tucker301

Sounds like a fun week, doesn't it? If there's one thing this past year has taught me, it's that there are no promises of tomorrow. If there's something you want to do, make it happen. [ 01-27-2006, 02:36 PM: Message edited by: tucker301 ]

Nonresident License to hunt statewide (16 years or older) $80.00 Nonresident 3-Day Trip License to hunt statewide. Must be 3 consecutive hunting days; no Sunday hunting; 16 years or older $40.00 Nonresident Bear, Deer, Turkey License to hunt bear, deer and turkey statewide, required in addition to hunting license or lifetime license Age 16 years or older $60.00 So, the logical thing to do would be to hunt for three days, then head down to the NC coast for some mixed offshore fishing. Blue Marlin, Tuna, Dorado, Wahoo, etc. That'll run you about $400/day per person.

Dude!! You have to draw for a turkey??? Out here, they're almost like pests You guys are welcomed to come out in mid April and hunt Easterns with us.

I was shooting 3" Win. X-pert Hi Velocity BB's through a Primos "Dead Zone Decoy" extended tube.

Well, It didn't turn out as well as I'd hoped, but still not too bad. We hunted a corn field bordered by a huge pond. The first flight was one of the biggest, with around 40 birds in it. It was early and grey, and they circled and began to slowly drop in. A skybuster rookie in the pit blind opened fire WAY too quickly and they flared up and out. We got one (the rookie missed). Should have had an easy dozen. The rookie was talked to, and we waited for the next group. Subsequent groups ranged from three to twenty birds, but none of them looked as though they wanted to settle in properly. I was thinking we'd be using laydowns, but we had some one man portables that were just put out yesterday, and I think they were spooking, just because the landscape looked changed to them. We got some decent shots, and we ended up with a dozen birds down. My buddy was going back with the dog and a boat to collect the rest that had drifted too far out into the huge pond for the dog to mark. The new blinds were left out, and they should be settled again in a few days. Four of these were at the hands of my SBEII. In fairness to the others, I've had much more goose shooting this year than they have, and my eye is right. Wallhanger, It's just two of us going this Saturday, so you're welcome to make the drive and join us. If you leave Friday after work and have good luck with the DC traffic, you should be here by the time we shove off. [ 01-26-2006, 07:25 PM: Message edited by: tucker301 ]

Check with Gander Mountain in Fredericksburg and avoid Dance's and Greentop like a plague. Especially Dance's. They think their guns are worth more than anyone else's. I got my SBEII Comfortech LH at GM last year for $1,200.

Wanna buy it? Rock solid with the new spring cap. 1"-1.5" Groups are possible. I haven't shot her in 3 months. Been recovering from a little surgical thing. Here's a three shot group.

They've been going in there in groups ranging from 12 to 100. The flights I've seen have been beginning around 8:00 Am and continuing for about an hour or so. It should be a great time

I just checked the camera to make sure the batteries are fresh and everything's working well.

OH BOY!!! I bet I won't sleep a wink tonight! For weeks, we've been watching 500-600 honkers stream over our heads every AM on their way to feed at a turf farm (for which I did the website). I just got the call, and we're going to shoot them tomorrow morning! This is the first time they've been shot all year. There are about 15 shooters invited, the limit is five per shooter, and we'll be right where they were landing this morning. One pit blind and mucho laydowns.

mudhen, Am I seeing stovepiped Kent?!

Thanks for the info. Seems to be in keeping with what I've read elsewhere. We hunt open backwaters on Gaston and Keer Lakes in VA, and I was thinking of using them over water. I think flags will probably work just as well.

If you're in the NE Zone, as defined by this map (pdf), then you can only take one Canada per year with a special permit. If you're in what's termed as the "Resident Population Zone" (same map), which includes a considerable portion of NE NC, then you can take Canada Geese at 5 per day through Jan. 28th. http://www.ncwildlife.org/fs_index_04_hunting.htm [ 01-21-2006, 10:08 PM: Message edited by: tucker301 ]

What part of NC are you in? I was thinking their goose season was similar to ours in VA, which goes until mid Feb.

I use the Redhead Bone Dry 1000 gram Thinsulate in cold weather and Remington cordura uninsulated in warmer temps. No complaints with either. The Redhead's boots are pretty heavy on land, but are fine in waterover knee deep.

Looking for feedback from anyone who has hunted over the String-O-Wings goose decoys. Seems like a good idea to me, but I'd rather hear from some "field testers" before buying.

I posted instructions in this thread a few days ago. Also, please post your pictures in that thread.

Word is, the new Nova will feature a pistol grip. Not available yet.

They make both styles, but the one that replaces the limiter plug is too long for the Benellis. It's designed for mags. which hold 4 rounds and it's 4.5" long. The Benellis hold 3 rounds, and the plug should be 4" in length. The magazine cap model works well and looks good on the gun.

I'm not sure it's the same site, but here's a link.

That's why I like whitetail deer. Never hit one myself, but my brother's Jetta has two hoof prints on the roof where a high-jumper almost cleared the whole car

Cycling is OK. If you're going to pull the trigger, use snap caps.

I'm going to have to go with the rest of them on this one. I had an 870 for 25 years, and it never let me down - never even needed a part. 870 is THE pump action shotgun.

Since we get so many posts here with people having trouble with hanging, misfires, stovepipes, etc., I thought I'd just post about how my day went. Up at 4 AM. Quick check of the weather and RADAR foretold this was going to be a nasty one. Launched the boat in gale force winds with rain hitting our faces like BB's. Thankfully, the trip to the blind was a short one. Quickly set out the decoys and the Mojo, and settled into the blind a full hour before legal light. The rain poured and my SBEII was offered no refuge by me, even though the blind's half top kept my body shielded perfectly. She was soaked to the bone when the first woody buzzed the decoys. Boom. Woody was down and out. The winds soon picked up and were easily doing 40 MPH when a group of four ringnecks came calling. Dumped two without a hitch. The gun was waterlogged. This trend continued and repeated like clockwork throughout the morning. No hangs, no misfires, no lightly dented primers, no jams. My SBEII cycled Winchester Xperts and Fasteel flawlessly. Got home just before dusk with a single greenhead, a drake woody, and ringnecks filling out the limit. Cold, wet, tired, and beaten from the driven rain and wind, it would have been easy to wipe the gun down and put her away until tomorrow. Uh uh. Nope. Completely disassembled, dried, cleaned, and lightly lubed the eagle. Even took the cheekpiece out to get water and mud out. This was after ducks were cleaned, but before I showered, had dinner, or even popped a top on a cold one. Sure, it took some extra time, and it would have probably been fine to leave as was until after this Saturday's outing; but that's not the way I treat a weapon which has never let me down. It's a symbiotic relationship. I take care of my gear, and my gear takes care of me. My SBEII looked like crap when I got home. She was wet and muddy. Now, she's as clean and dry and pretty as she was the day I bought her in Oct. '04. Just another uneventful day afield with my VERY reliable SBEII [ 01-20-2006, 06:35 AM: Message edited by: tucker301 ]

4:20 Am here. It's raining biblically and the wind is doing 40 mph. I'm heading out to go duck hunting. Yeah, we eat them. Mostly grilled kabobs or oreiental style with a spicy orange sauce over rice and veggies.