Tour de Quebec 2009

[Don Kaas]

Destry, Russ Bickel, Kevin McCormack and I met up a week ago in the little village of St. Ignace de Loyola on the north bank of the wide spot in the St. Lawrence known as Lac St. Pierre. This has become an annual excursion for Destry, Russ and me but it was the first time for "O frame". Kevin displayed the mark of true gentleman when he offer to room with Le Grand Homme, Destry aka "DeHo" in our tidy three bedroom waterfront apartment just 100" from the dock. A number of Parkers made the trip, Destry's 34" DHE #3 frame, his DH 30" #2 frame and his D grade 32' toplever hammer 10. Russ had his 32" DH #3 frame and his 30" #0 frame DHE 20 along and I had a #1 frame toplever 12 D grade hammer (which did not prove itself to be Old Reliable:crying:) and a #1 frame 16g 32" VHE. Kevin went all Browning...I will say no more except Diana's engraved by Funken are OK:cool: Our first 3 days were spent in the marsh hunting from blinds and resulted in limits all around. Mallards, blacks, greenwings, gadwalls, woodies, a pintail drake and I confess two little hen hoodies both taken by yours truly at first light on two different hunts to Destry's delight...oops... We journeyed to Le Isle Verte on the south bank of the river about 250 miles away for a Thursday hunt among 1200 snow geese decoys. We were 1 for 1 on the only bird that came in during a constant drizzle. After a good lunch, we returned to St. Ignace for our final morning on Friday which proved a bit slower than the first 3 days with but 11 ducks in our common bag. I was very pleased with a new Ithaca NID 10g Mag that I used for 3 of the 5 days. Most of the ducks were taken on the pass and the Ithaca with 1 3/4oz of Federal Tungsten Polymer #6s was more than up to the task. A Ruark famously wrote, "Use enough gun." All in all another great trip with great people and a few drinks and cigars tossed in:bigbye:

[Destry L. Hoffard]

It was another pleasant trip for certain, I hope Kevin makes it back with us again next year.

I even managed to not drink too much whiskey on all but one of the evenings. That Pikeville you brought along was a caution.


DLH

P.S. I like your new icon. I think you need to grow a mustache too....

[Don Kaas]

Ahhh! "Pikesville Maryland Straight Rye"...that reminds me to stop in Elkton on the way down to the Maryland opener in two weeks and pick up a bottle...BTW, I thought it was the "Old Weller 107 Bourbon" that did you in...

[Angel Cruz]

"#1 frame toplever 12 D grade hammer (which did not prove itself to be Old Reliable)"

Don, what happened to that gun??

Angel

[Don Kaas]

It doubled twice at first light when Destry and I were hunting at perhaps the best blind on the 1000 acre lease. It seemed OK on the pre-flight test shooting but the left barrel sear lightened up as they sometimes do. The damp weather could have been a factor swelling the inletting. I was using Kent Tungsten Matrix 2 1/2" 1 1/8 oz loads. I shot the gun as a single shot with just the right barrel and still shot my ducks (and my hoodie hen...). Russ Bickel has it now and I am sure it will come back good as new. When it comes to triggers and sears, he is one of the best. This gun went to Florida when new in 1886 and later had it stock shortened to 13" and a DHBP installed ($1.50) on one of its three trips back to Meriden for barrel maintenance. Perhaps, it's a "lemon" !

[Angel Cruz]

You got your ducks and "hoodie hen".. I say you got good juice out that "lemon"..

[Bill Murphy]

Congratulations on the trip. Each of you is "the man". Although I would never shoot a duck with such a gun when a side by side was available, I do share Kevin's craving for early Superposed Brownings. OK, maybe I'll break in the big Midas on RSA mallards this year. Keep the news of the trip coming.

[Don Kaas]

If you don't count the PA and Maryland openers for woodies the next 2 Saturdays and November divers on Lake St. Clair, the next trip of major consequence is 2 days on the Tennessee River and 3 days at Beaver Dam for Russ and I in early December while La Grand Homme swans around southern Florida in search of Florida ducks and Tree ducks. The "Shootinest Gent'man" 32" "Becker Special" HE Fox and my 34" #2 frame CHE will likely join the big Ithaca Ten on that trip.