To a serious waterfowler, there's nothing worse than shooting a duck, mortally wounding it and then watching it continue to fly or swim beyond the reach of foot or dog.

It's crucial to identify the species before you even think about pulling the trigger. Photo by Bill Mays.

You know you hit it. It sagged, and shuddered and peeled off from the flock. But its wings kept beating, carrying it on a long drooping trajectory, out of sight. It will die alone, often at the mercy of a coyote, raccoon or predatory bird.

According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 25 percent of the ducks and geese that are shot by hunters are never retrieved. That amounts to more than 3 million birds annually in North America! It's a disgrace and a very real threat to the future of our sport. Indeed, hunting opponents in Australia were able to use similar wounding statistics to outlaw duck hunting in two provinces there.

In recent years, a number of fish and game agencies have created programs to help waterfowlers become better, more careful shots. Many now offer clinics put on by the Cooperative North American Shotgunning Education Program, a non-profit group that teaches effective scientifically based techniques for improving shooting performance.

Their clinics emphasize:

• Patterning your shotgun,
• Using shells and chokes appropriate for the birds and conditions,
• Determining your gun's most effective range,
• Practicing with clay targets to judge speeds and distances,
• Improving your ability to estimate range and
• Carrying "spatter" shells for finishing off crippled birds.

When it comes to estimating range, the average waterfowler is no expert. Most hunters will shoot at ducks that are twice as far away as the effective range, and at geese that are three times the distance.

Fortunately, hunters can take steps that will make them much better judges of distance.

And they are all free!

TECHNOLOGY ISN'T THE ANSWER
Improper estimation of distance is hardly a new problem.

In his Arms and Ammunition Manual, Jack O'Connor had this to say: "Judgment of distance is exceedingly difficult, particularly for an excited man whose heart is full of hope. The same man who will shoot at a flock of ducks 100 yards away -- or fully 40 yards beyond the most hopeful range of his gun -- will nevertheless swear that he has killed a duck at 80 yards when actually it was about 50."

A lot has changed in wingshooting since O'Connor wrote those words.

To prevent loss of birds as a result of lead poisoning, steel shot became mandatory for waterfowling in 1991.

Since then, we have developed loads that travel faster than steel and are heavier than lead. Alloys like Tungsten Matrix and Bismuth make it possible to shoot loads with the same size and number of pellets as lead, and to do so in older guns.

But when it comes to reducing the number of crippled and lost birds, the improved loads have not been a cure-all. Some hunters -- rather than use the new shells to ensure cleaner kills at traditional ranges -- use them to justify shooting at birds that are considerably farther away than they would have shot at in the past.