Good Lord ... it could be the makin's of another war!
Nice looking Batavia Leader. I am jealous of the gun and what appear to be Nitro Proof barrels. Back in the early 1980's I acquired a Baker Batavia Leader 12 gauge with twisted steel barrels. I really wanted to shoot it and take it hunting. Everyone warned me about the dangers of the Damascus barrels and I did read my NRA gun safety pamphlet. Not one to always obey the rules I made a call down to Shawnee Mission to Hodgdon Powder Company and talked to old Bruce about making up a pyrodex load. Well, Bruce was not exactly excited to pass along that information for legal reasons. I assured him with or without his help I was going to make up a few rounds and his input would be helpful in keeping the Baker and me in one piece. He finally gave in and I got a couple of dozens of rounds ready for the opening weekend of duck hunting season.
As one of the town barbers I had many people come through the shop that were hunters and/or fishermen and to many it was more of a profession being the town that Herter's was located in. I guess I have always had a soft spot in my heart for people older than me and those that were in genuine need. I had this one customer that was getting on in years and was not in the best of health, but, always talked duck hunting when he came in.
After a rather successful opening day and knowing my spot was a rather good flyway between a couple of lakes the ducks frequented and after the opening barrage this little pothole provided many opportunities all day long.
Next morning before sunrise my guest arrived at my home and we loaded the pick-up with our gear and my English Springer Spaniel named Misty. The little pond was only a five minute drive from town and as we drove down old Highway #60 it was obvious it was going to be the same kind of morning that I picked out that dog on fourteen years earlier. We were at the slough well before shooting hours and I did not bring any decoys, just the guns, ammo, a thermos of coffee, a couple of sandwiches, my guest and a dog. The ducks were flying as I expected and the first couple I dropped with my Ruger Red Label 20 gauge nearby and went to pick them up. I was on my way back with the ducks, when a single drake Mallard came sailing in about 75 yards away from me, but, right over my companion. He scrambled picking up the Baker as fast as an 87 year old man could and swung through the drake and pulled the right trigger. The duck was dead in the air and landed in the pond. WOW! What a shot! Mr. Staley was all smile! By this time my old dog was heading towards the water. She didn't see very well anymore, so whenever I took her out where there might a water retrieve I always had a pocket of stones that I could toss and her ears would find the way until the nose picked up the scent. Misty loved to swim, and she did make the retrieve with the help of a couple stones and when she came back to dry land I realised that this was going to be her last time in the water to gather up any waterfowl. It turns out that my hunting companion that day was also a Masonic Lodge Brother that had not been hunting for roughly 20 years because his knees were so bad. That morning was his last hunt and we three had a grand time.
To this day, I cannot look at a Batavia Leader without thinking of Mr. Staley and that old dog. She lived two more years and showed up a field trial champion on her last outing. Mr. Staley came in a few more times, but, by the time hunting season came around again he too, was gone. I am really glad he had a chance to see Misty at work that morning and get to know her, I am comforted knowing he is probably looking after her for me until we meet up again.
