Southern Illinois......

[Destry L. Hoffard]

Yesterday was our annual dove hunt here in Southern Illinois. The doves were thicker on our friends farm than they had been in several years. The shooting is always good there, he absolutely manicures the place for doves, but this year was particularly good. I believe everybody in the field took a limit home, my father and I included. Our friend the farmer knows of my love for shooting barn pigeons so he put me on a stand that had several using along with the doves. I killed my dove limit with Grandpa's little Stevens 20 gauge and the pigeons with the old 32 inch DHE 12 gauge.

My friend Tom was with me but not shooting, just working a young female lab he's training. I had the priviledge of shooting the first real birds she'd ever picked up. He hunted her for the first hour of the shoot, she picked up four doves and a pigeon for me. It was brutally hot, 100 degrees in the shade with 100% humidity, hard weather on a black dog for certain.

This morning our farmer friend Russell, Dad, and I all went out for a pigeons only shoot and did well again. We killed 17 amongst us, all over decoys, really had a fine time. I was particularly lucky, killing my first ducks of the season (bluewing teal) as they came ripping by along the pond bank. Illinois has an early teal season that happens to be open right now.

Another dove shoot this afternoon if the rain slacks off. It's drizzling now, I'm praying to the weather gods for a break around 3pm. Doves don't move in even the slightest damp weather......



Destry

[charlie cleveland]

glad you had a great hunt espically getting to hunt with your dad and to take the limit with the little stevans 20....you boys gonna have to send some of them doves south there thin around here...hope you have a good shoot monday..... charlie

[Rich Anderson]

I can't believe that you actually killed a flying bird with a little old 20ga:whistle: Next thing you know you'll be looking for a DH 20 and be taking up Grouse and Woodcock, maybe even Mallards over decoys in flooded timber with the 20. Back in the days of my waterfowling adventures I shot a lot of ducks useing a 20ga Rem 1100 with a skt choke in the timber. Try it you'll like it.

[charlie cleveland]

was a rainy chilly day here did not see the first dove today..how did the hunt go today for you boys...if it keeps raining squirl season will open early around here... charlie

[Destry L. Hoffard]

Rich,

I only shot the gun because it was my Grandpa's and he wasn't able to go with us this year. I don't favor it for anything outside of about 20 yards and even then it seemed to cripple more than kill. They just don't do what I want a shotgun to do, hence my carrying the big 32 inch 12 gauge for larger game and longer shots. They definitely aren't a fit gun for serious big water fowling unless you want to spend the entire hunt chasing cripples or cussing because you can't seem to do anything but blow feathers out of birds and watch them fly away. There is no 20 gauge in my future for anything except nostalgia I assure you.


Destry

[charlie cleveland]

dont tell grandpa that little 20 ga is only good for 20 yards i bet it would ruffle is feathers..ha charlie

[Destry L. Hoffard]

It was his quail gun and that's how he used it, it's cylinder bore in both barrels. I love the little gun don't get me wrong, but I'd never use it for anything other than very small birds at very short range.

Destry