Flanders coming in......

[Destry L. Hoffard]

Our friend Richard Flanders is currently in Michigan chasing deer but will be giving up on that for a few days starting Friday morning to make a duck hunt with me and my crew across the river in Canada. He holds the record for traveling the furthest to gun with us, all the way from Alaska. This will be his third trip over with the boys and I, I'm surprised he came back as we nearly drowned him the first time.

Here's one of him last year with his single shot 10 gauge double hammer gun and a dandy drake canvasback:

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b398/MarketHunter/2-26-2009-15-1.jpg

[tom horn]

Hey Destry, can the boys I expect you home over thanksgiving or christmas for a hunt. We are presently staying in the new place and would love to have you come down and stay with us for a hunt. I need to talk with you about my dads model 11 so this really needs to happen.

[Destry L. Hoffard]

I'll be home for Thanksgiving but just a couple days. Best time would be over Christmas, I'll be home pretty much the whole week between then and New Years. I'll look forward to seeing you and the boys for sure. I'm anxious to see the new duck camp!

Did you do any good on the opener? I was going to come home but Dad said there were so few birds around I'd just as well wait. He went out with Russell and Tim, I think they saw about 20 ducks and killed three. We're in need of some weather up here, you must really be in need down home.


Destry

[tom horn]

We killed two mallards on saturday and three wood ducks and a mallard on sunday. Saw a few ducks on saturday and only a handful on sunday. I was told this morning there may be some new ducks arriving, hope so. Christmas time will be great. Cabin should be finished out a little more and be a little more comfortable to stay in by then. The weather next week may improve according to the long range forecast. I look foreward to reading your hunting reports the first of next week. When we get together I want you to know ahead of time that I will be asking for some advice concerning firearms. I am finding myself becoming rather nostalgic in my old age with a great desire to waterfowl hunt with some older guns. I just do not want to make a horrible mistake when I do invest. I really believe you will like the setup for hunting. We have a blind in the cypress swamp as well as a pit in the dry field. The field hunting gets rather interesting on days. Look foreward to seeing you. Until then take care and good luck on the lake.

[Destry L. Hoffard]

I hunted with the boys one day when they'd first built the cypress blind, we didn't get any shooting but still had a real good time. Glad you got a few birds for the opener at least. By Christmas there should be a few down I'd hope. See you soon!

Destry

[Don Kaas]

Let's hope the cans come in with Richard. Don't forget to give him the bag of 10g hulls I left for him.

[Destry L. Hoffard]

Flanders and I shot them up yesterday, canvasbacks, redheads, broadbill, bluebill, and a few mallards. This morning it was mill pond calm and warm, we barely busted a cap unfortunately. Nathan has him out on the lake this afternoon, I had to come back to the States to take care of some work issues. I'll be back over tomorrow to maybe hunt in the morning and make sure he gets back into the US safe and sound.


Destry

[Richard Flanders]

One great day where all limited out followed by two calm days with few birds flying. I brought enough birds back to make my brother and sister very happy. My sister took a hen mallard we shot this morning from my hands after I plucked and drew it and put it straight into the oven for her dinner. She doesn't share any of the ducks I give her with anyone. I'm back in Michigan none the worse and did a deer hunt as soon as I returned. I got your hulls Don. Thanks much; I can use all I can get. I found that increasing the power charge of Shermans Load #79 to 33 grains gave very good performance and about the cleanest burn I have ever seen. After a box of shells the bores looked nearly mirror and needed only one quick swab with a patch of Ballistol to make them good to go. Tomorrow is pheasants.....

[Destry L. Hoffard]

Richard,

Was a pleasure having you up as always. Good luck with the pheasants, give Miles and Anderson my regards.


Destry

[Don Kaas]

Richard will be happy. He can shoot lead at the Chinese Chickens! Taking the 36" 10g GH out on Wed. for a little Eastern Shore gunning...

[Richard Flanders]

Good day with the phez. We got 9 of the 10 we ordered. Incredible birds. Never seen such fat laden pheasants in my life. And in incredile condition with very long and perfect tails. I shot my 26" VH12 and did well. Have also included a shot of a very becalmed Lk St Clair.

[Destry L. Hoffard]

You won't see the lake look like that but a couple times the whole season. Of course they both had to come when you were there. Argh!!!

The ducks are there, by the thousands, all we needed was wind.

What's the old prayer? I think it's:

Dear Lord please send us some fowl and some wind.

Wait......On second thought Lord, just send us a foul wind, and the fowl will come on their own.


Destry

[Richard Flanders]

All those vintage shells I told you about Destry?? Not a one of them would go bang yesterday! Primers are old and very tough and the VH barely dented them. I bet they'll go off in my hammer guns though, especially my Remington '89.

[Rich Anderson]

Rich check your PM for arrival time at my house. There is a tower shoot Friday as well so bring lots of shells as there should be some extra birds around.

[Destry L. Hoffard]

Richard,

Hard to believe on those shells!!!! I hope you don't have the same problem with all those 2 7/8 10 gauge we did the trade on.


Destry

[Richard Flanders]

I would like to have shot them up here so I didn't have to cart them home. Now I either have to do that or bring a hammer gun down next year that will most definitely set them off. Oh well.....

[Richard Flanders]

Had a good phez hunt today with Rich Anderson, Dave Miles, and Kurt Densmore. Kurt had a very nice 28" DHE12 1-1/2 frame damascus gun. Felt like a 16ga. Good Parkers all around. Rich had the Hollywood gun... gorgeous little thing and the O-frame 16ga hammer gun, which is a beauty. I felt under dressed with a V grade! We worked hard for the 8? birds we got. Rich's GSP's proved their noses once again and we all proved once again that we are indeed capable of missing a bird upon occasion. I'll have a pic or two tomorrow as will Kurt. I tried a vintage 10ga paper shell in my hammer gun and it went off like a caplock...click!...pause... baboom! And the barrel looked like it had been a black powder shell. Those shells are going to be fun on flying birds if I have to calculate the delay on firing. There can't be an stopping your swing with those puppies....

[Richard Flanders]

pics as promised. The hunting line and Kurt and Rich getting ready for the last run at the birds that had eluded us

[Rich Anderson]

Traded the Parkers this am for a pre 64 M70 .300 H&H and a deer blind. Saw eight does but that tag has been filled already. This was the most deer I have seen since the season started on11/15. Perhaps Mr. big Buck will show himself tonight.

The Pheasant hunting was difficult to say the least. Just because their released birds there not pushovers. Gunner worked one bird for at least 150 yards then it flushed wild:cuss:....but we did manage to get that rooster as he flew back towards the guns. A great time was had by all anyway.

Rich have safe passage back to Alaska and we will hunt again next year.

PS That 10GA hammer gun of yours is nothing to feel underdressed with. It can have a home here anytime:duck:

[Richard Flanders]

Those pheasants were runners for sure. I'm taking that 10ga home with 28# of ammo I traded from Destry... I'll be set for a while I think. I'll have it back down next year I suspect.

[Richard Flanders]

I had a buck snort behind me on the stand tonite. Damn! They're coming from behind me instead of in front where I thought they would! Have to adjust tomorrow. I'd like to publicly thank all of the Michigan folks who helped make my bird hunting a success while here. We just finished a pheasant dinner here tonight and I cooked my sherry/cream phez recipe for a high school gathering last night. It doesn't get any better than that. One more day of chasing the elusive whitetail and I'm off to -30deg and lower temps and a frenzy of feeding the wood stove and keeping an eye on the s***cicle in the outhouse and planning its eventual demise.... stay tuned. Thanks again to everyone and to hoping we get to do it all again next year.