Waterfowl hunting is the practice of huntingaquatic birds such as ducks, geese and otherwaterfowls orshorebirds for sport and meat. Waterfowl are hunted in crop fields where they feed, or in areas with bodies of water such as rivers, lakes, ponds,wetlands,sloughs, or coasts.[1] There are around 3 million waterfowl hunters in the United States alone.[2]
Wild waterfowl have been hunted for meat,down, and feathers worldwide since prehistoric times. Ducks, geese, and swans appear in Europeancave paintings from thelast ice age. The mural in theancient Egyptian tomb ofKhnumhotep II shows a man in ahunting blind capturing swimming ducks in a trap.[3]Muscovy ducks were depicted in the art of theMoche culture of ancientPeru.[4]
Modern waterfowl hunting began in the 17th century with thematchlock rifle. Laterflintlockblunderbuss andpercussion cap guns were used. Shotguns were loaded withblack powder and lead shot through themuzzle until the late 19th century. The transition from muzzle tobreechloadingshotguns was largely driven by innovations made by gunmakers such asJoseph Manton, at which time wildfowling was extremely popular in England.[5] Both the shotgunchoke andsmokeless powder was invented in the late 19th century which allowed for longer range shooting with the shotgun. With the advent ofpunt guns hunters could kill dozens of birds with a single blast.[6]
European settlers in America hunted waterfowl with great zeal, as the supply of waterfowl seemed unlimited in theAtlantic coast. As more immigrants came to the Americas in the 19th century, the need for more food became greater.Market hunting started to take form, to supply the local population living along theEast Coast with fresh ducks and geese. Live ducks were used asdecoys to attract other waterfowl, something that today is considered animal cruelty. During the fall migrations, the skies were filled with waterfowl. Places such asChesapeake Bay,Delaware Bay, andBarnegat Bay were hunted extensively.[7] In theChesapeake Bay in the 1930s one of the biggest threats to waterfowl was localpoachers usingflat boats withswivelcannons that killed entire flocks with one shot.[8][9]
Manyspecies of ducks and geese share the same habitat and have overlappinghunting seasons.[10] In North America a variety of ducks and geese are hunted, the most common beingmallards,Canada goose,snow goose,canvasback,redhead,northern pintail,gadwall,ruddy duck,coots,common merganser andred-breasted merganser.[11] Also hunted areblack duck,wood duck,blue-winged teal,green-winged teal,bufflehead,northern shoveler,wigeon, andgoldeneye. Sea ducks includelong-tailed duck,eider, andscoter.[12][13]
The waterfowl hunting season is generally in the autumn and winter. Hunting seasons are set by theUnited States Fish and Wildlife Service in the United States.[14] In the autumn, the ducks and geese have finished raising their young and are migrating to warmer areas to feed.[15] Ahunting blind is used to conceal the hunter whileduck decoys are used to attract birds. Using a good spread ofdecoys and calling, an experienced waterfowl hunter can successfullybag ducks or geese if waterfowl are flying that day.[16][17]
Boats can be used as ahunting blind, known assneakbox. Most popular areflat-bottomed boats (usuallyjohnboats) for increased stability.Kayaks or canoes are also used. Pursuing diving ducks in lakes, bays orsounds requires larger and more stable boats, as small boats have been known to capsize.Sinkboxes that conceal the hunter under the water surface are illegal.[15]Retriever dogs are used to retrieve the shot ducks. Most often hunters use aLabrador Retriever,Golden Retriever orChesapeake Bay Retriever to retrieve waterfowl. Theretriever helps to retrieve birds, and hunts down crippled ducks that survived the shooting.[18]
In the late 1960slead shot was identified as a major cause oflead poisoning of waterfowl, which feed off the bottom of lakes and wetlands.[19][20]Shot pellets of lead have since been banned, and must be lead-free in theUnited States,Canada, and in theEuropean Union.[21][22][23] The pellet size depends on which species are being hunted.Buckshot is illegal.[where?][24] When hunting withshotguns, there is a risk of injuring birds that manage to escape, so called crippling losses. As waterfowl fly in flocks, there is a risk for multiple ducks to be hit. The duck struck by the central cluster of the shot typically dies. However, ducks on the periphery may still be hit by somepellets, which they survive but result in lifelong suffering. Shooting at too far a distance also increases the risk of crippling losses.[25]
European hunters in theMiddle Ages had a deep sense of justice for their prey and saw hunting as a challenge, where the animals deserved a fair chance. Hunters used fair methods to minimize unnecessary suffering for the prey. Thiscode of honor required hunters to actively pursue and kill all injured animals to prevent their suffering. Targeting a sitting duck was considered dishonest.[26]
To hunt waterfowl in Canada, one must first obtain a validCanada Migratory Game Bird Hunting Permit, as well as additional licenses at the provincial level.[27] Hunters in Canada and the United States are also required to complete safety courses before they can obtain a license.[28] In the United States, hunters must also purchase aFederal Duck Stamp. It is illegal to shoot ducks from a motor vehicle or a moving boat. Layingbaits such as corn and the use of live ducks as decoys, are also illegal.[29]
It is considered good sportsmanship to make every possible attempt to retrieve injured or crippled waterfowl.[30] The losses resulting from hunters not retrieving their kills, referred to ascrippling losses, likely range from 20% to 40% of all waterfowl shot in Canada and the United States.[31] Themigratory bird harvest for theprairie provinces of Canada and thecontiguous United States are estimated to 12 million birds annually.[32] Thus, each year, millions of ducks andgeese are crippled or injured in North America due to hunting.[33] The probable fate formutilated ducks is a prolonged, agonizing death, marked by relentless suffering and distress.[34][35]
An X-ray study of ducks caught using nets in Australia found that between 6% and 19% of the ducks live with embedded shot pellets in their bodies.[36] This act ofanimal cruelty has been mostly overlooked by government officials.[37]
Birds migrate betweenbreeding and wintering grounds usingflyways. Each flyway has a different composition of species and habitat. In theMississippi Flyway wildfowl hunting generally occurs on lakes,marshes,swamps, or rivers where ducks and geese land during theirmigration.Cornfields andrice paddies are also common hunting grounds, since geese and ducks often feed on the grain that remains in the field after harvest.[38] TheAtlantic Flyway is a migration route used by waterfowl flying from northern Quebec to Florida in the autumn and back in the springtime.[39] Thehabitats ofwaterfowl aremarsh andwetlands, which are shrinking at alarming rates due to the drought and farmers draining wetland areas to plant crops.Wetland conservation and restoration is critical for the continuance of waterfowl hunting.[40][41]
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