This will be my 58th dove season. I will be 66 in October, and went on my first dove shoot with Grandaddy at age 8. I had been given a .410 S x S to care for, and a dove lit on the ground about 20 yds. from me and I swatted him. Nobody knew I didn't kill him on the wing, and I didn't tell them any differently.
Grandaddy took me squirrel hunting with that .410, soon after it was given to me, and all I killed was an owl. Hey, Grandaddy said to shoot it and I did. Grandaddy was the closest thing to God that I knew.
I have a friend, Gess, a bit younger than me, who relayed this story about his first duck hunt with his Dad. They were crouched on the dam of a small pond, early morning, when his Dad said there were ducks coming their way, and for Gess to remain squatted down until Dad said for him to jump up and take them. Gess said that when his Dad said to shoot .... he jumped to his feet and looked straight ahead. At that instant a teal hit him square in the chest and knocked him off his feet and on his back. He said ....... "It hurt!!!". I'll just bet it did.
SRH
