Pennsylvania Game News - September 2019 - 60

common mistakes waterfowl hunters
make, often resulting in far more misses
than kills. Fortunately, I learned how to
avoid this early on in my hunting career.
"When wing-shooting, it is so important to slow down and pick one bird,
something that's easier said than done
in the middle of heavy action. There are
plenty of moments when a whole flock
of mallards or a big spin of snow geese
appears.
"It is exciting, for sure, but it is crucial
to slow down, pick one bird and squeeze
the trigger. Once you see that first bird
drop, make a mental note for recovery, and
pick out the next bird. If you rush to get
off all three shots at once, most times you
will just shoot holes in the flock instead
of connecting with your target.
"Even though I was upset when my
Grandpa handed me that once-and-done
shotgun, I am very grateful to have learned
at a young age the importance of slowing
down and focusing on making the shot
count.
"Even today, if I notice I am rushing
my shots, I break out Grandpa's single
shot ... for old time's sake."

FIELD READY
SKIP KLINGER
Pennsylvania State
Shotgunning Association
executive director and
Amateur Trapshooting
Association delegate w
Governor's Council for
Hunting, Fishing and
Conservation

"Target shooting, especially sporting
clays, is a great way to prepare for the
season. It sharpens skills and offers a
variety of shots for a preseason tune-up.
However, shooting a live bird is very
60

different from shooting a clay bird, and
many shotgunners struggle making that
transition.
"For example, woodcock and grouse
are easy to kill, but hard to hit. You're
in the woods most of the time, where
woodcock fly in unpredictable directions
and grouse are really fast. They'll both
hold tighter for dogs, but when they flush,
there's usually a lot of obstructions. The
key to success with these birds is to stay
ready, swing quickly and shoot quickly.
"On the other hand, pheasants are
easier to hit, but harder to kill. Sometimes
they run ahead of the dogs, and at times,
you need to accept that some flushes
are just too far away and you need to let
them go.
"Regardless of species, getting the
gun to your shoulder and in the shooting position is of the utmost importance.
Never mount the gun before you see the
bird, as you can't find a target over the
barrel of a shotgun.
"Instead, acquire the target and get the
gun to your cheek, not your cheek to the
gun. It should happen in a fluid, natural
movement that has long been practiced
prior to heading afield. On the sportingclay range, don't mount your gun before
calling "pull." See the target first, then
mount. Form good habits, not bad ones
and it will transfer over naturally.
"Follow-through also is very important, and I use the pass-through shooting
method. To pull this off, swing your
barrel along with the bird and match its
speed. Once the bead hits the head area
(for a pheasant, look for the white neck
ring or red head), pull the trigger and
keep swinging when the gun goes off.
Some prefer the sustained-lead method,
but I find that passing through the bird
can really increase your efficiency in
the field."
Pennsylvania Game News - September 2019

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