STAYING POLISHED FOR HUNTING SEASON WITH SPORTING CLAYS
For the wing shooter, time spent at the sporting clays course throughout the long, hot days of summer will refine your shooting skills for the fall. Although many may choose beaches or golf, I prefer a clays course. To master the art of wing shooting, you must practice and prepare for your shots afield. Each time you step onto the sporting clays course, take a full breath of the summer air and revel in that your hard work will pay dividends in the coming months as you take to the fields of autumn.
While many of us spend time planning trips, traveling, and training dogs, we often neglect our shooting skills. Since sporting clays mimic hunting scenarios, target presentations can simulate ducks flying overhead, pheasants flushing away, or ruffed grouse busting through the trees. As such, the variety of targets, launch patterns, and terrain makes the possibilities endless. Whether you choose your favorite 12-gauge over-and-under or the new 28-gauge semiauto, a summer spent on the sporting clays will keep your shooting polished for the hunting season.
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A Waterfowler’s Crossing and Incoming Floater Shots
Whether it’s early goose season in North Dakota or late season ducks in Arkansas, many of my shots throughout the year will be on crossing or incoming targets. As such, I use the launch patterns available at the sporting clays course to mimic waterfowl flight movements. I practice my lead on the crossers and work from the mounted and unmounted gun position with incoming floaters.
Typically, the crossers will fly parallel to your station. The trick is to learn how distance can impact how you perceive the speed at which the target is moving and how quickly you need to swing your gun. For instance, a further away target will appear slower on the horizon – like a mallard flying over the spread. In contrast, a close-flying target will appear much faster. There have been a few times when the early teal season was a humbling experience. However, practicing the close crossers has greatly improved my ability to hit those blue-winged rockets that race across the spread. As such, use the crossing shots to prepare for duck season – we can’t always get them to land feet first.
The incoming floater shot comes straight toward you, seemingly hanging in the air for an instant. Like ducks fluttering down through the flooded timber or the geese locked up and heading toward your spread – the incoming floater is a waterfowler’s shot. Although you may have had success just pointing and shooting, I am sure this method has led to a lot of misses. I recommend you use the incoming floater to practice working with a slight lead, as those ducks and geese can maneuver quickly as they are descending, and you want to be in front of them as they see you pop up from your blind. In addition, I practice shooting the incoming floater from both gun-mounted and unmounted positions. Just like in the field, we don’t always get to stand perfectly still before taking the shot.
Practice the crossing and incoming floater shots to improve your consistency on ducks and geese. When the migration picks up in your area, your retriever will appreciate your dedication throughout the summer.
Trap-Type and Quartering Away Targets Like Upland Birds on the Prairie
Throughout the fall I travel across the prairies chasing Hungarian partridge, prairie grouse, and pheasants. Most of my shots will be over pointing dogs, which gives me a chance to get my gun in position. However, when the birds flush they move up and away with increasing velocity. As such, the trap-type and quartering-away targets seem to mimic the upland birds of the prairie.
For these shots, I like to use a modified or full choke when the launcher is set 20 yards or more yards away. While I hope my dogs aren’t pointing birds from 20-plus yards, the key is to work on subtle gun movements as the birds rise off the flush. Once the target is thrown in front of the station, it will rise quickly and then begin to move away with increasing speed. With a mounted gun, I watch the target fly above the barrel. Next, I lift the barrel up slowly, covering the target, and fire. This may seem like a leap-of-faith shot, but you should be right on top of your target. This subtle, relaxed movement prepares you for the flurry of commotion when a group of Sharpies rises from the prairie grasses.
In addition to working on subtle gun movements, this method should also reduce the likelihood that you shoot above the target. A common mistake when birds are moving away from you. I know there have been plenty of times when you watched that big rooster rise in front of you and fly away as you emptied your gun. The error in our ways is that we try to catch up to him on the rise, instead of focusing on his ability to distance himself horizontally – the rooster will slow in elevation while he gains in acceleration. The trap-type and quartering-way targets will help you hit more roosters.
The Chandelle Target for Northwoods
Aside from the chukar mountains in the west, the Northwoods is the most challenging hunting environment for me. Working through the dense aspen forest and shooting birds that seem to rise and disappear, continues to limit my success. As such, I spend a lot of my time at the sporting clays course shooting through stations with woody terrain and on chandelle-launched targets. These are the targets that go up, over, and down like the flight patterns of ruffed grouse and woodcock. No matter how well woodcock hold for my dogs, I struggle to shoot them through all foliage.
On these targets, like in the Northwoods, I switch to a skeet choke. The large pattern on close targets is an ideal combination. When the target launches, I look to shoot it on the way up. Since the target is moving up, I only must focus on moving the gun upward to hit the target. In contrast, if I were to chase the target downwards, I would be working against distance with my choke setup.
In addition, the trees create obstacles when chasing the target on the way up and at the apex of the trajectory. As such, it is important to shoot the target before it gets to that point. While I don’t have to worry about ticks on the sporting clays course, I do long for the beautiful fall colors of the Northwoods. Similar to the prairie shots, I find the most success when I am chasing the target upward with subtle gun movements before the canopy burdens your visibility.
The Bobwhite Double
The storied traditions of the South dictate plantation etiquette when hunting quail. As such, a double is allowed if you can hit them consistently, you may only shoot on the covey rise, and break-open guns are a must. If I want to shoot doubles in the south, it is imperative that I spend time at the sporting clays course shooting report and simultaneous pairs. While shooting two targets creates an additional layer of difficulty, the beauty of the longleaf pines and the quail numbers in the south makes the offseason work worthwhile.
The major difficulty when shooting doubles is getting your gun in the right position for the second target. While you can’t complete a double unless you hit the first target, it is also easy to miss the pick-up point for the second target. As such, my goal is to limit dramatic moves after the report. You must plan for your second shot before you take the first. The covey may not give you a second shot, but a report gives you the opportunity to perfect the double. A report pair is fun to shoot but takes plenty of practice to master.
A simultaneous pair or the true double afield is the envy of many. Although it is much easier on the sporting clays course because you know the flight of the pair. However, the biggest mistake in shooting this double is not getting the gun in the right place. If you plan your shots correctly, you won’t need to rush from the first shot to get to the second shot. As a helpful hint, you should try and choke for the long shot. When the targets are launched, shoot the lower target first and use the method of subtle gun movements upward to hit the second target. Remember, smooth, controlled movements – the gentleman Bobwhite deserves respect.
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CONCLUSION
Sporting clays offer the hunter an almost infinite amount of target presentations that can closely resemble various hunting scenarios. The art of wing shooting is one that depends on muscular coordination, correct movements in sequence, and the precise ability to track a moving target. However, it is important to note that sporting clays is not about perfection, but rather preparing you for various opportunities in the future. A good hunter makes their shots count – so spend the summer at the sporting clays course understanding your chokes, learning your patterns, and refining shooting skills to stay polished for the season ahead.
