Just one more note from my experiences, Dave. I believe the shot you saw just under the skin is shot that has passed through the body of the bird and has been stopped by the elastic nature of the skin on the far side. The same reason we often find spent bullets under the skin on the far side of where we hit deer or other big game.
If you look closely at the skin above the shot, I believe you'll find no hole in it. Some #9 shot will definitely penetrate through the bird to the other side. Some birds have broken wings but many do not.
I've often shot birds with just one broken wing and no shot in the body. These birds always flip dramatically on the side of the broken wing. They hit the ground running and I always get my dog quickly to the spot where they fell if the dog doesn't see it. The amount of ground they can cover quickly is amazing. Without a dog, it is a lost bird.
|