As a hunter, you know that a 12 gauge packs a pretty good punch, and for that reason, few hunters have the desire to step up to the larger 10 gauge. But can you imagine what it would be like to shoot a 2 gauge?
Believe it or not, 2 gauge shotguns were once used to kill ducks, but not by the means of modern waterfowlers. Back in the days of market "hunting" for ducks, shooters in a flat-bottomed duck boat (called a punt) would float up to a raft of ducks and then pull the trigger on the 10-foot-long muzzleloading shotgun, which was mounted directly to the boat.
Need proof of a punt gun's effectiveness? Watch the video above to see what a single shotgun blast does to 128 clay targets stacked side-by-side on a vertical board. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Iowanian:
Returning the favor.
This morning, I lethargically crawled out of bed at 4:30am again, got around and went to pick up my friend to try to get his bird.
We went down to a family farm and were slow walking into the timber by dark of night. Once reaching a logging road, we settled against a tree to wait for gobbles to find our target. With the gray sky a few sparse gobbles came but nothing very close, so we began to move closer to the best chance. About half way there, I realized someone was stumbling through the neighboring ground, a bout a half hour after they should have been set...and spooked the bird, time to regroup.
We went to my truck and drove to a couple of farms to glass fields for strutting toms...nothing and moved on. We headed to a farm of one of my uncles, which I'd never turkey hunted and began to glass. I spotted a tom and a hen about 1/4-1/2 mile to the west on a hillside near a wooded draw. We began our stalk across the land, crossed a creek and set up on the edge of a draw a hundred yards from where the birds had exited view.
The setup is the turkeys are suspected to be a couple of hundred yards to our north, we're on the west bank of a wooded creek bottom on a hillside.
It doesn't take long for the yelps of our calls to be answered....a dominant hen is coming our way, hopefully with the gobbler. To our surprise, they circle down into the creek bottom, cross the creek and come up the hill, passing within 10 yards of where we lay on the ground.
The fun begins as the hens approach the single hen decoy, and begin to beat the living shit out it...pecking, raking with spurs...an awesome display of turkey on vinyl turkey violence, a mere 15yds away...I can barely contain my giggles for the 10 minute onslaught. Then, they roam away.....and we once again call, to be answered, and have another hen take a similar path, coming as close as 6 yards...before entering the open field.
During this time, I notice a gobbler and 2 hens entering the bottom across the creek....they see the hen at our decoy and make quick time in what we think is running away....but they're circling.
Not long after, we see a semi-strutting gobbler charge over the hill in our direction. He puffs, flairs, fans, puts on his display at 20 yards for a little while before 3" mag #4 thunder breaks the morning air, and another one bites the dust.
and another one's down and another one's down...another one bites the dust.
After reaching the truck and beginning to leave, not 200 yards from the truck in the other direction...a massive gobbler with a ground dragging beard strutted probably to keep me humble.
Another nice day, another great hunt.
Heh, great story.
Gobblers like to taunt me. I see them pretty often when hiking or mountain bike riding. I could get off the bike, wave my arms and they'll sit there and stare at me like "look at this idiot" but when it's spring gobbler and I have my 870 in hand and license on my back I might as well be running around set on fire with a an air horn blowing out my ass.
Hopefully I'll have better luck come fall gobbler. Grats on the good hunt. [Reply]
We are covered up with foxes the last 3 years. There's an old abandoned sewage pipe at the hog farm that they have a new litter in every year. I counted 8 the other day. The coyotes are starting to make a comeback though and will probably kill off the foxes. I need to get me a few furrs first. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Hog Farmer:
We are covered up with foxes the last 3 years. There's an old abandoned sewage pipe at the hog farm that they have a new litter in every year. I counted 8 the other day. The coyotes are starting to make a comeback though and will probably kill off the foxes. I need to get me a few furrs first.
i tried to run over two kits playin in the road yesterday. missed. turned around and missed again. Gonna tune my springtraps early this year or i wont have any poultry at the end of winter. [Reply]
Heres our Bela getting a retrieve in the other day in the pond. Thought some of you might appreciate this photo. Got a new camera and still learning to use it.
Originally Posted by btlook1:
Heres our Bela getting a retrieve in the other day in the pond. Thought some of you might appreciate this photo. Got a new camera and still learning to use it.
Originally Posted by btlook1:
Heres our Bela getting a retrieve in the other day in the pond. Thought some of you might appreciate this photo. Got a new camera and still learning to use it.
The pure awesomness of this pic cannot be denied dude. Posted via Mobile Device [Reply]
I'm a Brittany man myself, (I don't do much waterfowl hunting) and I'm really looking forward to getting my new pup in a few months.
There's nothing quite like getting a new bird dog. Posted via Mobile Device [Reply]
Big fat groundhog Mox killed. My daughter about puked when she started tearing the guts out to eat them. Her boyfriend and the boy sure got a kick out of it.
Originally Posted by MOhillbilly:
Big fat groundhog Mox killed. My daughter about puked when she started tearing the guts out to eat them. Her boyfriend and the boy sure got a kick out of it.
That's cool, I've never owned a dog that would outright kill groundhogs. We had a Brittany as a kid who would corner them and then bark his fool head off until someone came to kill it though. [Reply]
Originally Posted by WVChiefFan:
That's cool, I've never owned a dog that would outright kill groundhogs. We had a Brittany as a kid who would corner them and then bark his fool head off until someone came to kill it though.
Brits and bulldogs are two diffrent tools. If you want a killer get a terrier.
i may have many a fine specimen of the wire haired variety for the askin if anyone is interested