I'm sending in for my "doubles pin"--

[Francis Morin]

Waterfowling is a weather guided activity- wing, overcast, approaching storm fronts all bode well. So far, until this morning (Wed 10/28) a few teals and woodies seen (not shot however) and three geese since our zone opener on 10/10/09-- NO mallards, my "bread and butter species"--Took two shotguns to a favorite area farm, this time I didn't stop at Keizer's for the "Boat Anchoring" breakfast as usual, was just putting out the few shells at 8:25AM when I heard the geese coming. The M12 Mag was nearby, they didn't spook, and I dropped one bird stone dead- halfway to the limit, not too shabby- 5 minutes later I had my second bird, if I were a violator I could have taken way more, overcast, slight wind, all good things for the waterfowler.

I went back to the Jeep with the birds in tow, unloaded and cased the M12 and emptied out the camo pockets of steel loads, uncase the GHE project Parker 12, filled up with the Hevi-Shot for Classic Doubles non-toxic No. 4's 1 & 1/8 oz. and went to the pasture pond (lotsa rain lately) threw out two K-mart "foolies" and sat down to wait and see- first mallard was a hen, she got a free ride, a few minutes later three nice orange legged greenheads made a strafing run, I rose up to flare them, Boom, Boom, ker-splash, ker-splash- my first double on mallards with a double gun, and it was with a Parker-

I waited a while longer, my coffee urge kicked in, so I took the two dekes and the two deceased mallards back up, and had coffee with my farmer-host--about 10:30 the barn pigeons were milling around, so I shed the camo, and grabbed some AA reloads and "trimmed them a bit"-- A nice bonus- the bigger of the two geese had a leg band, first one for me in some time. The first four digits happen to be part of my Military Service number (I served prior to the usage of the SS numbers)- but the last 5 struck a chord in my gambler's heart:00717-- 007 (license to kill- and I love to kill game birds) and 17- the stand number in BlackJack, also a magazine, the root leg number on a framing square when you are laying out jack and hip rafters (use 12 for common rafters)and my first "encounter" at that age, "Out In The Corn Where The Woods Got Heavy- In The Back of My '51 Chevy"!! All good.

I don't put the bands on my call lanyards- IMO- sorta like the "Brag Patches" on Trap and Skeet shooters vests- but I can see why guides and call makers like to- tells potential clients that they have shot a lot of birds- All Good.:cool::cool:

[Dean Romig]

Francis, Congratulations on your double! I hope your pin arrives safe and sound. I recently received an envelope containing the nice congratulatory letter and a PGCA sticker and I assumed it was sent with a pin too but the entire end of the envelope was mangled and ripped off and my suspicion is that the hard bulk of the pin inside couldn't pass through the postal sorting machine at the US Postal Service Center. I notified Jennifer and suggested she use a 6" X 9" manilla envelope in hopes that the larger size would escape damage because it would not be subject to the sorting machine.

I enjoyed reading about your day and your great success and anybody who quotes Seeger is OK in my book even if he does fracture the lyrics a bit. :rolleyes:

I expect we'll hear or read more about your "GHE Project Parker" in the very near future, hmm? :) Nice job. Dean

[Francis Morin]

Sort of the MidWestern answer to the equally great Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel, Harry Chapin and other Eastern Seaboard musical artists--Yes, I have doubled on mallards a few times over the 50 years or more I have been an avid waterfowler-always with a Model 12 however- never on pheasants--

Re: The GHE 12 project Parker that friend Brad Bachelder completed for me- I sent in an article and Brad's research on the Christian Fischer after market ejectors to Austin Hogan at Parker Pages- should he decide to use it in a future issue-- I have a birthday next month- and Grey November Days- or Gray November Days might be under my Birthday placemat-I also recall Havilah Babcock and his "My Health Is Always Better in November"- great read. I will use the GHE on a preserve hunt on my birthday with Brad-a possible double I suppose, but he has a big yellow male Lab named Max and in my experience with pheasants, I might expect two Roosters to flush from a point taken by the gunner, but with a flushing dog, "no holds barred" as to shot opportunities-- I have seen only one true double on Roosters- years ago now I was treated to another birthday Nov. hunt (I used a M12 but no double for me)- my host was a known area dog trainer and had several pieces of private preserve under his lease. We went to a old weathered farm, where three days earlier they had put out 50 pheasants for a corporate hunt.
So we were hunting "left-overs" and he had a Ithaca Japanese 20 side-by with a single trigger like the Model 21- and a big male GSP named Rommel-solid as a rock on point, and when he went it, two Roosters went up, one rolled out right, the other to the left and the little gun barked twice- I assumed (being a 12 gauge gunner) Jim had added an "insurance shot", I never saw the left going bird drop, but it did, and his dog brought back, one at a time, two dead as Caesar's ghost Roosters-so we shall see. It's a personal thing understood only by fellow gunners- sorta like what a ATA Lifer once told me years ago about running 100 straight at 16 yards (a feat he had done countless times) or as he put it, running 25 straight back to back to back-- here's the jist of what he said: "Son, first time you run a 100 straight at 16 yards, you get your patch and put it in your shirt pocket, then go downtown to the best restaurant and order yourself a nice big steak dinner with all the trimmings- then when the waiter brings you the bill, show him that 100 straight patch and see just how much they deduct from the tab for your accomplishment- great lesson in humility 101- Cheers--:bigbye:

[Dean Romig]

Tough lessons, those doubles on roosters. I shot a true pair in the sixties on a pair of rising birds. Both birds towering within ten feet of each other. I neatly folded the first bird, pumped quickly and folded the second in a heap at no greater distance than a skeet station 4 to the stake. I ran to collect my beautiful cock birds but was never able to find either of them. Total and utter humiliation . . . !

[Francis Morin]

A mature Rooster is a true "die-hard' bird. I've had that happen several times-hard to believe that a colorful "Ditch Parrot" bird related possibly to a peacock can do a Houdini after crashing to Terra Firma. About 15 years ago with my old Lab "Ace" my partner had a bootstrap shot, a big Rooster right out in front, went down in a sea of feathers- and "Ace" would bring you back Irwin Rommel on a platter of sauerbraten- he was that good a retriever-but that bird dug a hole apparently and went back to his native land of China via a hole he pulled in closed behind him-not a trace anywhere- Just a few weeks ago (Sat 17th) at the pick-up shoot up at Marion MI- I went with two gentlemen from Midland and their 3 year old GSP "Maverick" darn fine big dog, solid and sure on point, not quite finished as a retriever, but coming along in that area. He jacked up on a bird in the sorghum patch, Jim flushed it and got off a shot which rocked the bird in the air, it arced over towards my edge and I gave it both barrels from a 12 gauge ejector grade double made in Fulton NY-and at the second shot it dropped like a Lead Dirigible-money in the bank, right? Not so- the only bird the dog worked for us- 20 minutes in the area, back and forth in a "Hard target search that would have pleased Tommy Lee Jones in Fugitive"--and NaDa- no bird-mystery indeed, but I believe you 100% because I do have "been there and done that"- shame too, as whether a native Rooster or a Preserve bird, we are not looking to feed the foxes or coyotes or feral cats in our hunting trips- but, it happens.:duck:

[E Robert Fabian]

Good job Francis.
Dean had the same thing happen to my double pin.

[Francis Morin]

When I received my membership certificate with the great poem on Parkers, I also received my pin (now on my shooting bag) and it came through A-OK- sorry to hear that both you and friend Dean had received a doubles pin with some damage- I am sure that Jennifer will do her best to pack them, our friends at the USPS aren't always as careful as we would like them to be- that's why whenever I ship a set of shotgun barrels anywhere, they are cased in heavy wall PVC tubing and sealed like Fort Knox. We might remember that some mail moves via commercial airlines, and their "baggage handlers" belong to the BF&I school of handling--

In a 20-20 hindsight anlysis of the double on greenheads I made this morning, I did a few things that may have helped: (1) I always shoot better when standing- and my years of layout boat shooting for divers are way behind me now, my back won't take that strain- and in rising up from the crouch with the Parker's muzzles pointing skyward, the mallards that had dropped their feet to kiss the pond with "stalled" a bit at that motion of mine (they were maybe 12 yards out in front) so the first one was the above the nose shot, the left sided second bird was getting into that vertical climb mode mallards (and pheasants usually) use for escape- and again, I blotted out his head as I hit the rear trigger and he dropped like a cheap cardboard suitcase in a hailstorm-- But it may well be years before that ever happens again-just as well, if it happened all the time, it wouldn't be so memorable!!:::rolleyes:

[E Robert Fabian]

I went out this morning in the scull boat ended up with one goose one green head and a black. Thought it was going to be a good day as I dropped the goose first thing at 45 yrds. in poor light, then my shooting headed down hill missed a easy chance on double green heads.

[Francis Morin]

One advantage of hunting solo (other than your four legged pal) is- no one to see your misses on the 'sucker shots"- but then, no one to verify that sweet double you made either. I am way past "shoting for a limit" on waterfowls- here are two MI Mississsippi Flyway examples: Our early (September 1-15th) goose season was designed to trim local flocks (golf course fertilizers, Foot-Joy spike filler-uppers if you get my drift) but I don't want to shoot the 5/day limit, one or two clean shots suffice- ditto the late Winter bonus season here- Jan to early Feb- usually five birds/day- a lot to lug out of a deep snowy cornfield, plus the decoys (a sled is useful here)-

I would rather, I suppose for personal reasons, kill one goose stone dead with one shot, than "limit out" in the five/day seasons with 25 shells (I've seen that happen)-so the first bird is the "special" after that, the rest are just extra candles on the cake for me.

On ducks we can take 6 per day, but only four can be mallards, and if so, three must be drakes, only one hen (or black- many hunters can't tell the difference- a black of either sex will NOT have the white bar above the purple wing speculum as does the hen mallard)-- so I may take two or three greenheads-then quit and sit and watch the birds, the colors of the leaves left on the trees, the cloud patterns- etc. Part of what the late Idaho based F&S writer Ted Trueblood called "Other Values"--

It is very easy to miss a "sweet shot" after you have dropped a bigger bird like a Canada- their flight speeds, evasion tactics are all different- puddlers will climb like a F-14, divers will move to Mach 2 and outfly your pattern nine times out of ten- all part of the game.

I don't use my retriever on the dairy farms I duck hunt on in the Fall- for several reasons: he's young, I don't want him bothering the farmer's livestock, he hates cats and most of my farmer friends like their barn cats, and also- wet ground and low electrified cattle fences-He gets his "innings" on the rivers we hunt- mainly pass shooting their, although I will set out a few decoys when the flight birds are down.

What non-toxic loads do you use in your Parker(s) and possibly other side-bys in your gunning arsenal? I have had very good results with the Hevi-Shot for Classic Doubles- I just use the std 2.75" 1 & 1/8th ouncers-

If I had a gunning secret to pass along (A Tap's Tip?) it would be-"Let them get as close as you can-when you can see their bootlaces-shoot"> My duck gunning Mentor- Al Woodhurst- a former market hunter who shot a Model 97 sans plug-- once said this to me: "If you want your ducks to drop dead in the drink, shoot 'em where they think, and not where they stink"_ No Longfellow or Whitman of course, but words of gunning wisdom indeed!:cool:

[Destry L. Hoffard]

My doubles pin envelope showed up the same way. I was a little leary of asking for another as I didn't want Jennifer to think I was trying to scam her. Glad (and sorry) to hear I'm not the only one.

I mentioned to her that I send a lot of small collectibles through the mail and we've found that the small manila padded envelopes are the only way to go when sending stuff like that.

Destry

[Dean Romig]

I've just sent an e-mail to the man who will fix the problem.

[E Robert Fabian]

Made up for the poor shooting today-with a little luck added in. Managed these birds with 3 shots. Got a double on the green heads first thing, moved over to another pond and caught the geese up in a narrow marsh, they had to come at me to exit, both came down dead with the first shot 15-20 yrds.
First band of the year.

Francis I reload Bismuth and Nice shot.

1890 NH 10ga. 32" full and fuller

[Destry L. Hoffard]

Nice!!!!

You guys and all these bands are just killing me. *gloom*

It took me till my next to the last hunt of the season to kill one last year.

I'm over 50 ducks and 8 or 10 geese but still no jewelry.


Destry

[Bill Mullins]

Dean, I had the same "torn envelope and no pin" happen to me, also. A small padded envelope should correct the situation. Hopefully, the correction can be made before more pins are lost the US Postal service! Bill

[Dean Romig]

Received an e-mail last evening from both Art and Jennifer. The problem has been rectified and all pins, including replacements for those lost in the sorting machine, will be or have been sent in padded envelopes.

Thanks Art and Jennifer!

[Francis Morin]

[QUOTE=Dean Romig;6427]Received an e-mail last evening from both Art and Jennifer. The problem has been rectified and all pins, including replacements for those lost in the sorting machine, will be or have been sent in padded envelopes.

Thanks Art and Jennifer--- Thanks. Dean, for following through on this minor glitch--Now I have to ask about your book- Bare November Days? I may be getting a trade copy for my B'day from my daughters- has your deluxe edition that went "AWOL" at the Vintagers about 4 weeks ago ever surfaced? I sure home so- as I wasn't there and don't know the circumstances, I'll refrain from further comment. But I will add that the 1948 era M12 Pigeon Grade Trap gun in my gun safe will never command "top dollar" if I were to offer it for sale- the previous owner, back in the era when the M12 "ruled the roost for ATA" had seen if "lifted" a few times from the line gun rack-stopped the "lifter" and reminded him that you "always ask permisssion before picking up another gentleman's shotgun"- back then some shooters used the printed out tape with their name, usually on the front area of the forearm- he took it to an area jeweler and had his full name engraved in big block letters on the left (back) side of the receiver- still there, clear as daylight!!:crying:

[Dean Romig]

It hasn't turned up yet. I suspect the person who accidentally brought it home with him still hasn't unpacked all his stuff yet, else he would have discovered his error. There's still hope...

Just takin' the high road here. :bigbye:

[Francis Morin]

[QUOTE=E Robert Fabian;6400]Made up for the poor shooting today-with a little luck added in. Managed these birds with 3 shots. Got a double on the green heads first thing, moved over to another pond and caught the geese up in a narrow marsh, they had to come at me to exit, both came down dead with the first shot 15-20 yrds.
First band of the year.

Francis I reload Bismuth and Nice shot.

1890 NH 10ga. 32" full and fuller-- Nice old 10 bore Parker, Sie. I notice you use a slip-over pad, as I do on some of my waterfowling guns as well (no 10 gauge YET) - as I value gun fit and performance over "correct period pads"-then in the later season, wearing heavier clothing, I can remove the pad if necessary for proper fit- also, the LOP that might work (for me) shooting out of a field pit blind from the seat or a crouch, might not be right on the same shotgun, when I use it for pass shooting where I do better standing--I recall Gene Hill's story about the late shotgunning legend Rudy Etchen- how Rudy arrived w/o a shotgun at a duck hunting club, borrowed a pumpgun and used tape and something else to get it to fit him properly- and no doubt, was the high gun for that day-

What hulls do you use to reload your 10 gauge non-toxic waterfowl loads? I am going with a friend tomorrow (Sat 31st.) AM to hunt a flooded cornfield- we have had a very wet October so far here in West MI- the big storm front that dumped snow in CO and WY is moving our way- all bodes well for some flight birds- He had a LC Smith Hammer 10 with 32" Royal (proof steel) barrels and wants to start using it. Tomorrow I will probably leave the GHE at home and take a "weather gun" instead- we shall see. Wow- 4 birds/three shells- both Geese down with one shot in the "boiler room" as judged by the blood on the chest feathers= My old duck hunting mentor once told me that if you have a dead bird in hand (cripples being finished off included) for every three shells you have fired, you are in the "big leagues"--He mainly hunted Geese and puddles- not divers- On those Mach 3 ducks, I'd say maybe one bird for four shells expended--just my guess!!!:bowdown:

[E Robert Fabian]

I use Federal hulls to reload the ten, they are available at Ballistic Products or Precision Reloading. I made a hull trimmer that is simple and quick, someone from the PGCA forum told me about it. I also have Sherman Bell's recipes if needed.

[Francis Morin]

Thanks to all on this thread who got the change in shipping the doubles pin in effect. Mine arrived today along with the very nice letter from Art Wheaton (Thank you indeed Art for that, first class all the way)- and in the padded envelope many of you had suggested be used to avoid loss or damage. Jennifer also sent me a confirming e-mail, all things that make being a member of the PGCA a very worthwhile endeavor, whether you own one Parker or more than one--

Today was another good waterfowling day, overcast all day, 40's, not the wind we had on Saturday 10/31- but a morning hunt, then lunch and coffee with the farmer friend/host-- then a second farm en route home- ended up with two nice Canadas, which are headed for the Veteran's Day game dinner and pre-deer hunting banquet (MI gun season opens on Nov. 15- regular as the mail)-- they'll be slow roasted stuffed with sauerkraut and apple slices and served with potatoe pancakes and a chestnut and bread crumb stuffing- Also took three Greenheads, one had a band on each leg, have never seen that before.

I can't claim a double on any of those birds I took, and I used a Model 12 3" Magnum with No. 2 Federal steel loads-I am going to take the 12 GHE on Friday Nov 6th- for a preserve pheasant hunt- but if I should get a chance for a true "pair in the air" on planted birds with the Parker, I won't claim another pin- first of all, one is enough- it's going on my old L.L. Bean camo duck hunting cap with the long visor- I've had it for maybe 40 years and it is a "good luck" cap for me- Secondly, and nothing against preserve or planted birds, but from my point of view, the doubles pin should be based on native game birds and migratory birds in season and taken fairly- We don't have a dove season here- I would guess taking a true pair of doves pushed by a tailwind, or snipe from a pushboat, or a pair of divers straffing the decoys would be "Top Shelf" performance- also, in my experience, even with a 12 bore, pheasants can be "die-hards" and I'd rather use the second barrel for "insurance"- but if another member gets a double on preserve pheasants, I'll cheer him or her on, even buy the first round after the hunt- Good luck to all-:bigbye:

[E Robert Fabian]

Sounds like great day to me! The double banded duck didn't have a reward band?

[Francis Morin]

The mallard's left leg had the std. AVIS Patuxtent MD band with the 800 number for data. Its right leg had a DU Canada band- a "pull tight" style similar I suppose to a electrical cable connector, only in aluminum. I'm a Sponsor member of DU and will research it futher, after the season closes 12/6/09 in this Zone.

This is first mallard in all my many years of waterfowl hunting I've seen thus banded. As you are also an avid waterfowler Bob, I'll share the recovery of the goose for you- one of the biggest I have taken this Fall- I rolled him solidly in the air with the first two shots ( 2 & 3/4" Fed. steel No. 2's- my basic mallard load- The goose shook those off and went into a climb, with one wing beating way slower than the other, and as he leveled off I gave him the third load in my M12- a 3" Federal steel BB- he went as stiff as an ironing board and did a power glide into the neighbor's yet unpicked corn (about 44 acres and fenced)--Michigan game laws state you have to have the landowner's permission to retrieve a downed bird or game animal, fortunately I had that- there is a tree line by the fence (probably fenced in the 1940's, as judged by the style of the barbed wire and the rust, and the wire solidly into the bark of the trees- and a tree stand, so I unloaded the shotgun and went up for a "bird's eye view", recalling Nash Buckingham's advice- and after a few minutes saw a section about in the middle (cross the run of the rows) where the stalks were broken down--so I counted the rows and did a fence post tally for co-ordinates, climbed slowly down, picked up the M12, crossed under the wires, and went to find the bird--

Our area was hit with unually heavy rains for October- a lot of acreage is still in standing corn, due to high moisture- so I was grateful for my rubber pac boots- found the bird, dead as a wedge, and just as I left the corn and approached the fence wire, two mallards buzzed over- mount, swing, click- what?? I had forgotten to reload- just as well, finding a big bird in corn is one thing,. but a dropped mallard or a pheasant-without a retriever- different story indeed.

I have had a fairly good season since ours opened here the second Saturday in October-wish I had some of my old partners around to share it with though, they have all either passed on, moved or given it up due to steel shot and the complicated zones and regs- such is life-:rolleyes:

[Dean Romig]

- there is a tree line by the fence (probably fenced in the 1940's, as judged by the style of the barbed wire and the rust, and the wire solidly into the bark of the trees-


Here's one that was likely strung using maple saplings as fenceposts around the turn of the last century. Just an illustration - don't mean to hijack the thread.

[Francis Morin]

A fine old tree indeed, graced by a fine American double. Very fitting Dean, as my favorite poem is Joyce Kilmer's "Trees"-- and my second favorite is "High Flight" By John Gillespie McGee Jr.-- both authors of these classic and timeless poems died way too soon-