we have our guns and loads sorted AND we do our thing properly at the business end of the shotgun. A few long shots 50m plus with single shot kills were pulled off on opening. Steels here to stay so I don't think whinging about it is going to help anything, just enjoy the fact you can still go out and hunt!

Over population /more shooters/declining habitat/ semi auto shotguns = 1. Ducks = 0.

few hunters using semis are getting more because they have more shots, I don't think steel skybusters are even penetrating the skin I have killed ducks with steel from pellets hitting the head and neck and then noticed other pellets falling out of the feathers, no person in there right mind would choose steel over lead. There is not more ducks in my area and i have cut open over 100 gizards and still haven't found a single pellet, If farmers have been poisoning canadas and they have then how have they controlled poisoning other birds , They havent

Originally Posted by prattpoint

few hunters using semis are getting more because they have more shots

Sorry mate but that's bollocks. One shot kills with steel are easy. A couple of guys I shoot with use U/O all season and achieve double kills regularly. Pattern your gun, choose ammo that suits it and the choke your using.

Originally Posted by JoshC

Sorry mate but that's bollocks. One shot kills with steel are easy. A couple of guys I shoot with use U/O all season and achieve double kills regularly. Pattern your gun, choose ammo that suits it and the choke your using.

josh is dead right.ive run a semiauto for 5 or more years now and unless youve got bloody good self discipline you;ll go through ammo like shit through a goose.In my case the f..n goose had permanent diarroheoa............ ask any of my mates.
his season ive taken the extension off the mag ,gone back to 2 3/4 shells and strictly rationed my serlf to a max of two shots per bird(2nd if reqd) its hard going but im determined to get there. two birds under my belt but two birds well earned and numbers aint my forte.
bear in mind also these birds are adapting to a lot of new factors in our environments -decreasing habitats SEISMIC ACTIVITY (3+yrs in canterbury), and frequently changing farming scenarios /often a primary food source for our main gamebirds.
certainly here in canterbury ,and despite the last 3yrs disruptions .mallards are plentiful, but they aint gonna sit round and let you get the shot away for free.you gonna earn the shot or its goooodbye from a rapidly departing set of bum feathers.

Originally Posted by prattpoint

few hunters using semis are getting more because they have more shots, I don't think steel skybusters are even penetrating the skin I have killed ducks with steel from pellets hitting the head and neck and then noticed other pellets falling out of the feathers, no person in there right mind would choose steel over lead. There is not more ducks in my area and i have cut open over 100 gizards and still haven't found a single pellet, If farmers have been poisoning canadas and they have then how have they controlled poisoning other birds , They havent

I definitely get more ducks because I have a semi, the best I have done is 4 ducks from 5 shots when jumping a pond. I often get ducks with the 3rd or 4th shot.

Originally Posted by misfire

Over population /more shooters

Really?

Originally Posted by JoshC

I haven't seen any reports stating that banning lead shot was done so to increase the duck population.

There was a link between lead ingestion and infertility.