Lets use those Johnson's!

Duckman · 02-11-2012, 01:31 PM

In a thread yesterday I mentioned geese were finally showing up at our place and that I was going to give it a go and that I would post a pic if successful.
As luck would have it I called in a small flock and managed to collect one pteradactyl sized goose. It took both barrels to bring him down at close range so only got a shot at the one.
I should note that recoil with this VH is best described as brutal with proper goose loads of #2 bismuth. The gun has chokes that are probably IM/F or tighter but the 28" barrels have an unstruck barrel weight of 3lbs 8oz. Total weight is only 6lbs 15oz. Perhaps it was bought as a pheasant gun back in 1935. I have a twin VHE that is significantly heavier with 26" barrels.
The second picture has my 7 1/2 month old "Josie" for scale. She was not allowed to retrieve this bird lest she fear geese forever.

For nostalgias sake, I drug out the old Johson's and they worked as advertised.
-plc-

Big D · 02-11-2012, 02:42 PM

Almost afraid to say this, but here goes - "Show me your Johnsons"

Duckman · 02-11-2012, 03:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by John Dallas

Almost afraid to say this, but here goes - "Show me your Johnsons"

I'll pull one out and photograph it.

Duckman · 02-11-2012, 04:00 PM

Since I was asked, here are a couple of views of my Johnson's. They came 12 to a bag, with 4 feeders and 8 erect, pun intended. Made in Seattle, WA., they were made of wax coated cardboard. The head folds into the body to store them in the sack. They also made mallard ducks and perhaps others but I have only seen mallards.
The first geese I ever killed were over Johnson's. Way back in 1967.
-plc-

6pt-Sika · 02-11-2012, 07:19 PM

Hmmm that tell's it all right there !!!!

If ya wanna decoy a big goose you need eight BIG ERECT Jonson's

All BS aside this is the first time I ever heard of "Johnson Decoys" , but I'm not a duck and gooser either .

Steve Hodges · 02-12-2012, 08:59 PM

Ah, what would Mr. Freud have to say about this post

Bill Murphy · 02-13-2012, 01:09 PM

Three bags of Johnson decoys at the Purcell Jones decoy auction this month. houseauctions.com Two bags of geese, one of mallards. You should go to the auction just to meet Purcell Jones. He is one piece of work with stories to tell about the early days on Bogue Sound and Down East North Carolina. He is a major benefactor of the Core Sound Waterfowl Museum.

MarketHunter · 02-13-2012, 03:14 PM

Peter,

That's one big goose for certain! Please tell me you put in on the scale. My father and I doubled up on one back 20 or more years ago that tipped the scales at just over 19 pounds. Nobody believes me but it was weighed on a legal scale and that's the absolute truth. That's the biggest I'd ever seen but there used to be one mounted in a store down at home that supposedly went over 20 pounds. I'd say yours had to be in the 13 or 14 pound range at least seeing it's size when compared to your Johnson.

Destry

Duckman · 02-14-2012, 12:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Destry L. Hoffard

Peter,

That's one big goose for certain! Please tell me you put in on the scale. My father and I doubled up on one back 20 or more years ago that tipped the scales at just over 19 pounds. Nobody believes me but it was weighed on a legal scale and that's the absolute truth. That's the biggest I'd ever seen but there used to be one mounted in a store down at home that supposedly went over 20 pounds. I'd say yours had to be in the 13 or 14 pound range at least seeing it's size when compared to your Johnson.

Destry

Destry,
I did not weigh that goose but still can as it is hanging in my shop. I am old school and hang game birds for at least a week. Also, I killed another on Sunday not quite as big, but big. Our local geese are descendants of an attempt years ago to re-establish geese around here. They were quite successful and the parent stock was the race of giant canadas. They are fun to shoot but cannot compare on the table to a 7-8 pound bird. I will try and find a picture of son Wyatt with his first goose from a couple of years ago. It was huge and plucking it was a requirement since it was his first. It would have been easier to pull the wool off a sheep.
The second goose from Sunday was not quite as large and it was snowing so I took out a Citori rather than the Parker. No pictures. One fun note, while waiting for the geese, ducks, mostly malards, came in by the hundreds, including a few flights of drake pintails already doing their courtship flights. Very fun! Duck season closed awhile ago.
Will weigh the goose but I don't think it is all that heavy being most food is snow covered and they are hustling for a living.
-plc-

Duckman · 02-14-2012, 02:56 PM

OK, I checked the weight on my official bathroom scale. Goose #1, dead 4 days now, weighs a paltry 10 pounds. Goose #2, dead 2 days, weighs 9 pounds. As the picture showed, these are very large birds. Given the snow and cold we have had they are not in good flesh. The current trend is for small grain producers to disc, sprout and re-disc their barley stubble in the fall. This does not help out the wintering fowl. We do not grow corn in this area so barley stubble and/or triticale or wheat stubble is about it. When we change out our field to a small grain I will not disc my stubble and no-till into it in the spring. Then I will show you some waterfowl pictures.