Join the Club...The Duck Club That Is

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California Fact

Acre for acre, the Central Valley of California supports more wintering waterfowl than anywhere else in North America. At peak times, this region hosts 5 to 7 million wintering waterfowl—more than 60 percent of the Pacific Flyway’s ducks and geese. As you would expect, the high ratio of birds to habitat results in some superb waterfowl hunting. This is especially true on private duck clubs in places such as Butte Sink, Suisun Marsh, and the Grasslands. Good public hunting is also available on several intensively managed national wildlife refuges and state wildlife areas in the region, which also support large numbers of wintering waterfowl.

Abundant species: pintails, mallards, wigeon, green-winged teal, Aleutian cackling geese,
white-fronted geese, light geese

Club Fact.

The Tulare Duck Club (a 12 Gun order of DHE 20’s with 32” barrels, 156100 serial number range) and the Wigeon Gun Club (a 10 Gun order of long barreled subgauge Parker’s)
share almost identical longitude and latitude.

Widgeon gun club
Latitude 36.78
Longitude -119.44

Tulare Duck Club
Latitude 36.42
Longitude -119.48

The Tulare guns (1911) predate the Wigeon guns by over 1 year.

Perhaps it’s true what they say,
“If it looks like a duck, and walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck...

Once again HUGE thank you to Chuck Bishop

#154247 predates the Tulare guns by 6 months.
Advertised as 16 gauge, 32”, straight stock, 2 7/8” chambers.

[Craig Larter]

SWEET!!!

[Chris T.]

Sweet is right!! That gun looks like it has a good stout wrist too, you won't have to sweat so much about shooting heavy loads through it.

[Kevin McCormack]

Bobby, over time (a LONG time) there have been a number of fairly lengthy, detailed, documented and very enlightening threads regarding Central Valley CA duck clubs and the 'specialty' smallbore guns ordered for them, particularly the 32" guns. If you search thru these threads you will find a treasure trove of references and historical documentation, mostly from knowledgeable members and, of course, PGCA letters .

[Researcher]

This all sounds like a great Parker Pages article for Dean. Get writing!!

That 3 dram, 1 ounce load was hot!! Our North American ammunition companies weren't offering any 16-gauge loads heavier then 2 3/4 drams of bulk smokeless powder or 22 grains of dense smokeless powder such as Infallible or Ballistite pushing 1 ounce of shot in 1910.

[James Palmer]

I have been fortunate to hunt "the oldest duck club in California" over the last few years. The Suisun marsh north of SF had numerous duck clubs at one point. Unfortunately most were not cared for and shot out. Luckily...a good group of hunters and conservationists has brought this one back to life.

The Teal Club

www.tealclub.com

If anyone has any gun which may be tied to this club please let me know.

[OH Osthaus]

cool- thanks for the link James

have there been any good books about the California clubs? i have found a few good books either about or with chapters about clubs in the midwest or east. The history is usually interesting

[Jeff K.]

They Came to Shoot by Frank Hall. Unfortunately it is out of print.

[OH Osthaus]

Originally Posted by Jeff Kuss

They Came to Shoot by Frank Hall. Unfortunately it is out of print.

Thanks Jeff

I'll search around for a copy

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Another couple of ICBF's (Interesting Chuck Bishop Factoids)



In the same order was an identical 20 gauge VHE.
All the same specifications and configuration.