Pacing the floor like a caged bear.....

[Destry L. Hoffard]

I don't know if I can stand it, early goose season opens on the 1st and I'm just about at the end of my string. I've had my shooting bag packed, calls on the lanyard, gun in the case, for a week already. Four days is gonna seem like four years......


Destry

[C Roger Giles]

You poor nervous wreck Destry

Ha Ha PTG Rog

[Dean Romig]

Seems I heard there was a big snowy blow coming across Saskatchawan and Manitoba last night that really got dem fowls movin'

I think four days will be too late to innercep dem

[Destry L. Hoffard]

If we'd get some weather we might actually have some geese. The field we were going to hunt got plowed under last week and our secondary field only had about 20 using it as of this morning.

Destry

[Rich Anderson]

I'm not seeing much in the way of Sky Carp (Geese:) ) around here either. Maybe its just been to nice.

Kurt gave me some #2 Bismuth to pattern in the grade 3 hammer gun so I can get after some of those elooosive fowl:shock:

[Kurt Densmore]

I am with you on the pacing Destry...:)

I am really not fond of this early season seeing as everybody is a goose hunter for at least 1 day of it. Had a field that was loaded and the farmer tilled it under and planted alfalfa. The birds went to the neighbors and the ladies "son in law" is going to hunt them.:banghead: pretty typical of this time of year.... Birds switch fields a few times prior to the season and every third field has a group of hunters. I like the waterfowl hunting after Oct. 1 when all the yahoos are out chasing deer. There are a couple of other fields that may pay off.....only time will tell. After they all get blown off all the backyard ponds they start to congregate in a few key locations. As cool as it is this year the molt migrants may move a little earlier also.

[Richard Flanders]

Save some for me Destry! I'll be there in November...

[Don Kaas]

Buck up Destry, grace under pressure and no whining, etc.,etc....dozens of Canadas all over the lawn here at our corporate campus this morning.

[Dean Romig]

Don, those resident Canadas are the best kind. They've been eating cheese curls, pop-corn, peanuts and bits of bread all summer at local parks and industrial campuses like yours. You don't even need to stuff them before roasting - just cook 'em with 'trails' in :rotf:

[Don Kaas]

Dean you are exactly right. A Canada feeding on Fritos and fescue can't be beat.There are tons of geese here at work, on my farm and at my neighbors but I can not muster the enthusiasm to hunt geese in 85 degree weather. My waterfowl season will open in exactly 30 days in a marsh along the St. Lawrence in Quebec. With any luck it will be 50 degrees!

[Destry L. Hoffard]

I don't care if it's warm, if it's some kind of waterfowling season I've gotta give it a try. Hell we used to hunt the early teal season down at home and it would be in the 90's some years.

Destry

[tom horn]

Destry, just what fowling piece will you begin the new year with?

[Destry L. Hoffard]

Tom,

Good to see you on the BBS, hope things are well down there at home.

I'm thinking the GH magnum 10 gauge, it's been my season opening gun for quite a few years now and has never failed me.

I'm taking the D grade 10 gauge hammer gun for the early goose opener in Canada on the 10th though. I've got some of the new 1 3/8 NiceShot shells to test for Morris.

I'd use it here in Michigan but a hammer gun is hard to handle in a ground blind. We're going to hunt out of the new boat across the river.

We've got to try and make a hunt over Christmast this year, we haven't been out together in way too long.


Destry

[John Truitt]

Destry,
I am hurt. I thought for sure you would be putting the 34" #3 frame thru her paces.

[Destry L. Hoffard]

John,

The Swamp Angel will see it's first airing on opening day for ducks in Ontario I'd imagine. It's with Mr. Bickle at the moment getting a strip and clean, and the White Line pad changed to a proper Silvers.


Destry

P.S. Are you suggesting that you can kill a goose with something less than a 10 gauge? I'm shocked!

[Don Kaas]

His name is spelled Bickel...

[Destry L. Hoffard]

We make a hell of a trio, all our names are frequently misspelled. Kass, Bickle, and Huffard.

[Francis Morin]

Destry- May we have an address and e-mail for Mr. Bickel. We "Parker-ites" can never have enough good gun smiths, and strip and clean- a "Mossenburgher" pump, sure- a fine Boxlock- a job best left to experts. Good luck on Tues- I'll be at an area dairy farm with ponds-maybe some Geese- pigeons for sure--:rotf:

[Don Kaas]

"Run at the BBSes" aka Mr. Morin of MI...Mr. Bickel told me this afternoon he is not taking on anymore clients so don't worry about his number...

Mr.Hofahrt, you iz ko-rect...deys bin mizzpellin' mah name fo' ev-aah! I shot trap with RB today and I managed a 24/25 the first time out testing my 1910 32" Fox CE. It may be a taker to Quebec with its 28" skt/ic set of bbls for the Teal Pond...(BTW, Russ won the Grouse Hall Vintage SxS flyer shoot with his BHE a couple of weeks ago at Powderbourne. It's his 3rd time (to my one...grrrrr...). We also discussed the dirty linen of the (infamous) BH. I had no idea of the issues, other than the cut bbls. My sincere condolences...However, I have concerns about your direction on the DHE. I suggest no more than 2 7/8". The BWT at the end of the chambers is currently .115". My old DH #3 frame that Russ now has is .120" at 2 7/8" and remember these are unalerted factory long chambers. Do the arithmetic. 3" Kent TM loads when fired are circa 2 13/16". It will be fine. You can not replace steel, buddy...

[Francis Morin]

Thanks for the feedback Mr. Kaas. I already have a fine Master Gunsmith, also a personal friend and a brother PGCA member to boot, right in my backyard here in MI. You may have seen some of his postings recently in the Parker Reproductions section of the Forum; Brad Bachelder. I merely raised the question to Destry to possibly give the PGCA membership another potential source for quality work.

Having shot with Destry, and being fortunate to share a few of his fine doubles, including the 8 bore Churchill and his 12 DHE, I would take his mention of Mr. Bickel as a very high endorsement indeed. This would seem to be verified by your comments that he (Mr. Bickel) is not taking on any additional gun work at present. Also speaks well to his standing as a craftsman, not to over-commit on work load and become past due on completed work. Good luck with your coming waterfowl season too! F. M.

[Destry L. Hoffard]

Don,

I actually spoke with Russ about the chamber situation and we came to the same conclusion that 2 7/8 would be enough.

The BH is a train wreck of the first order. It was my "learning gun" and I've learned a little since then. Though probably not as much as I'd like or should have.....

It will be a shooting man's gun again once I find some 30 inch damascus tubes to put on it. A little fill work on that aftermarked safety slot, some touchup on the engraving, and the old fella from Kentucky that ordered it to shoot pigeons with would be proud of it again.


Destry

[Don Kaas]

It is a pity the aftermarket ejector were disposed of so crudely as well. Just taking out the springs would have been enough.

[Bill Murphy]

Don, congratulations on dodging that bullet. Someone will be grateful.

[tom horn]

Destry,

I would like very much to do a christmas hunt. We are presently building some new digs on the property and should be in by hunting season. I very much would like to sit down with you one evening and talk with you about guns. As I grow older I find myself with a growing interest in these double guns. Also I would like to speak with you about the model 11's as I have inherited my father 16ga. Look very much forward to sharing time in the duck blind. Hope for blue skies and light winds.

[Destry L. Hoffard]

Don,

I actually had those ejectors taken out years ago. They were actually Parker ejectors but installed by Lefever in NY in the early 50's. They didn't work, had never worked apparently, and the shells sat so low in the gun when you opened it that you had to keep a fingernail grown long to get them out. An old gunsmith over in Marble Hill, MO turned the gun back into an extractor for me. Maybe not a perfect job but it sure made it easier to unload the thing. It's been a long road with this one and I've still not seen the end. I should probably just sell it off for parts to end the pain once and for all. *laughs*


Tom,

We'll get together for sure, I'll give you a ring to set something up. Was sorry to hear about your father's passing, he was a grand old fella.

Destry

[Derrick Stewart]

Destry,

You think you feel bad how do you think us guys down south feel? I do not know whats been going on this year but in years past those big honkers were everywere, now you see them everyonce in awhile. It seems that they got tired of the hot weather and went North. Hopefully you'll have a good opening day.

At least I have dove season to look forward to. Opening day is this Saturday and I can't wait. Dove's haven't been flying much around here but im going about an hour and half south of me for my opening day hunt.

Good Luck my friend

[Destry L. Hoffard]

Looks like no geese for me tomorrow, all my leads have played out to nothing. I might try a pass shooting venture at a place I know, just to say I was out.

Destry

[Derrick Stewart]

Is it safe to assume it's those pesky little birds you'll be pass shooting at?

[Destry L. Hoffard]

It's pretty close quarters, the spot I'm thinking of, so unless I'm real careful it might not just be......

DLH

[Destry L. Hoffard]

If anybody is curious, I can sum up my mornings shooting with a single word: Nuthin'

[Carl Brandt]

Some of the guys from our office had a little luck this morning - 46 :)

[Kurt Densmore]

If anybody is curious, I can sum up my mornings shooting with a single word: Nuthin'

Sorry to hear that the goose hunting was a bust. We didn't do as well as I was hoping but I can't complain. The birds didn't want to come and give us close shots but we were still able to shoot a fair number. I was able to pull a double on a group of 3 with one of the other guys knocking down the third bird. Shot the DH 10 ga with 1 1/4oz #2 nice shot. As long as I did my part the birds dropped.

[Richard Flanders]

Jeez, those honkers look like turkeys compared to the lesser Cans we see up here.

[Don Kaas]

Destry's pacing the floor waiting for a new squeeze to drop by at the moment, I just got off the phone with him. Congrats to all the goose hunters!

[Destry L. Hoffard]

Well a man has to do something to keep himself entertained when his shooting plans go awry.......


Destry


P.S. to Kurt: I've had early season geese act that way before as well. I credit it to the fact that they're still in pretty strong family groups which makes them not want to handle like later fall flocks will do.

[james van blaricum]

Boy, those geese as well as the hunters look great, we had opening day for doves here in Kansas and it looked like it was going to be a bust. We have had so much cool weather that the
doves have pretty much gone south. (early) The last hour before sundown things picked up around a water hole but it was pretty slim pickens. jvb

[Kurt Densmore]

I think that if we would have set up in the middle of the field where they had been feeding and used ground blinds we probably would have done much better. They didn't want to come over top of the decoys at all. Maybe the heavy dew and shiny decoys had them second guessing and it woudn't have mattered. Anyway, they seemed to be too smart for opening day birds...

[Jeff Kuss]

The Indiana dove season has been a bust also. The cold weather has moved most of the doves south already. I didn't even bother to go out this morning to hunt over the sunflowers. It is the worst opener ever.
Jeff