doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Getting close.....

Not long before the shooting starts boys. Was looking through some photos from last season and thought I'd post a few:


My old friend Gerald Droge in the midst of a squirrel hunt in Southern Illinois. I believe that's a Parker lifter 10 gauge.


Kevin McKormick (the infamous case repairman) and Russ Bickel (the even more infamous PA gunsmith) on our annual duck hunt in Quebec. I believe they're discussing how Russ could have possibly missed that last black duck. Take my word for it, he don't miss often.


Opening day of the regular duck and goose season here in Michigan with some local friends. We got a few mallards and summer ducks but the big excitement was the huge bunch of geese we called in right over the blocks. Four of us managed to knock out a limit in that one volley, you don't do that too often.


My friend Nate piloting the duck boat on a windy day in Ontario. It was one of those, we'd better wait till daylight and see what it looks like kinda days. We made it out and made it back, managing to get a limit of redheads in the process.


First mature drake redhead of the season.


My friend Flanders always comes down from Alaska for a few days when the big divers are coming through. That's him with a HUGE drake canvasback and his Parker 10 gauge hammer gun.


Just doing my part to protect the perch and walleye population....


Some Southern Illinois friends in their duck blind, yes that's a duck blind believe it or not. They're serving hot cinnamon rolls and coffee to my Father out the window. Them boys know how to live!


Goose shooting on the Eastern Shore of Maryland over a huge rig of stuffers. I believe this was the first outing for my W & C Scott Bogardus Club Gun if memory serves.


John Davis, author of "The Life and Times of Fred Kimble", and a long time friend joined us that day. I believe he's carrying his Parker BH 12 bore in this shot.



Regards,
Destry

Couple more:


A moment of triumph at the Philadelphia Gun Club. I'd just beaten Davis in a pigeon match taking both his money and the silver pocket watch I'm holding. We'd been invited by our mutual friend Don Kaas, a longtime member of the club. That's a 34 inch Parker DH pigeon gun I'm holding.


Stopping for coffee at Nash Buckingham's favorite hangout in Tunica, Mississippi.

Thanks Destry, for sharing your memories with the rest of us! I never seem to get around taking the pictures to remember the hunts. Years ago I kept a daily duck hunting log and can look at it and remember hunts and friends that might just be a vague recollection now without it; wish I had the pix to go along with the diary...Geo

Great pictures Destry.....thanks for posting. If in your travels you run across a Smith 20 ga. w/32" barrels let me know. Keep the pictures coming. Miss you on the other site....

thanks for sharing those wonderful pics. matter of fact i just unloaded big crate of #4 and #6 three inch tungsten-polymer shells. at $15.99 per 10 pack i took all they had. hope it's going to be great season for all of us.

Great pics Destry!!!
What loads are you using in those old doubles and what do you consider the best waterfowl load for use in an old double??

Destry, enjoyed the pictures. I never knew that the term "summer ducks" was used outside of Jawja, or at least the South. I grew up hearing woodies called summer ducks, and have never seen it written before you just did. Does the term apply to just woodies up theah, or some other species as well?

Great show, Destry. I didn't see many Michigan photos?? Keep the pics coming. Thanks, Randy

It's over a 100 degreez and it's getting close

George,

I kept a detailed log in younger days but got sloppy about it and then totally stopped finally. Wish I'd kept it up, would be a lot of interesting reading in later years. I do take a lot of pictures though, so at least I remember it that way. You don't need a fancy camera, I just keep one of those disposable ones in my pocket all the time. They take decent pics and you don't have to worry about losing or dropping them.

Jeager,

Wow! That was a bargain, I'd have done the same. I've got quite a few on hand but am always looking for more at a good price. I've got about 200 rounds of 1 5/8 in 3 inch that I'd love to trade somebody for 2 3/4 stuff.

Treblig,

My preference for ducks is the Kent Tungsten Matrix ammo, though it's gotten painfully expensive. The best duck load they make is the 2 3/4 length loaded with 1 1/4 ounce of #5. For geese I shoot a ten gauge magnum and use the Federal Tungsten Polymer 3 1/2 inch in #4. This ammo is completely out of production but I managed to get over 1000 rounds on clearance so I'm set for awhile anyway.

Stan,

You've got to remember that I'm orginally from the very southernmost part of Illinois which is very very southern. We always called them summer ducks when I was a kid growing up. I've never heard anybody use that name here in Michigan, I think it's strickly a southern thing.

RMC,

The past several seasons I've really been doing most of my gunning across the river. My friend Jim and I lease a camp over there and have a lot of local buddies so we end up getting good shooting. I'd hunt more in Michigan if I had the friend base here that I do in Canada. I mostly make the opening days and maybe a late season hunt or two but that's it.

Just two more weeks to go and we'll knock the dust off the early geese here in Michigan, then it's home to Southern Illinois for doves, across the river for the early goose opener in Ontario on the 9th and 10th, big antique gun show that weekend too. Towards the end of the month is the Ontario duck opener, then the following Monday will be the start of a week in Quebec with Kaas, Kevin, and Bickel. Ah the sporting life.....


Destry

Destry, as well as shooting I fly fish and tie my own flies. The flank feathers of a Carolina Wood Duck male are always refered to as Summer Duck in the pattern. We don't see Carolinas here in England except for the odd escapee from a collection; however, we do have a large breeding population of Mandarin Ducks. It's illegal to shoot those, and quite rightly, although the odd one does get shot by accident (not by me) and the flank feathers of the male are almost identical and I use them as Summer Duck substitute.

Interesting collection of old fowling pieces. I never used to bother with a camera but now always carry a cheap digital to record hunting pictures. Lagopus.....

Great pictures. I took my duck boat out for a ride yesterday on our marsh in central NY. The first BWT have arrived,the first migrating ducks to come through our area. Some of the late broods of woodies are still flightless. The mallards are starting to flock up, I jumped a group of 22 off of one hole. Two immature bald eagles were watching over the place.
Bought a grade 1 10ga LC Smith this spring and plan to drop a few with the old piece. Like all waterfowl hunters I am getting excited. Thanks again for posting the pictures.

Destry, how did you get to know Russ Bickel? From pigeon shooting? I know he follows the pigeon shoots here in Pa, and lives not too far from me. Besides being a good shot is also a good gunsmith and a first class gentleman.

Did yOu just bite that ducks head off ?

Thanks Destry for the information and I'll start using the Kent Matrix!!

Destry, Sorta off this topic, but a few weeks ago you posted a search for Federal 12ga. #2. I just came across 2 1/2 boxes of Federal Duck and Pheasant high brass #4's. Not in a box and not #2 shot, so don't know if they are 1 3/8oz either. Any interest, let me know. Randy

Lagopus,
Wish I'd have taken more pictures years ago as well. So many friends and good hunts that I can now only see in my minds eye. I always save those feathers off summer ducks for fly tying friends. Sent the last bag I'd saved up to a decoy carving / fly tying buddy just recently.

JDW,

I met Russ through our mutual friend Don Kaas. Don set us all up on a goose hunt together several years ago and we've been good friends ever since. You are absolutely correct, he's a fine shot and even finer gunsmith, a gentleman without peer.

Craig,
That Smith 10 gauge sounds like a fun one, I'm sure it will be a great duck gun. I've wanted a big bore Smith for years but just never could find one that was exactly what I'm looking for.

Randy,

Thanks for thinking of me but I believe all the duck and pheasant stuff from Federal was 1 1/4 ounce. Shoot them up, they were pure murder as I recall. Do you ever come down for the Michigan Antique Arms shows at Novi? If so, let me know, I'm usually in on a table with somebody.



Regards,
Destry

Pleased to see you sparking on all cylinders, Destry.

King,

Definitely firing on all eight.

We hauled the main duck boat across the river on Sunday for some repairs to the blind. I've got to get my Barnegat skiff out of my friends barn loft and do some minor work on it. Decoys are ready to load, plenty of ammo in stock for both the 12 and 10 gauges, calls are tuned up, guns clean and ready.

I've even been on a big spring and summer diet, have dropped 50 pounds so far. With my newly rediscovered former figured I'm even wearing my old shooting jacket from early college days. Filson wool vest I got with goose guiding money fits just like it should again too. Tried the old LL Bean loggers pants that mother bought me in high school, need to get another 10 off for those yet.

How's your gunning shaping up? Won't be long till the blackduck season opens in your neck of the woods I'd imagine.


Regards,
Destry

More like 5 cylinders.

My old friend Gerald Droge in the midst of a squirrel hunt in Southern Illinois. I believe that's a Parker lifter 10 gauge.



10 ga. for squirrels ...You guys must have some big bad squirrels in Il'enois....tell yer buddy not lean over that barrel much further.