Duck hunting in a boat: major safety tips

At all times, various waterfowl were considered the main object of human hunting. For many centuries, people have shot them in order to obtain tasty and nutritious meat. Nowadays, such an activity is one of the ways to have a good time in nature. Most often, hunters choose a duck as their prey. This bird is common in many countries of the world and getting permission to shoot it is quite simple. In addition, this process is very exciting and gives the hunter a lot of positive emotions.

Major safety tips

Waterfowl hunting is an interesting but rather complicated process. It becomes especially difficult when you use the boat to get close to the victim and make a few accurate shots. In such a situation, there is a high probability of troubles that will spoil the hunt, as well as endanger the life and health of the hunter. To prevent this from happening, follow the general safety rules and do not do stupid things.

Main safety rules:

1. At the stage of preparation for hunting, study the characteristics of the vessel used. Each model has its own characteristics and weight limit. The last parameter is important, since in the event of an overload, the probability of overturning becomes very high. Ideally, you should determine in advance your personal weight, as well as the weight of a partner (human or dog) and the weight of the hunting equipment used. The total value must be less than the allowable limit by at least 10-20 kg. Also, do not forget about the shot ducks, each of which can weigh 1-1.5 kg.
2. While on the boat, it is important to avoid any trouble. Therefore, before turning on the engine or taking up the oars, you need to correctly distribute the weight throughout the vessel. It is best for people and animals to take places at opposite ends, and leave the center for equipment and trophies. If you neglect these rules, then the risk of rolling over and being in danger will increase significantly.
3. Never neglect safety rules, as water does not forgive even small mistakes. In this regard, be sure to use life jackets, wearing them over clothing. This device will unmask you a little, but will help make hunting safer. If you are hunting as a couple, be sure to make sure that your friend also has a life jacket. This attribute will not be superfluous for a dog. The latter swims well, but prolonged exposure to cold water can lead to convulsions with all their negative consequences.
4. Be sure to take clothes according to the weather. If you feel hot or cold, this will negatively affect the attentiveness and caution of the actions performed. Also, such discomfort can cause various troubles (for example, heat stroke or hypothermia).
5. The duck hunting season opens quite early and closes late. Because of this, the process of tracking and shooting game is often carried out in cool weather. In this regard, it is important to take all necessary measures to exclude the possibility of falling into water, the temperature of which can be very low. If nevertheless this happened, then you need to return to the ship as quickly as possible or be next to it. In the second case, the probability of finding a person by rescuers, other hunters, and bystanders will be higher.
6. Before getting into the boat, carefully check the equipment. It must contain items with which it will be possible to send a distress signal. These items include flashlights, flares and various products that reflect light. Also, it will not be superfluous to have a special program with the SOS function on your smartphone or iPhone.
7. Nobody goes hunting without a weapon. The process of its operation requires extreme caution, since any inaccurate actions can lead to injury or even murder. In the case of ducks, such situations are extremely rare, but you should not neglect the safety rules. In this regard, you need to take on board the ship only an unloaded gun. You can bring it to combat readiness only after arriving at the hunting place. You should also carry out the reloading process as carefully as possible.
8. To shoot a duck, hunters are quiet and wait for the birds to get closer to the boat. However, after that, you will have only a few seconds to make accurate shots. This process is often accompanied by strong pops that can harm the hearing organs. In this regard, experienced hunters recommend the use of special ear protection. In addition, do not forget about the safety of the organs of vision.

General shooting issues

The life and health of hunters is much more important than dozens of ducks caught. Therefore, before you go hunting from a boat, you need to carefully study a few basic rules for shooting. They will help to avoid unwanted situations and increase the safety of all participants in the process.

Basic rules:

1. Place your finger on the trigger only after the weapon is fully ready to fire. This approach will eliminate accidental shots that can injure hunters or frighten off potential prey.
2. You cannot open fire until the ship is in a static position. Ideally, you should first wait for the engine to stop and anchor the boat. Only after that you can choose the optimal place and start shooting at the ducks.
3. It is forbidden to shoot in a direction perpendicular to the location of the boat. This is due to the fact that the recoil of the weapon can tip the hunter overboard. If you open fire while standing along the vessel, then any loss of balance by a person will only lead to a fall on the equipment located in the center of the boat.
4. You can open fire only after you are sure that you are aiming at a duck. Otherwise, you can accidentally shoot some rare animal and get a lot of problems with animal rights activists. The result will be a large fine or cancellation of the hunting permit.
5. Ducks can swim very close to a person. However, in this case, experts do not recommend making shots. This is due to the fact that the shot used in cartridges for hunting birds is quite small and easily ricochets off various surfaces. As a result, the boomerang effect will work and several dangerous pellets will fly at the hunter.

Zone of fire for two hunters in a boat

It is always more interesting to hunt together than alone. Therefore, hunting enthusiasts prefer to take a friend or relative on board the vessel. In this case, the process of shooting at ducks will become more difficult and will require compliance with several important safety rules.

Shooting rules:

1. Before you start shooting, position yourself back to back with a friend. This arrangement of people is as safe as possible, since it completely eliminates the possibility of accidentally hitting a colleague. At the same time, each of the participants must take into account that they are only responsible for the firing area of 180°. If one of the comrades begins to avoid observing this rule, then the hunt will be dangerous for each of its participants.
2. The recoil of the gun can be so strong that an unstable boat will capsize. To prevent this from happening, two hunters should open fire in opposite directions. Only in this way the vessel will remain afloat and the risk of problems with it will be minimal.
3. It is necessary to fire from a sitting position or from a kneeling position. If both hunters open fire while standing, then each of them will increase the likelihood of their own falling overboard and turning the ship over to one side.
4. It is forbidden to open fire while holding a weapon over the head of a comrade. Such careless actions can lead to serious injury with all the resulting undesirable consequences.

Waterfowl hunting is an exciting activity. Many of its variations are liked by hunters, but the process of shooting game from a boat is rightfully considered the most interesting. This method has its own characteristics and requires people to strictly comply with safety rules. This is the only way to get maximum pleasure from the process and avoid any troubles.