Duck

[danny2012 3]

Hi

 

Can you shoot duck with air rifle ?

[Skot Ruthless Teale 1,701]

yes. as long as you give it a clean kill. brain shots only..

 

im sure I read somewhere online that an air rifle isn't the right tool for the job but as long as it doesn't suffer then its fine.

 

10.5-11.5 ftlbs is easily enough for a pellet to kill a duck cleanly with a brain shot. .177 or .22

[walshie 2,804]

I don't know the legality of shooting a duck with an airgun, but IMO it isn't the right tool for the job.

[moxy 617]

It's a grey area but as the law stands or as it's understood, then yes. There are no exclusions for a suitable air rifle and as skot said, provided its a clean kill and no suffering.

[Skot Ruthless Teale 1,701]

from my own experience walshie I have shot 4 mallard ducks in the brain and 4/4 have all just dropped on the spot! with various .177 and .22 sub12 ftlb air rifles

[audiguypaul 28]

cant see why not, if you can kill a rabbit then a duck cant be any tougher, they dont have kevlar skulls

[slipper 116]

I would rather eat a duck which has been head shot! Lol

[walshie 2,804]

Still dubious about it. I don't recall seeing ducks on the general licence, and I still don't consider an airgun the best tool for the job, but if you all say so, then

[moxy 617]

cant see why not, if you can kill a rabbit then a duck cant be any tougher, they dont have kevlar skulls

As much as I agree you always have to take into account the changes in legislation.

 

And duck being game and not a pest species. With exceptions for the ruddy

[shaaark 10,681]

And without meaning to be contentious, I think an air rifle/headshot to be more humane and a quicker death than one just pricked with a couple of pieces of shot, as often happens with a shotgun.

[treecreeper 1,136]

dropped mallard with a sub 12ftlb on my perm. I presume they are not on general licence due to season not because they cant be shot. General licence only lists what you can shoot not what with.

[WoodsmanJim 160]

There's no law that states air rifles can only be used on pest/ vermin species. So just because something isn't on the general licence that doesn't exclude it from being a legitimate air rifle quarry. What you can shoot when is governed more by game seasons, so as long as it's in season you can shoot it. That said, animal cruelty laws exclude causing unnecessary suffering in despatching animals. So as long as you can kill an animal cleanly and humanely and it's in season OR on the general licence then you're ok legally. This applies to any class of weapon. When it comes to what can be killed properly with an air gun (with no definition in law) common sense must prevail. Obviously foxes are way too big, but a duck is no bigger or hardier than a rabbit. In fact it's bones will be less dense as it a flight animal. I can't see it being much different from a pigeon, and certainly not as tough as a crow and folks shoot them regularly. People cleanly kill ducks and pheasants with airguns all the time with no problems. Assuming all other legal needs are met (permission on the land etc.) You should be fine as long as your shooting is up to it!

Jim

Edited December 13, 2013 by WoodsmanJim

[moxy 617]

Well put jim

[silentshot1 206]

Brilliantly put!

[lksopener 105]

Lead free chaps?