A perfect shot and two gentlemen

[KwickLabs]

Our host termed it the first "marital double " he had witnessed and opined that it was a good thing we had found all the birds or we might have had some marital discord.

What a great line!

Since I have hunted mostly "solo" the last few years, there have been few witnesses to my great shooting. Often times that is a blessing. But I seem to get lucky once in awhile.

The "lucky" shot did have a witness. We were diver hunting and it was my second day ever in a layout boat. Being old and fairly inflexible, lying on my back with the layout tossing a bit in the waves and very little free room to move, it happened. My very first bluebill caming flying straight in five yards off the deck. I reacted slowly and it flared to my right. As it started to pass, I ran out of pivoting room and my left arm came completely off the gun.

It turned into one of those instants when suddenly everything seems to happen in super slow motion. My mind was calm and cooly said "Hold the swing and keep a firm grip on the gun so it doesn't knock any teeth out or drop into the water". I pulled the trigger and my jaw dropped in awe. Down it went into one of those rock skipping collisions with the water I'd only seen in videos.

Brian swooped in with the tender boat and picked it up. My smile remained for a long time. Then reality came back. Yesterday was a "whole box of shells with one bufflehead to show for it". However, I was immediately "hooked" on diver hunting.

1st day - four hunters and one of the two tender boats


2nd day results (with my witnessed "one armed" bluebill)

[JustinS]

during the SD early goose hunt i crippled a good sized goose i sent maggie and this goose was swimming every which way and every time she would get close to it it would skip across the water - finally the goose went to land after 10-15 min maggie out ran it with no problems and even put up with being flapped in the face on the way back. when we got home i weighed it and it was just under 14 lbs!

[JMitchell]

About 25 years ago I was at my buddies house and his boy wanted us to take him up on the mountain behind thier house with his cheap open site pellet gun. My friend told his son I was a crack shot, which is not true at all. We get up on the mountain colder and windier then heck. A small bird lands in a bush about 70 yards away and it is moving 3-4 feet back and forth in the wind on this branch. The kid hands me the rifle and said can you hit it. I said oh that's an easy shot. I put the sites 3-4 feet above it and 3-4 feet to the left for wind and branch bouncing around. I shoot and it drops like a rock. I look at my friend and we smile, his kid scrambles to this little bird and brings it back the BB was in the eye socket and I said another goldeneye I do that all the time, I was aiming for the head. I could never do that shot again in 100 years. Later the boy said there is another one, I never shot again I told him and his dad needed the practice more then I did. lol

My best duck shot was this year my same buddy missed an easy shot at an incoming drake mallard 3 times, I pick up my shotgun and dropped him clean at a great distance. Oh the look I gave him, and never said a word made that trip.

[j towne]

I shot a duck at 300 yards. We were hunting and a duck landed 300 yards out then a pair landed with the duck. I figured we had to get the ducks up so I took out my knife and cut my shell right above the brass. I put the shell back together and aimed high. Two ducks jumped up and the other took off into the weeds. I sent the dog into the weeds and he got the bird. The sheel must have hit him right when he jumped up because it only clipped the wing. .

[Colonel Blimp]

Pretty self explanatory. Not really a brag just a tribute to Eddie whom I sorely miss. This should have been Grahams bird but he'd already got his hands full. Eddie knew all the holes and places where he could get through or under the wire and hedges. Bert radioed me when Eddie got back and said "My dog does that all the time!"

I hope I'm still doing this stuff when I'm 90; hats off to all The Old Boys.

Eug

[DarrinGreene]

My best brag is calling about a dozen mallards feet down into the decoys.

Hunting with my Dad, who hates duck calls (because he can't blow one himself I think), and who shoots at the first opportunity (vs. feet down or nothing).

Dozen nice bright winter mallards show up over the left shoulder, fly out onto the marsh, I blow a greeting call and the come right back... over and over about 5 times with Dad saying "coulda shot em on that pass boy" and me replying "just wait and I'll get em feet down"...

Now I'm NO duck caller. Once in a while I get it right and this day I had it for whatever reason.

All 12 went feet down and 6 shots were fired.

We killed exactly 0 ducks!

That was 10 years ago and I still laugh about it every time I pass that spot, which is a lot because it's right off a local highway.

[Becky Mills]

Ok, I am going to brag on my 90 year old husband. Last week we were shooting late season quail on a friend's plantation. Though still an excellent shot, walking over rough ground is challenging for him and he has not shot many quail this season. One of the pointers pointed up ahead, backed by his bracemate. We both got down and slowly approached with the dog handler. Both of us were shooting the requisite double barreled guns. A beautiful covey rise ensued, with 20 plus birds departing in haste and en masse. Four shots were fired and the dog man said he saw two birds fall. I thought to myself, well, I killed two birds so I guess my husband missed. Little did I know that he was thinking the same thing. The dogman headed out and picked up two birds, and then a third. Sure that he had not picked up my first bird, I encouraged him to keep looking. He called for reinforcements, and the little cocker rocketed off the wagon and began hunting the area of the fall like a whirling dervish. Sure enough she came up with the fourth bird. Our host termed it the first "marital double " he had witnessed and opined that it was a good thing we had found all the birds or we might have had some marital discord. Too true! It made my day for my husband to make that double. Now, he is gearing up for the turkey season.

Andrea, that is one of the best stories ever on RTF, truly. I am in awe of you and your husband.

[gdgnyc]

OK my brag is that Boradbill's Rebel is off my dog Chief. Great to hear he is doing good. Tell Broadbill hey.

Rebel is quite a dog and Broadbill has done a terrific job with him. You must know that Rebel has his own fan club up here and has inspired a few people to get a Boykin.