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Offline Yak Angler

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Todays duck hunt
« on: December 23, 2011, 08:12:46 AM »
Just thought i would share a few photo's from todays hunt as i don't take pictures often. The 20 gauge handi struck again, actually got another drake but didn't want to photo it as my handi is a full choke barrel and I shot it in the neck at 3-5 yards so i will leave that one to your imagination. It was actually a very slow day which is the storey of our Southern Ontario waterfowl season this year, still haven't got any snow here yet and the hunting this fall/start of winter is the worst i can ever remember due to significantly warmer than average days. My 20 gauge handi duck total this year is probably only about 25-30 birds and is usually 3-4 times higher this late in the season as our season ends in 2 weeks. :'(  Oh well maybe mother nature will provide better conditions next year.
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Offline Froghunter

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Re: Todays duck hunt
« Reply #1 on: December 24, 2011, 03:18:08 AM »
Adam,
Yes it is warm here in Delaware too. The H&R 20 ga. will do the trick as a Field/Game gun. I have never harvested a Green head, just Teal and Geese. I would be happy to just get out for one Duck Hunt!
Enjoy Your Holiday Season!
Froghunter
 
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Offline Foggy

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Re: Todays duck hunt
« Reply #2 on: December 24, 2011, 04:57:11 AM »
When I was stationed in at Dover AFB I used to jump shoot and  some decoy shooting along the creeks in Delaware. I had a 20ga H&R a homemade boat I salvaged from the DAFB dump (paid to be in CES ) and spent every minit I could Hunting. Ducks geese rabbit squirrel deer  that was 1972 
 
Foggy
 
 
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Offline Yak Angler

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Re: Todays duck hunt
« Reply #3 on: December 24, 2011, 11:09:47 AM »
I do decoy only hunts, i like to get them in nice and close and a 20 gauge certainly isn't a long range range shotgun anyway. I have found the 20 gauge useful inside 30 yards maximum , if i go to a spot where getting the birds to commit fully is harder and i think decoying larger flocks is possible I use 3.5" 12 gauge BBB shot and patternmaster choke tube when 40-50 yard multiple shots are possible. Todays spot was like that and my custom 870 supermag was brought into service and without it the 1 duck I managed all morning would not have happened . My 20 gauge handi is 26" barrel and full choke, I think i am going to take a saw to it and shorten it to 19" that way it will be cylinder choke, still usefull for my close range duck hunts maybe even more usefull than it is now as full choke as 10 yards and in becomes challanging and it will allow me to go up in shot size as the ducks and geese we have here are normally heavy feathered birds towards the last month of the season and i normally don't like using less than BB shot size.
 
You guys down in Deleware area isn't the chesapeake bay a good waterfowl area?i went to ccollege in philly area and would go down to NJ fishing alot.
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Offline STUMPJMPR

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Re: Todays duck hunt
« Reply #4 on: December 25, 2011, 02:05:17 PM »
You will save on shells using the single shot.  With a pump or auto I always emptied the gun on ducks.  I always noticed if the first shot didn't get it the next two probably wouldn't either.
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Offline Markus

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Re: Todays duck hunt
« Reply #5 on: December 27, 2011, 03:55:05 PM »
My first ducks and geese were taken with a 20 GA topper. I haven't done any waterfowl hunting in the last couple years. It's either a lot of time or a lot of money, neither of which I have at the moment.  We are close to the Chesapeake but we need an out of state license since. Unless you know someone it's tough to hunt over there.
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Offline Yak Angler

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Re: Todays duck hunt
« Reply #6 on: December 28, 2011, 01:32:38 PM »
If i was down in that area around the bay i would use a duck boat and set-up a decoy spread of a few hundred diver's, probably not to many mallards in the bay but i would be surprised if there wasn't alot of geese and divers around.
 
I did end up cutting down my 20 gauge. Its 19" barrel is now cylinder choke and the stock is now comparable to a youth stock as my LOP is now 12.5". I can honestly say I wish I did this when I first bought it. I hiked into a spot 5 miles from my car over rough terrain yesterday morning and the gun is so balanced and light weight now its a joy to carry. Didn't get any duck hunting in as i was only doing some scouting and wasn't wearing waders to retrieve birds but i did manage to call a few crows into range and the performance on those at roughly 20-25 yards with # 4 steel shot was great, no issues with patern density as both birds took numerous hits to the vitals at that distance and i have no doubt that this weekends duck hunt will produce a few more mallards for the freezer.
 
I also plan to hit the patterning board and i think with some winchester or federal high density turkey loads i will get useable waterfowl patterns to 40 yards even with the cylinder choke, time will tell on that though.
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