Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1956-11-15
Season: NOU. z : Jan. Is
See More Ducks If
Gripping Avoided

director of the Maryland Game
anil Inland Fish Commission,
hunters If the Atlantic 'ilyway"
have the oppci run-N 10 hIing
about an immediate increase Ill
the waterfowl POI :ldi'on if they
will cooperate in a Flyway VIDE
effort to reduce serious Gripping
losses.
Hundreds Of thousands Of ducks
annually are beng wasted through
Gripping III the Atlantic Fly
way, and reducylon of his loss Is
possible only III one way-by the
hunters themselves, he says.
The participation of each gun-
ner III selt-4Inposed campaign
TO kill clearly and recover each
duck downed is the only way the
job can be done, Mr.. Vaughn ad
ViSca.
The Atlantic Waterfowl Coun.
Gil says annuaI GRIPPING losses
range from 5 TO J3 per cent, ana
average 25 per cent on a nation
wide basis. These are The <
ures only for the birds knocked
down in sight of the observed and
not retrieved. The uncbseived
birds which died later add to the
total. 1t may be that nearly hall
again as many birds are wasted as
are taken home. A possible clue
to these additional losses is found
in X-rayS studied in the Yves ),
showing 25 to 35 percent of the
ducks examined carrying body
shot.
Mr.. Vaughn lists the following
practices which cause this Grip
ping:
/ Trigger happy shooting
Letting fl al anything that
passes even though you haven't
good chance TO Kill a bird.
2. Inability to Judge distance
"You We seen fciloWS with tins
trouble try to knock down every
high flyer that came over, and
watch the duck finch but never
fall. Guys who do this drive GU,
all the ducks III an area and spoil
not only everyone else's hunting
but their own 100"
8. Poor craftsmanship The
kind of cunning demonstrated
by he fellow who doesn't practice
shooting until he goes OUT duck.
ing and then tried 10 get his
shooting eye back OH every birG
in sight"
A. Inability to recognize shells
'0The emphasize on iong-ranee
loads land the smell manufacturer
must accept some responsibility
for this, too, win the kind Of ad,
verising they have been using).
has encouraged too many people
to try to kill ducks at long-ranse
beyond the Limits of theiI OWL
abdlity to properly swing and
shoot.
5. Failure to retrieve birds
MANY downed birds are lost in
marsh or other heavy vegetation
by the faillre Of the gunner to
have dog to retrieve them, OF
by his failure to drop then: in 4
spot where they can be recov-
cred"
Director Vaughn says the heav.
lest GRIPPING losses are shown by
the Council studi-s to occur III
the early part of the season in
marshes when the vegetation is
most dense. Decoy shooting tends
TO reduce the Icsses when the
hunter fires only at bros in or
over his decoys providing he sets
them at the proper range. But
there are losses, too, in open
water when birds are not killed
clean.
The following code is suggested
by the Atlantic Waterfowl Coun-
Gil 0 guide cooperating gunners
in their campaign 20 reiuce dis
loss.
l. Shoot only at birds at rea
sonably close range. When you
hit there, you kill, and when you
miss, you miss clean. Over de-
coys, let the birds come in. Don't
try for long range
2. Shoot only wher you can
drop the birds in open water, or
3. Use a retrieving dog. lou
will really add 10 your sport.
4. Don't shot when you can't
recover your birds.
5. Practice OH clay pigeons be-
fore you start hunting SO you can
improve your shooting.
MIR. Vaughn says many hui
dreds of thousands of birds which
can be saved by such practices
will return to their breeding
grounds to add millions Of ducks
TO Atlantic "Flyway" populations
over the years. And the hunters
themselves can take full creGit
for such an increase.
Director Vaughn urges. Mary.
land wildfowlers to cooperate in
saving crippled BIRDS tins coming