Sea Duck Hunt
 

Had the opportunity for some duck hunting on the Chesapeake with my son, home on leave from the Army, and good friends. We hunted out of Tilghman Island and were fortunate to have warm sunshine, calm water and just a bit of breeze to move the birds. This was my first time hunting sea ducks and what a blast! Lots of action. Beautiful day on the bay. It always amazes me fin, feather and shell abundance of the Chesapeake. I decided to bring the Bernardelli 20 ga and did well with Kent Bismuth, 2 3/4 in, 1 oz of #5 shot. When I did my part, it brought down the birds nicely. I even had a couple longer shots where it was surpringly effective with a full choke. And unlike my hunting partners, my shoulder wasn’t sore after. Some of those hot waterfowl loads are just punishing, to the shooter! I fired a few as we switched guns. I’ll stick to my 20 for ducks and save the 12 for geese. We took primarily bufflehead, with a bluebill, mallard and old squaw as well. We ate a bufflehead and bluebill, not bad at all. Most importantly, it was a really fantastic time hunting on the water with family and friends together over the holidays.

I noted the bufflehead's shot out of a boat named Buffled. What a great memory to share with your son. I had a Bernardelli Brescia hammered 20 gauge I loved and hunted with in Italy and England. It was stolen from my London flat in 1976 and I miss the little gun.

Harry

Were you layout shooting?
Years ago, I hunted in Lake St Claire out of a metal hulled boat named "Steelhead". We limited on buffleheads from a layout boat

I also thought, fitting name for the boat. Guides were excellent. We shot out of a floating blind, rather than layout boats. Seemed to work well. It does add a degree of difficulty when the blind is moving as you shoot. And a heck of a lot of fun. That Bernardelli is quickly becoming one of my favorite guns. I can see why you loved yours. Between it and my Trojan 20, I can foresee a lot of great days afield and birds in the feezer.

Can you give us a website for your guide, or, at least, contact information. Thanks.

Seeing those buffleheads brought back a late season hunt from 10 years back. My duck and goose partner and i hunted Waquiot bay on the cape. We managed a limit of drakes and his lab Carly was flawless, the last bird ''locked '' up dead and glided 1/4 mile, she marked it and made the retrieve in very cold water and we had to help her up the bank where she gave us a look of ok we are done here. It was my last hunt with her and the photo of her with the 10 drakes on the overturned canoe is a treasure.

I used Barneck Outfitters. You can email chris@duckhuntingmd.com or call him 443-786-6073.

I love shooting Buffleheads. Sometimes they are not the best eating but always fun to shoot. They love to decoy. You mentioned shooting a old squaw which to be politically correct is now officially called the long tailed duck. Any way, I shot one years back in South Dakota which is a pretty rare occurrence. It is mounted hanging in my living room. It came in with a flock of bluebills and when I spotted it in the flock I had to try and shoot it and get a closer look. Surprisingly enough it dropped!

A friend of mine who shoots a lot of buffleheads, breast them out, grinds them and makes sausage jerky from them.

Shooting at buffleheads as they come by low and fast on the water is a great way to see the results of various leads on birds, as you can see your pattern impact the water. What you generally see - no surprise here - is that you think you're leading plenty and your pattern impacts 10ft behind the bird(s)!... at least if you shoot like I do. I know...this has never happened to anyone else here, of course.