Worth it!
P.S. Try to find a water hole.
P.S. Try to find a water hole.
That is the most important part of the hunt
Sounds like a very successful hunt. Glad you guys had a good time.
Yep, we were at one... and the only one with water within a mile in any direction... just there too early. He hasn't pulled the trigger on a shotgun in at least 10 years, or really hunted in nearly 30... I've never hunted before, and only shot a shotgun a few times. I was using my grandpa's Ithaca Model 37 Featherweight (which he had bought new when Dad was much younger, and was fitted to Grandpa who was about my height... fits me perfectly and too short for Dad).... about the time we were driving off, the place filled up.
I provided some good entertainment at one point... unloading all three shells at two birds... two while going away and one while coming back... and then a flock of 10-12 popped over the dam, and I was too excited to reload... kept dropping shells, lol.
Sounds like you're hooked now. When you get into them good you can't keep your gun loaded most of the time. I've had to just stop shooting to let my barrel cool off many a time. I usually use this time to go pick up the very few birds that I actually hit. Pond ambush is my preferred method. You usually have the most action late in the afternoon right up to sunset (the legal one).
Another good tactic is if you can find an isolated roosting area. Once had one of those that had a fence line leading into it. They will fly along most any distinct terrain feature and they flew along that long fence line right into the crabapple grove they roosted in. If they weren't dove you could call it like shooting fish in a barrel, but since those little feathered rockets are so hard to hit you really couldn't. Those were fun times that I'll never forget with my dad.
Another good tactic is if you can find an isolated roosting area. Once had one of those that had a fence line leading into it. They will fly along most any distinct terrain feature and they flew along that long fence line right into the crabapple grove they roosted in. If they weren't dove you could call it like shooting fish in a barrel, but since those little feathered rockets are so hard to hit you really couldn't. Those were fun times that I'll never forget with my dad.
It can be exciting as heck as you've found out
Its amazing how those little rockets can zig-zag and screw up the best wing shooter
Its amazing how those little rockets can zig-zag and screw up the best wing shooter
