Duck Hunting Lingo

As with any other sport, duck hunting has it's own language. It's an often confusing jargon that only veteran hunters understand. So if you are a rookie and you don't want your green horns to stand out, you can study this posting and sound like a seasoned swamp dog even on your first outing.

Capon. This is a duck that you led properly, squeezed the trigger and followed through but the duck capon flying.

Trouser Mallard. Any flatulence uttered in a duck blind. Never appropriate in mixed company.

Shell Wasters. Downwind teal.

Soaked. What you get on a rainy day when you misunderstood the term "water resistant" in the Cabela's catalog.

Hail Mary Shot. The third shot from your 12 gauge after you've missed the first two shots and the duck is now hopelessly out of range.

Not Enough Wind. A good excuse to offer when you're skunked. Even if you missed all 18 shots during a gale.

Bad Dog! The appropriate command for your young retriever when he eats the duck before you can wrest it from his mouth.

Flock Shot. See "Shell Wasters" above. This is the uncontrollable urge to shoot at the entire flock hovering over your decoys instead of picking out one bird.

Stool. Not to be confused with the, um, medical term. This is the correct word to describe a set of decoys. Derives from stool pigeon. Never use the word "dekes". "Dekes" reeks of rookiedom.

Claimer. This is the poorest wing shot in your group who screams "my bird" whenever a duck falls even if the bird was shot in front of the blind across the slough.

Limit. An archaic word no longer used in Minnesota duck hunting. It meant bagging the total allowable number of ducks on any given day. As in, I got my limit. Now limited in use to North Dakota.

Flair the Ducks. Anything that causes a flock of ducks on final approach to your stool to suddenly reach for the sky. Stepping out of the blind to relieve yourself will do it. Using your new duck call will do it. Also see Trouser Mallard above.

Good Dog! Said to the labrador who finds and retrieves the duck you winged and it sailed a quarter mile away. Always said if the lab is your dog. Said with discretion if the dog is your buddy's.