Snipe with a Parker
 

This morning dawned 26 in south Texas-the coldest I've seen it! The cold made the snipe hold tight, but the Parker brought them home, with just a few shots :). Nothing better than a cool morning, 100's of snipe, and a warm Parker from 1902.

Forrest; Great picture and it looks as if it was a great day out, I love to hunt Woodcock ,with my Britts ,We don't have many snipe in our area, that I have ever found ,do you hunt these with a pointing dog or jump shoot them ?

Forrest,Great picture! Thanks for posting it. A day to remember...

Russ,

I just jump shoot them, as I'm dogless. Where I generally hunt them has enough cover that they might hold for dog. I know of one "dog runner/quail guide" from here that tout's his pack of mongrel's ability to work snipe. He's been know to lie about most everything, so I can't vouch for it!

They look the right size to be big fun with a 28ga. Are they good eating??

Rich-they're big fun with a 12, the term "sniper" has good roots. Yes they are good to eat, simlar to doves. I don't fix them the traditional way, which is with entrails, head, and beak still attached through cooking. Breasted like dove they are fine though.

Complete with entrails, you say?? Reminds me of our yummy feasts on sheep innards on butchering day in Mongolia...

Lordy Mercy
 

Richard; Shorely to God You ain't agonna to eat that. Is that a ladies hands?[

We did indeed eat almost all of that 'stuff' and it was excellent. The intestines were stuffed with chopped "mystery organ meat", maybe the kidneys + spices to make a giant sausage and the whole pile boiled. It really was good. Puji and I split the last piece of heart served up on the end of his big hunting knife, which was an honor for me as he was older than I by a bit. There was indeed a very lovely lady geologist named Baska working for me there who dug right in with us, but those are not her hands. A local cur dog that wandered into camp got what little we didn't eat, which wasn't much.... We all looked forward to these feasts. Here's a picture of Puji serving up a tasty morsel to someone...

Good work on the snipe, I've always said they were the toughest to hit american game bird. I haven't killed one in a long time, I need to get out for them again.

Destry

They are some tuff little buggers to hit! That 12 ga. vulcan is choked full and fuller, so you've got to let 'em get out a ways before loosing a round. I always shoot too soon at most flushing birds! I don't know why I think I need more guns, I've put over 2,000 rounds of 7 1/2's through that gun, most all of them at feathery critters, and we get along very well.. A lighter, more open choked 20 to match the 12 is in my near future nonetheless, if I can find one that hasn't been messed for less than a month's wage...

Destry-I enjoyed your crane hunt report, sorry those dinosaurs avoided you. I've got my eye on some down here when the season opens later this month!

Go for the cranes Forrest! Just do as Ruark says, "carry enough gun". Those buggers take a lot of killing.

Forest,

If you've got a hot field let me know. *wink*


Destry

We had just finished our morning hunt with Parker, Model 21s and 3 guides armed with Phila. Foxes at Beaver Dam in Tunica, Ms. on Thursday (12 grey ducks, 6 mal'lats) and we were heading north on Old Highway 61. Just as we approached the original site of the old (1882) Beaver Dam Ducking Club we saw flashing wings in the remnants of a cotton field. There must have been well over 100 snipe in three flocks. While seeing so many snipe is somewhat special in itself, seeing them just across from "the new ground" where Nash Buckingham and Ho'ace Miller had their great morning of shooting in 1909 in "Great Day in the Mawnin' " was even more special. Nash and his friend both had their limits of 50 ducks, 25 quail and 25 snipe before lunch.