Ducks with Destry

[Richard Flanders]

Well, it was a very slow weekend in Mitchells Bay but we had a grand time nonetheless. A dry field goose hunt was nearly a bust with only 3 taken from the two groups that happened to fly over us; had we shot better it would be a different story, of course. We didn't have enough shooting to 'get in tune' with our parkers I'd say. Lake hunting was slow also but it's always a thrill to see the seemingly endless rafts of lake ducks rise up in clouds; the trip is worth it just for that. Shown below is Destry and a friend Randy Eisenhower who was there alone and nice enough to take us out twice putting out decoys yesterday afternoon and Destry holding a headless bufflehead who landed in the decoys and made the grave and ultimately foolish mistake of demonstrating a clear 'intent to fly'.... 6-8 expensive shots later he was proudly brought to the boat and is now in my brothers freezer in a ziploc with a similar companion harvested in a similar manner awaiting a certain cremation in my sisters oven. A good time was had by all..... Destry shot his hammerless 10ga for the geese and his gorgeous 34" #3-frame 12ga D-grade for ducks; I shot my 32" 1883 0-grade 12ga hammer gun for it all.....I should add that Destry has proudly lost 60# and is looking relatively svelte I must say. Let's all wish him luck with this continuing project. He would have a chicken Caesar salad for lunch while I would have a greasy cheesy burger; had to be tough on him....Now it's time for some pheasants....

[charlie cleveland]

looks like destrey was happy but he does make a good retreiver...hope you fellas more good hunting....charlie

[Harry Collins]

Richard,

It's always great to be out even if the pick'ns are slim. Destry is a mear shadow of his former self!

Harry

[Richard Flanders]

Roger that Harry, on both accounts. Randy and I considered tying him off to an anchor to prevent his blowing away yesterday around mid day.... And I have to tell you that the 10min he spent chasing that diving bufflehead was most entertaining from where we sat.

[Harry Collins]

I would have given anything to have seen it......

[Opening Day]

Roger that Harry, on both accounts. Randy and I considered tying him off to an anchor to prevent his blowing away yesterday around mid day.... And I have to tell you that the 10min he spent chasing that diving bufflehead was most entertaining from where we sat.

What no video....

[Bill Murphy]

What is it about Buffs? I remember one day on the Potomac using about a half a box of shells and a couple of gallons of gas putting two Buffs in the bag after putting them on the water with one shot out of a 32" L.C. Smith Ideal grade.

[Big D]

During my first hunt on the Chester River (I was about 13) We had a few grebes and coots in the decoys. The adults called them "Blue Peters" and "Helldivers" - not sure which was which, but during a really slow period, I watched my dad demonstrate that you could shoot at them from the blind, and they could dive before the shot reached them. Not sure how that is possible, but I saw it repeated a number of times.

[MarketHunter]

I didn't want to waste another $3 shell on the cripple after I'd already blown off three Kent TM and Randy two of his BlackClouds. The duck was just barely diving at first and I figured I could catch it in the shallow water. But without running my arm in to the elbow and taking a soaking on a chilly day I just couldn't get it done. Finally I let it dive a couple times to get some distance and removed it's head neatly with a shot from the big gun. Not the most noble end for a duck but it gave Flanders one more to take home at least. We normally don't even shoot buffleheads but when pickings is slim you take what you can get.


Destry


P.S. to John: Ask my Dad sometime to tell you the story about the day I shot the helldiver. He'll still laugh till he can barely get his breath to this day and it was nearly 25 years ago.

[Big D]

I used to keep some lead trap loads for cripples - Now I'm using steel 7 1/2's. A lot cheaper than the special stuff, and denser patterns.