Headin' North..or East Nor' east in Destry's case...

[Don Kaas]

On Sunday, Kevin "0frame" McCormack, Russell Bickel, Destry and I will be heading north to Quebec to make our annual week long pilgramage to Lac St. Pierre and the vast marshes that rest on the northern shore at this wide spot in the mighty St. Lawrence. This area has long been a famous spot for waterfowlers. Raymond Camp in his wonderful book, "Duck Boats and Blinds" recounts his visits here to what must have been a more primitive post WWII Quebec. Just a couple of hours from Montreal and a mere 8 hour drive from my home, it offers a seemingly exotic foriegn venue without having to pack for the plane. For a full working week we have a real duck camp. And, there are ducks, plenty of ducks...A late September hunt will show you just about any North American puddle duck though greenwings, mallards and a local blackie or two make up the usual bag. We hunt on a 1000 acres adjacent to a mature DU impoundment and other than one or two hunters that may come up for the day from Montreal we usually have the place to ourselves. This year, Parkers will again have a premier role as the guns of choice. Destry will be taking his new "dream gun" a 34" #3 frame 12g DHE, his D grade 10g toplever as well as his go to #2 frame DHE. Russell will be packing a 30" 20g DHE 0 frame and a 32" DH plus likely a M21. I will have a (new to me) straight grip, single trigger 32" Ithaca NID 10g Magnum as Destry found me a pile of Federal 1 3/4oz of #6 loads in Tungsten Polymer to go with it (you see in waterfowling size does matter)and a 32" #1 frame VHE 16 ga with 1 1/8oz Bismuth loads and a 30" #1 frame 12g D grade toplever with 2 1/2" 1 1/8oz Kent T-Ms. We'll have to see what Kevin brings to the party but he has been known to frequent the blinds with either an A-5 or early M21...let's hope he sees the Meriden lamp burning