...and it's guns, waterdogs and trappings seem to be at an all-time high today. Is this muck 'n jonboats a blacklash to tweed and style?
Are smallbores more chat than shot?
Or, perhaps other gamebirds are far and fewer these days.
Maybe a chilly morning in the blind is kinder to the ol'legs than steep hills and stubby fields.
Steel shot is bad news, but on the upsides, there are farm ponds, beaver ponds, lakes and sloughs that are close at hand for a day's brace or two.
How about this ol'bean?

Waterfowl hunting is great fun, all the gear, preparation, and anticipation. Only downer is the access to fields and waterways. And now the availability of bulk Bismuth? Randy

Early season woodies, Sterlingworth 12ga. 30" M/F (Shotgunjones now owns this SW)




Sept. goose hunt, Shooter sat this one out in the truck, only out for photo op. Sterlingworth 12ga. 28" M/F
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Lowell,

Smallbores must be just the thing. Even though I'm more noted for the 12-gauge 3-inch Super-Fox I've had since I was 17 (44 years), the last two ducks I shot were with a 32-inch barrel, 2-frame, 3-inch 20-gauge, Parker Bros. in 2004. Used Kent Tungston-matrix shells. Later that day my duck boat, a 12-foot cedar rowboat my Father built in 1939, was stolen. I haven't fired a shot at a waterfowl since. Would have shot one if I'd seen it today. Was out in the pouring rain looking for birds today, but had Bismuth shells in the old 16-gauge just in case a Duck came around. The only thing Skitso pointed today was a Porcupine. Fortunately she stayed a respectful distance.

Neither picture taken today!!!

There is nothing I enjoy more than taking my shotgun and faithful dog for a walk in the woods and flushing a grouse, woodcock or even a rabbit. The trouble is those woods open to hunting are much fewer than when I was young. All those country homes that border farm fields and stands of timber have filled some of the best thickets. From those homes extend a safety zone and there went some of the best small game spots.

Back to waterfowling… We scout our prey, arise at what often seems a few minutes after midnight, launch or boats or pull trailers into a field, set the decoys in accordance with whatever the wind may dictate, remain motionless in full camouflage including a facemask or face paint, and imitate the ducks with perfectly blown calls. During all this our faithful dogs lie at our sides. For most of us the shots, when we get them, aren’t easy. When we do bag a few ducks life is good. If we don’t we’ve still been hunting and akin with nature which is the important thing. If that included being in a duck boat we have faced mother nature and she let us return to our homes and families. If you hunt from a duck boat long enough you’ll have a few experiences that you’d like to forget.

Yes, waterfowling is complicated and for most of us better pursued as a group than alone. With others we find kindred spirits and enjoy their camaraderie. The seasoned fowlers guide the younger ones in their gunning. There are also many lessons in life passed on as we sit in our boats awaiting the ducks. For many of us this sport is much like a military operation or playing on a football team as we did but a few years ago. I’d like to think it is like are ancient ancestors hunting as a group to kill a mastodon.

As I write this I await an older fowler to give the okay that the ice has receded enough on Lake St Clair so that we may safely scull toward the rafts of Canvasbacks. To do so we’ll have to pull our sculling boats over a couple hundred yards of ice to reach open water. Our fowling of today shall not be much different than that of decades ago. Weather, boats, equipment, and friends. And if the weather requires sane persons to remain ashore our group shall meet to tell tales and discuss our next hunt.

Did you ever find the boat ?

Duck hunting is over now in my zone, but I'll be taking this Sterlingworth out tomorrow for a shot at a big fat goose.
Only a few reminder booms from the river lets me know, there are still some gents fowlin'.
Deer season is long over, peace and quiet has returned to the area - the birds fly from lake to lake without a care in the world. A nice way to end what was started way back in September.

Researcher. nothing takes the joy from hunting as much as people so low they'd steal a boat. Wooden skiffs as yours were common as trees on our shore, usually 12- and 14-footers made from spruce. They got pretty heavy. Fishermen used them for going to and from their moorings, flat-fishing, tending smelt nets after the "big boats" were hailed up for the winter, and gunning I never heard of one being stolen.

Now, everything's aluminum and there's a different crowd around. Generally speaking, I stay clear of them because of their sky-busting, failure to attempt or have means of retrieving, or consideration of others. Last fall, when I retrieved a bag of decoys where I usually cache them near a blind from one season to the next, they had been used for target practise. Those of us who live on the shore give the galoots a wide berth. They're easy to spot.

I brought our brethern's wrath on my head when I joined the board five-some years ago by saying that my peers and their fathers who I grew up with in a fishing village on the Eastern Shore were sportsmen compared to today's crowd although their subsistence living included discreet poaching for a week or two at the beginning and end of the hunting seasons. They were safe and prudent about their shots, scrupulous about retrieving, considerate of other gunners' space and needs.

Nothing has changed my mind. Musing on this the other day, I added another dimension to their notion of ethical living. Why do we obey? Our villagers knew the seasons. They had never seen a conservation officer or warden. (Nor have I in nearly 70 years of gunning.) Being "caught" was not an issue. Birds were a staple of winter diet. They were discreet, they didn't flaunt the law, the seas were wide expanses. What they took out of season was miniscule compared to the indiscrimiate losses and unretrived cripples I see within the season now.

The oldtimers made very small incursions on game law to supplement their diet when there was no law enforcement. There was no encroachment on mating or nesting. Compared to what I see so much of now, in terms of sportsmanship and need and respect for the birds, Charlie, Doug, Warren, Don, Percy, Monnie (Morris), Luther, Seldon, Isaac, Judson, Uncle John and the others were an example and a blessing. How I miss them!

Regards, King

Lowell show us something yOu killed with it.

King could you mail Lowell a duck or goose so he could do some photo opps ?

j0e, try posting every other day ol'sod, in that way, you could put together two sentences in one reply!
Think of the stir that'll cause.

Just trying to call up some ducks for you..ol'sOd.

I can help HoJoe on picking up the slack day. I too would like to see something you have shot in a picture.

Nice classic gun. I tried to upgrade to 'Tough Shot' compatible 3-shooter Mod. 12 'Y' gun with 30" VR 3/4 choke barrel, but had no luck. On Dec. 31 I brought home very advanced design that actually loads cartridges from the tube by itself, bloody marvelous!

He had a pick of himself with Benelli auto and Ole Tommy Longbeard.

Pj...that Auto has scrambled some brain cells...he was talking about Lowell not me.

As anybody that knows me will tell you, duck hunting is my religion. But I'm not going to do any preaching, I'll just let a couple pictures speak for me:


Part of my sneak shooting rig, all wood or cork birds.


Birds killed using that rig on one of the best days I ever spent afield. Parker DHE #2 frame, 32 inch barrels.


Parker GH 3 1/2 inch Magnum 10 Gauge and a banded goose. Opening day, Ontario, a couple years back.



One from up King Brown's way. Them old timers he's talking about must have been tough as nails. This is how they shot their birds. Big, deep, salt water out of a duck tub. That's me and the same Parker DHE with a couple oldsquaw.

Amazing..did you make the decoys ? Tell us about the Parker 3 & 1/2".

Could you fit Lowell in that duck tub with you or maybe let him send you his gun for a picture ? Maybe if I pray for Lowell he'll get some Duck or Goose religion.

Nope, I've made a few but I didn't make any of those. Mostly they're all old clunkers I've bought over the years and had a decoy painting buddy fix up.

The 10 gauge started life as a damascus #3 frame GH. It was sent back to Parker in the late 30's for the magnum fluid steel tubes.


Destry

What do you shoot out of it ?

j0e! if you could get into it, that duck tub would make a perfect hot tub...or better yet - a beer cooler!

Destry, the whistler extreme left sneak rig must have a history; it's identical to blocks I was making about 40 years ago, the colour lines radically different from our usual Eastern Shore goldeneye decoys, maybe from some popular book at the time. I saved one for my modest collection, including several goldeneye and bluebill masterpieces from Ontario's great Cliff Arvan. Were a couple of those mergansers my brother Quentin's?

As long as we're on the duck topic, I have a short survey for you all... What is everyone's favorite waterfowl at the dinner table?

King,

I don't know a thing about the goldeneye pair unfortunately. I got them in a small rig I bought about 10 years ago. At the time, they were painted primer grey over an old working repaint. My decoy painting friend did that paint job on them after trying to see what was under the primer without success. The merganser pair your brother made for me are in my rig now and riding proud. But that photo was taken the September before I came to visit Nova Scotia so those mergansers are just some others I had already. See if Brother will make me up a pair of goldeneye, I need more whistlers.


Joe,
I shoot Bismuth #2 and Federal Tungsten-Polymer #4 #6 out of the 10 gauge. Or at least I will until I run out, both cartridges are now out of production.


Kray,
My favorite bird on the table is green wing teal. I wish I could say it was canvasback (they're good don't get me wrong) but those little greenwings are just a delight.

Thanks for opinion MarketHunter. I'm an uplands guy (I enjoy walking), but my spouse keeps telling me how much she likes duck breast and why don't I ever go duck hunting... Guess I should act on it.

I would have to agree that teal our by far my favorite duck at the table, we get more fat mallards up here though.

I've eaten mallard that was as good as teal and some that were as rough as goldeneye. Those greenheads will eat anything if it's handy and easy to get to. I've seen them eat dead shad....

Greenwing teal are always good no matter what. Bluewings are usually good but it depends if they've been working the mud flats or not. Somethings they'll get a little musky if they've been on that kind of feed.


Destry

Destry, my brother was pleased that the mergansers---we always called them "gozzards" in the village--- looked good. He said he saw "a nice piece of fir the other day" that will make a pair of goldeneyes for you.

That stuffs got to be hard on that Parker don't you think ?

King,

Excellent, I'll look forward to adding them to my rig. Do you and he shoot over birds he makes?

Joe,

I dunno, it's done fine so far. I've been shooting the gun about five years with those shells and killed a heap of geese and some ducks with it as well.

I had some problems shooting some English (lead) 10 gauge shells out of it when I was over there a couple years ago. It wanted to double discharge on me, I think they were a bit too hot as far as powder charge. But I've never had a bit of trouble with any American cartridge I've fired out of it.

Everybody I know shoots bismuth in old guns and the Federal TP stuff says it's safe for old gun barrels right on the box. The Federal shells are really nice, they're only 1 3/4 ounce loads and they recoil like a powderpuff. The bismuth shells are 1 7/8 ounce and will give you a headache after a good morning on the geese.



Destry

I had heard the Bismuth shells were stiff.

I got a good lead load for my 10's out of the Lyman manual..1 & 5/8 oz at 1300 fps/8500psi.
All the loads for Bismuth are higher pressure than I want to subject my guns to...I was hoping you had something.

Be extremely careful with those from green box with Winnie head stamp.
Here is perfect gun to handle those 2&3/4" Gamebore loaded waterfowl Bismuth loads:
.........the loooooooong barrel of the law!

Jager,
If you mean Bismuth Cartridge shells loaded into Winchester hulls, I agree. I had a case of them several years ago and had nothing but problems. The 10 gauge I have are loaded into Remington hulls and I've not had any troubles with them at all.

Joe,
I'm not a re-loader, I just shoot what I can buy. They do kick hard, but no harder than the lead loads I've fired out of it. Guns are for shooting, I was never one to be gentle.