Railbird Shooting in Jersey and Pigeons in Pennsylvania.....

[Destry L. Hoffard]

Just had a call from Don Kaas Esq. and was informed that the very rare opportunity of an empty boat being available with the famous Camp Family of railbird pushers was happening on Saturday and that it could be mine if I was able to get out to Jersey in time. I've tried for years to arrange a day shooting with these folks but never even had a tense moment. They're booked solid with multi generational family clients throughout the railbirding season and are essentially impossible to book with. Needless to say, Friday midnight will see me on the road headed for Penna. to meet Mista Kaas. This is not an opportunity to miss.

And to top it off, just had a call from another dear friend Russ Bickel, informing me that a pigeon shoot was taking place at their new club on Sunday if I wished to attend.

Talk about God having you in his hip pocket, it just couldn't hardly get any better. Rails on Saturday and Flyers on Sunday, will be almost like stepping back in time. Ah the sporting life......


Destry

[Eric Eis]

We will need a full report. Weekend weather looks good have a great shoot.

[Don Kaas]

Only Markethunter would drive 1200 miles R/T to kill little birds at the drop of a hat (not a metaphor, his crusty hunting cap, really...:shock:)...I knew he could be counted on...sora rails are really little...

D.G.Kaas
Chairman
The D.L. Hoffard Make-A-Wish Foundation:bigbye:
"We make little boy's dreams come true."

[Destry L. Hoffard]

Hah! Too true, I'm am painfully insane when it comes to shooting water birds I've never gunned before. I think I'll wear my old military cap this time though, my ducking cap might suffer or even be lost if I took a ducking when falling out of the rail skiff which I'm sure I'll do at least three or four times. See you Saturday morning my friend!


Destry


P.S. To top it off, Bickel also tells me that repairs are complete on The Swamp Angel and I can retrieve her while I'm out there. I think I feel a 34 inch pigeon shoot coming on.....

[Eric Eis]

D.G.Kaas
Chairman
The D.L. Hoffard Make-A-Wish Foundation
"We make little boy's dreams come true."

That is perfect Don..! :rotf:

[charlie cleveland]

good luck with the both the shoots we will expect a full report from you two... charlie

[Bill Murphy]

Destry, hit me with an email to give me a heads up on the pigeon shoot and the Vintagers. As you know, your friends will be exhibiting at the Vintagers. wilmrph@verizon.net. I know you are a working person, but we can always hope for a visit.

[John Truitt]

Destry,

What gun for the rail birds?

Please do keep us all informed. I have missed hearing from you and Mr. Kaas re your trips/adventures/ etc.

[Don Kaas]

Destry- you can also retrieve your 2 barrel set A-5 Browning whilst you are East...as Ho'ace Miller wud say, "yo' afromatic":rolleyes:

Selection of a gun for rail birding is a delicate matter. While the water is warm and shallow and the boat narrow, lurching and tippy, nevertheless, one should choose an opened choked gun preferably of small bore that is not afraid of immersion. I have a little AyA 28g my late wife gave me for Christmas in 1977. It is my usual gun on soras along with 3/4 oz of #8s of the now mandatory Bismuth shot. I am dying to try out a Damascus barreled 28" 20g DH I just had restocked but that may have to make its debut on "birds" in Virginia next month...the little fellow doesn't like baths...Destry says he is shooting the ex-Muderlak sawed off BH 12 bore:eek:...never a man to shy away from too much gun...then again my friend Dick may bring his 10 bore Krider hammergun with black powder...the boom and cloud that gun makes across the marsh is notable!

[Bill Murphy]

A Philadelphia Krider on Jersey railbirds. What a combination.

[Bruce Day]

Destry, it sounds like a wonderful opportunity and a great experience and I hope you can take plenty of photos and post them.

[James Brown]

The season here in Georgia opens Sept, 24. I will go in November when it is cooler and the Reds are in the reeds. Some guns I have found effective on "dem mudhens". Have fun you guys.
James

[Jack Kuzepski]

Destry and Don,

Hope you guys have a great time. Take some pics and let us know how it goes. Are you going out of Mauricetown?

James,

Great pics of "dem mudhens".

Jack Kuzepski

[Dave Suponski]

Boy's you need to get some pictures for this great adventure.

[Dean Romig]

Might I suggest an illustrated story for Parker Pages?

[Destry L. Hoffard]

I don't think they'll be a Parker in the field as it turns out. I'm going to use my Dad's old bird gun and Don is shooting his AYA.


Destry

[John Truitt]

Its still nice to hear from you and Mr. Kaas.
Please keep us posted to how it all goes.
I figured for sure you or Mr. Kaas would be shooting a Parker for the flyers.

[Destry L. Hoffard]

Oh yeah, I'll shoot the big 34 inch DHE at pigeons without a doubt. Russ will probably be shooting his steel barrel DH hammer gun at them. I don't know if Don is going to make the match or not, he's usually a Purdy man when it comes to pigeons.


Destry

[Destry L. Hoffard]

We had a fine afternoon on the Maurice River, really a great experience. There weren't a ton of birds around but we made the most of what we found and only one of the pushers fell out of the boat so really a red letter shoot in all respects. I managed to stay dry and considering it was my first time in that type of gunning I felt pretty good about it.

Five guns killed about 35 rails, far from a 25 bird per man limit, but plenty enough to make the day worthwhile. I fired 10 shells and knocked down 8 birds, picking up 7 of those. I missed one of those shots at a rare chance for a double killing the first and missing the second.

I cleaned the birds we brought back and Don cooked them in butter with a little garlic to go along with a skillet full of trout from the creek in front of his house. Quite a bit different than the clapper rails I'd eaten previously, very mild in flavor almost like wild quail. Very pale meat with tremendous flavor, a rare treat. Sora rails are tiny, the breasts no bigger than your thumb, so the dozen we cooked were more of an appetizer for the fish.

Tomorrow I'm headed upcountry for a live pigeon shoot then home to Michigan to get ready for a weeks duck gunning on the St. Lawrence River in Quebec.


Destry

[Bill Murphy]

I am disappointed that we will miss you at the Vintagers. I have not heard whether Mr. Kaas will attend. I will be disappointed if we miss his annual brief visit also.

[charlie cleveland]

what loads did you use to shoot those giant birds.... charlie

[Destry L. Hoffard]

Bill,

I believe Don is planning on attending. We moved our Quebec trip up a day so he and Kevin wouldn't have to rush on Sunday. We're shooting Tues to Sat instead of Mon to Fri as we have in years past.


Destry

[Destry L. Hoffard]

The upcountry pigeon match today was a pleasure as they always are with those boys. Just a small field of 10 shooters so it was over a little quicker than you really want them to be. The big 34 inch gun performed very well, I used up some of my precious stock of Winchester AA Super Pigeon copper plated #8 loads to good effect. I killed 18 out of my 24 and had three more birds dead just outside the ring. Not enough to take home the money but I wasn't embarrassed by my score at least.

Don and Russ were both excellent hosts, as they always are when I visit. I'm already looking forward to another trip out that way for a two day pigeon shoot and some pheasant hunting sometime after the first of the year.


Destry

[Don Kaas]

Destry- you had better plan on a brant shoot early in December at Sandy Island GC as well:corn: Bill- Russ and I hope to see you and the boys at Pintail on Thursday:bigbye:

[Theodore LeDurt]

Destry, great to see someone living the dream. I have often dreamed of rail shooting as Wisconsin gets a large migration on the Mississippi River, but alas are waterfowl biologist and lack of tradition do not allow the season to open until October 1st, and the majority of the migration has already taken place.

It is nice to live vicariously through your hunt.

[Destry L. Hoffard]

Don,

Just say when on the Sandy Island brant shoot and I'll be there. Obviously I'm crazy enough to jump in the truck and drive all night.....

Theo,

That's odd about your season on rails opening so late. I wonder what the philosophy is there? There are quite a few around the Mitchell's Bay area during the early goose season but I can't ever seen to get the boys interested in trying to shoot any.


Destry

[Don Kaas]

Loads for Sora Rails- I used Bismuth Cartridge Co. 28ga 3/4 oz #8 with biodegradable fibre wads on Saturday. I have 14 boxes of these now obsolete loads left which should see me through my railbirding career...:rolleyes: In the lead shooting days of of not so long ago. I would use 3/4 oz of #10 or 12 shot in 20 or 28ga reloads. It doesn't take much to drop a sora...