Eventually if you hunt geese and/or ducks, you are going to have to take some shots from some awkward positions. Just last week, I was in South Texas hunting ducks in a stock tank. This tank was three to four times larger than normal due to the “El Niño” rains that have dropped two to four times the yearly rainfall in one year south of San Antonio.
It just so happened that to stay hidden from approaching ducks, I needed to be behind the top part of a mesquite bush in the thigh deep water.
“No problemo!”
NOT!
It didn’t take long for me to discover that regardless of what I did with my feet, I could not get them situated so I could swing freely in every direction and stay in balance.
There was something 3” to 4” deep in the mud that was long, round and knobby. I don’t know what it was—probably a root or something—but regardless of what I did with my feet, I couldn’t get comfortable and in balance enough to swing my shotgun and keep standing up. It was too late to move my little makeshift blind of extra branches in top of the little mesquite tree, so I began to determine which areas and which directions over the decoys I felt most comfortable swinging my gun. I then became determined to shoot birds in those areas.
I managed to kill five ducks and stay dry. This would not have been possible for most of the people we teach for the first time, because they all have too much excessive gun movement in their mount and swing. The typical hunter tends to mount the gun first and then wildly swing the muzzle around the sky trying to find something to shoot at! With the gun muzzle swinging around like a paper bag in a tornado and your feet firmly planted on what feels like greased bowling balls, you have set yourself up for a “Wet Willy” of the worst kind.
With a little practice and only a lesson or two, anyone can learn to mount the gun to the target in one smooth efficient move. Whether you mount just behind and ease through the bird and take the shot or mount just in front and take the shot is of little consequence. It is the smoothness and efficiency of the move and mount that consistently kills the birds.
Goose hunting presents another completely different set of circumstances. Perhaps the toughest position to shoot from is from the sitting position. I’m not talking about sitting on a bucket or stool or sitting on the ground with your feet in a 2’ hole. I’m talking about lying flat on your back in a rag spread, and when somebody says ”take ’em,” you must sit up, mount the gun and take the shot.
The best body position with respect to balance and mobility is weight on the right hip. The right leg bent at the knee and the right foot under the left knee. The left leg should remain straight, but not locked at the knee. This, of course, is for a right-handed shooter and would be the opposite for a left-hander.
How do you get there?
Starting position (right-handed shooter)
– Lying flat on your back
– Right foot under left knee
– Left leg straight
– Gun on safety! Muzzles extending past left foot pointing in a safe direction
– Action and butt stock resting on left knee and right thigh
– Bottom of firearm facing left and rib of shotgun facing right
– Both hands and arms on the ground
Sitting up position
-Push up with both arms
– As you sit up, your weight will transfer to your right hip and right arm
– Left hand grasps forearm of gun
– Focus on bird you are going to shoot
Shooting position- after focusing on bird you are going to shoot.
– The left hand begins to push muzzles toward the bird
– The right hand grasps the pistol grip, takes the safety off and finishes the gun mount
– Obtain the lead and take the shot
It is at this point that the sitting position becomes the most dangerous. When the shooting stops, people tend to stand up and the dogs run and get the birds. Before you move, open the action of the gun with the muzzles pointing in a safe direction. Be aware if you are sitting with the muzzles pointing up and someone walks over to talk to you, your gun is pointing dangerously close to their head.
When shooting from a sitting position:
– Always open the action and unload the gun with the muzzles pointed in a safe direction before you stand up
– Never let anyone approach you until you have opened the action and cleared the gun.
– Always load the gun after you and everyone else in your party has sat down and gotten in their hunting positions.
– Before lying down, make sure your gun is on safe and the muzzle is pointing in a safe direction and extends beyond your front foot.
With a little practice at home, making this move will become second nature. Remember, it is the smoothness and the efficiency of the move and mount that yields consistent results with a shotgun. When practicing this move with an empty gun, try picking an object in the room to be your target. When going from the sitting up position to the shooting position, practice mounting the gun on the object you are looking at in one smooth move. You just might be surprised at what a little practice at home will do for your efficiency in the field.
