My natural preference (perfect scenario) is to shoot them on the rise OR while cupping in. You have to have done some scouting, setup correctly, and let birds work to consistently land them or cup them.
If they won’t get up, I have zero issue with smoking the first on the water….but like having a kid or new hunter for that first duck that way. It rarely happens, but some prefer to swim to cover or dive, rather than jump up.
Super expensive decoys have always been a negative return on investment item for me.
For shooting that duck on the water, the shooter should ALWAYS be given permission to disregard the decoys.
Dogs don’t care how the retrieve came about.
After 40+ years of hunting ducks, I find that those that harp the most about others shooting them on the water are FAR more likely to be sky-busters and three shot whiffers. At least most water swatters are more proficient at NOT sky-busting or making a lot of useless noise and educating birds.
Different strokes.
100% my experience with them as well. If I have managed to work birds all the way to the water then I feel I have beat them at their game and I shoot the first on the water then the rest as they get up. But then again I don't pass shoot or jump shoot ducks either. If you want to pass shoot go find a dove field. And IMHO jump shooting ducks vs working them is kinda like jerking off versus getting laid. The end result is the same but one of them is a helluva lot more fun than the other
