I'm ashamed of yesterday's hunt.

[Converted]

Did you ever have one of those mornings when you couldn't hit the broad side of a barn:(

After over an hour long boat ride to my new happy hunting grounds I get set up just before daylight. It's not long until 6 teal buzz by just out of range.:) Then the unthinkable, two mottleds coming straight to me... safety off... wait a second... bang..what, I missed-pump-bang... how come that duck is not falling, pump-bang:confused:

All right, get ahold of yourself, oh shizam, there's ducks flying all over, I guess I woke them up. Scramble to load gun as more ducks fly by and here come two more mottleds... after three more misses I'm getting really :mad:

I decide to relocate as most ducks are handcuffing me to my off hand side in the layout rig. A few minutes later I spot a pair coming in. They swing a bit wide to my new off hand side:rolleyes: oh well, I strain my eyes because these aren't teal or mottleds. Then I make the ID, it a pair of woodies, cool...BUZZ two mottleds zoom by well within range while I'm looking at the woodies:eek:

I'm really kicking myself about now and then SPLASH, SPLASH... two mottleds land in the decoys:cool: Great, I won't shoot ducks on the water but even my wife could jump these guys up and drop one... right... Wrong:rolleyes: . I try to get on my side so I can get a good angle and ... BUZZ four more fly so low over the boat that I could have (and should have) hit one with the paddle. I jump the ducks up and they take the worst possible path and I miss with the first shot and for the first time in three years the Mossberg 835 jambs and nearly gets thrown in the water.

A few more birds and a few more misses and I picked up at 9:00 or so empty handed. I missed more birds in 2 hours than I've missed all year.

Just when I was feeling pretty good about my shooting. I had out shot my partner on each hunt this year. The duck gods put me back in my place.

I could blame it on running out of kent faststeel. (I'm shooting up some dryloks and xperts left over from last season)

I could blame it on being by myself and getting blindsided so much. ( have a love/hate relationship with solo hunting. I love being out in God's nature with just He and I to enjoy it but I hate the fact that the ducks come by from the blind side 90% of the time)

I guess I'll just put it behind me and hope I've got it all out of my system.

I'm going on one of those "canned" hunts on sunday.... Hmmm... I better get some more shells:D

[N. Cook]

Time before last I was out with Capt. George I shot 18 times and killed two ducks while he shot his limit. He stopped shooting, of course, with me at two ducks and 12 shots....three times more I had chances and missed every one, finally I just gave up and said "lets pick up"! Did a little better next time....but one of "those days" can happen to anyone. First time out this year I was 4 ducks, six shots. Who knows why.

[RutnNStrutn]

Ouch, that sucks. But, we've all been there and done that. It's an awful experience, and you can't believe it when it is happening to you, or even understand what you are doing wrong. Usually you are shooting behind them. On the bright side, you can't do any worse!! :D

[D Duck]

Well, I had the same problem on Sunday - shot really well Saturday but then come Sunday, should have stayed at home.

One thing, if you've changed ammo - especially to some older, slower loads, you're gonna be shooting behind the birds using the same load you were with Fasteel. I don't have the ammo excuse, I just couldn't shoot yesterday.:eek:

[BlindHog]

Been there - shot two boxes couple weeks ago to get a limit, including misses at several that were DECOYING. In process of changing guns, and was trying out my son's Browning BPS. Was all ready to go buy the Beretta I have been wanting on the way home.

Then four days later, shooting my Dad's old gun (which I am somewhat used to.) I hit five of six birds I shot at, including one high at outer range for my imp cyl. Figure that outing saved me $550.