Just Odd

[missed mallards]

Me and an older gent (coworker) made the voyage through the delta today. No big surprise, we saw ducks, deer, geese, and eve road up on a Mr. and Mrs's getting after it. It was a typical day for the most part.

One thing that did strike me as odd however was one small field. There were a few ducks (around 100 or so), and being I haven't been this year I elected to pull over and watch the incoming flight to see what I've missed out on thus far. I want lie, it was awesome!

As we watched, I kept noticing several white objects that didn't move and curiousity got the better of me. I got the bino's out and realized they were dead ducks? Now this spot was someone's 'duck field' but I've never seen 15-20 dead ducks rafted up together or left in a field after a hunt.

As we pulled off, there were only two options
Option 1) Some Jackass pulled over and had a field day and got scared and left them.
Option 2) They were just a casualty of being shot and all landed in the same field?

What say you, anyone ever pulled up on a field and realized 25% of the ducks were already dead?

another thing I pondered, if'n I would have retrieved them for some jumbo or the like (being they were indeed fit to eat), how would a person go about doing it? I ain't saying I'm destitute for meat, but I hated seeing them go to watse and all.

Just struck me as odd, I ain't got enough to shoot, and someone has either shot them and left them or they just fell dead in the duck hole.

also, say it's your hole, what'd you do then? Would you have to claim them? would you leave them, or what would you do?

[Smoke68]

My buddy said he used to find dead ducks rafted up in flooded fields all the time. All were wounded. No telling how many times ducks are hit when we think it was a clean miss.

[davidees]

The last two days, this has happened to me twice...I shot at a duck as he was flying over my decoys and he never checked up. Barely even flinched. I watched the bird as it flew off and after awhile the bird just suddenly fell out of the sky a couple hundred yards away deader than hell. Had I not been watching the bird closely (because I felt like I had made a good shot) I wouldve just assumed I missed. I know it happens, but I still dont know why they would all be in the same place as you described.

[jdbuckshot]

and we are worried about lead poisining.

[jacksbuddy]

I have walked on our fields during dove season where I KNOW that nobody has been hunting and found dead doves that the ants were eating, but I've never seen dead ducks rafting up on the edge of a flooded field.

[gadwall2]

Jd said a mouthful!

[novacaine]

Was it close enough to the road where someone could do a driveby skillet shot?