Poaching advice

[Quack]

I’m going to be doing some grouse and duck combo hunting this fall now that I have a dog again. I can’t really get any game violations but I also can’t really stand the idea of shooting non-tox for grouse.

So I really only need to conceal the lead if I’m sitting at a pond/creek or carrying out ducks. What’s the best thing to do with the lead shot? Hide it on my person/vest? Drop it in a ziplock to be picked up later?

Also, is #7 steel in a 20ga viable for grouse? Seems like it would be comparable to #9 lead which doesn’t seem reasonable for killing grouse.

[Nershi]

I’d just shoot 4 or 5 steel for both on the combo hunts and call it good.

Guys in California shoot #7 steel for upland and don’t seem to complain. Grouse are one of the easiest birds to kill. I shoot cheap #8 trap loads for them and they die just fine out to 60 yards or so. I wouldn’t think you’d have much trouble killing with 20 ga #7 steel with shots within 40 yards which is most grouse shots.

[kwackkillncrew]

so you go shoot ducks and while you walk back to the truck shoot grouse? I would probably keep them in a zip lock on the trail some where. that way if they check you when you actively duck hunting they wont find anything even if they strip search you. i think 7 shot steel would be plenty fine. I have shot sharp tails up here with double b walking out of the crane field before. Luckily didnt destory much of it.

couldnt you just leave the ducks at the truck then take your lead out grouse hunting?

[Quack]

It’s more like an afternoon walk that is primarily geared toward grouse, with some pond jumping or pass shooting, or brush off and wait for them to come back.

[maplelakeduckslayer]

Think I've only ever been checked like 3 times in my life...if you are wearing multiple layers I think it'd be pretty easy to keep shells in pockets within other layers. I've never had one pat me down or strip search me. They just ask to see your shells and you hand them over willing...in my experience at least. Just don't hand over the 15 shells you have in your pockets

Maybe that's changed it's been probably 14 yrs since I've been checked...but I feel if you aren't the suspicious type or look like you use they aren't gonna ask for much more than you to show them your shells. If you even get stopped. Just don't show them all them.

Or just be ok paying a couple hundred dollar ticket on the slim chance you even get stopped

[Nershi]

If that’s the case I’d be asking myself, is 7-8 shot lead grouse loads going to be capable to kill ducks. If the answer is no I’d bring a few steel for when you get close to water.

I have never been checked while grouse hunting nor have I heard of anyone being checked. If you get checked it will be a warden waiting at your truck so if you’re worried just drop the ducks a hundred yards before you get in sight of the truck then go back and get them after you know the coast is clear and you have dropped off your lead.

I generally follow game laws to the T. For example, we had geese come in 30 seconds after sunset on teal opener and my buddy couldn’t believe I wouldn’t let him shoot ‘em. That said, shooting a couple ducks on a grouse walk with lead wouldn’t make me feel bad one bit and I think the odds of getting caught are slim to none. Lead ban is to reduce lead poisoning and a couple pop shots at ducks at some little hole or creek in the woods isn’t doing a thing.

I did meet one warden searching pockets when checking duck hunters coming off at opener. Fortunately someone gave me the heads up so I could slide the duck whistle down to the bottom of the waders. He did not search my pockets because I told him that is ridiculous and I think he realized he was going over the line but I watched him search the group before us.

[Mallard_maniac]

If that’s the case I’d be asking myself, is 7-8 shot lead grouse loads going to be capable to kill ducks.

the answer to this is absolutely yes... I'm old enough to remember legally shooting lead in Canada and we would often use trap loads in tighter quarters over water. Eventually they went non-tox over water but could still shoot lead in fields and we still brought a mix from BBB to trap loads for geese and ducks in dry grain. From what I remember (pretty sure the last lead round I fired at a duck in Canada was sometime in the late 90's, if memory serves me correct they went all non-tox around the turn of the century) 7 or 8 lead was about as lethal as #2 or #4 steel, maybe more so.... I don't ever remember wanting more for everything up to and including mallards.

[emptymag]

#7 and #6 steel kill mourning doves just fine.

#6 steel kills teal in the decoys, 10-30 yards just fine.

#6 steel kills rabbits good also.

#4 steel will kill geese just fine out to 30 or so yards.

I shoot Boss bismuth #5 or #4 at just about everything including late season geese now.

Im just young enough that I never shot lead but that boss bismuth is some good schit.

Kent bismuth is also damn good

[Duckman23]

Been shooting 2 3/4 # 5 Boss all early season goose out of a SB2 with a factory full lead choke no problems killing birds. Late season I will run #4 Boss. Could be killing them with normal 4 shot steel but not that big of a price difference. Just buy yourself some #5 shot Boss and shoot both.

[h2ofwlr]

Kinda weird... Felon not giving out his expert advice on this...

Just buy some steel 6 shot for grouse and be done with it. Btw 6 shot is great for cripple duck head shots too