Hunters vs Killers

Walker Davidson for SPLIT REED

There is an age-old argument between people in the outdoors revolving around who kills more, kills bigger, kills most consistently. The guys that are at the top of this hunting food chain are there for a reason, and this article aims to highlight the differences that separate the killers from the hunters.

For those of you familiar with baseball, you know scouts seek the five-tool player. The guys who can run, throw, field, hit for average, and hit for power. They want guys who are well rounded and have the basic tools to be successful at the game, and then they develop those guys into the type of player they want them to be. With waterfowl hunting, to be considered a hunter you need five tools: gun, call, waders, boat/blind, and decoys. With these tools a person has a fair chance to go kill some ducks, considering they have some knowledge of a place to hunt. These are the guys that are probably new to the sport, all their equipment is fresh and shiny, and they are beyond proud of their handful of ducks because in their eyes they were successful. I fell this is an important place to mention, there is nothing wrong with this, and at one time or another most waterfowl hunters were here. There is one common issue, however with some of the members of the waterfowl community who are in the “hunter” stage, and that is they will do anything to be considered a killer. So, if it means jump-shooting a roost somewhere in the prairie pothole region, they do it. If it means shooting rafted ducks in flooded timber or sky busting/tree topping birds, then they do it. Solely for the sake of them being able to take a kill picture with a stack of birds.

What these guys are missing is the fact that those who are considered killers by others have no respect for that pile of ducks if it was not done the right way. The guys who are the killers, the guys who everyone in your area knows, and day in-day out you hear about the big limits they are shooting, are the guys who do it right. Because that is the most effective way to do it. Shooting ducks over decoys. Playing the wind. Playing the sun. Calling birds into shooting range and killing them quickly, humanely, and effectively. These guys pay attention to the most minute details of waterfowling in order to consistently be successful. When a bird stops their wings for just a second when you’re calling at them, the bird noticed, and you should too. You should pay attention to how the birds are positioned when your scouting, and make your setups match. There are a million tips and tricks that the killers employ to consistently put them in the situations they need to be. In my opinion, the number one key to keeping yourself and your crew killing birds and being where you need to be is keeping your mouth shut. How many times have you let something slip to help a buddy out just for him to bring ten people into your spot the next time you want to go there.

To work your way to the pinnacle of waterfowling and earn the killer title, you have to be the guys getting it done every time you go. Everyone can be a hunter. Not everyone can be a killer. It takes a certain drive that you want to kill as many as legally possible, and that drive to kill the game you are pursuing outweighs your desire to eat and sleep and do anything else, then you will do what it takes to be successful and eventually rise to the top.