Teal Time in Ohio

Gunner's soft mouth releases a beautiful drake blue wing to his grateful owner!

Goose season in Ohio opened two weeks ago. We bagged our share of honkers the first two days. We did not fill the liberal 5 goose limit per hunter, but we did well. Not to be greedy, but our group voiced displeasure with the fact that "the state" did not open teal season with the early nuisance goose season. After 6 days, teal season opened and "the state" looked like geniuses! The teal had not made the big flight from the far north to the Midwest yet. They do not stay long when they cruise in, but they commonly check in to many of our local ponds and swamps. It's usually good for the economy to be on the route that travelers frequent!

 

Well two weeks after fresh goose stew became table fare, we finally have some travelers! Early Saturday morning, Blake and I, watched a number of woodies fly in and out of Scotto's little honey hole. We loaded our guns at sunrise, which is legal shooting time during the early season. Not more then two minutes later, a pair of teal glided over the decoys. After one loud bang from each of our scatter guns and it was "time to check out" for these two ducks! I gave the command and Gunner exploded into the water. Following several trips of retrieving giant Canada geese, the miniature feathered game had to seem like "easy money". He didn't mind! He loves to retrieve. Shortly thereafter we heard a honk. Gunner snapped to attention! The goose and I traded honks several times. Then the feathered 747 appeared over the trees. I hit him with a short series of double clucks and he was sold. He locked up and decoyed perfectly! I said "Take'm" and Blake bagged his first banded goose. I don't know who was happier Blake or Gunner! Either way it did my heart good to see these two pups enjoy the sport that I have loved for thirty seven years. 

Gunner retrieving his first teal of the season!



Blake and Gunner with a Goose wearing jewelry.

Super Black Eagle II

In 1994, I purchased a Remington SP-10. Two friends of mine owned one and I was impressed with the range and knock down power. I decided it was time to retire my 1100 Remington 12 gauge and join the 10 gauge parade. It was like swinging a barbell at first, but once I got used to it, I loved it. After my buddy, Randy, enviously observed the performance of my SP-10 for several years, he bought one. Two other friends followed suit. Recently the tide turned. My waterfowl buddies and acquaintances started shelving their big guns for the more versatile 3 1/2 inch twelve gauge smooth bores. The Benelli Super Black Eagle was the new rage! I couldn't believe it. I was a hold out. I shot my SP-10 at $1.10 per trigger pull with pride. It out performed those "3 1/2 pea shooters", I thought, "I am not going to change!" Being stubborn is long standing quality of mine. It has served me well in many endeavors. It has also made things difficult from time to time.

It wasn't until I regained an interest in pheasant hunting that I realized the true advantage of a versatile gun. Switching firearms from deer to ducks to pheasants is not an easy task. (There is no way I am going to carry that SP-10 around field hunting! It weighs 10.5 pounds!) I reluctantly saw the advantage of owning the SBE. Last season I used my 1100 on pheasants, an Ithaca model 37 rifled barrel for deer and the 10 pounder for waterfowl. With the SBE I could use the same gun on all the game I hunted!

Versatility was an issue, but it was the comfortec stock that finally opened my eyes. That "blunder buss" I carried pounded my shoulder with each blast of the barrel. At age 55, I began to wonder how much longer I wanted to deal with bruises that reminded me of my football playing days. The comfortec stock was advertised to reduce recoil. As tough as it was to admit, I was wrong. I put the Remington cannon in the gun cabinet and began the search for the SBEII. I found a waterfowl camo version and I was the proud owner of a new shotgun. I could not wait to get my new gun out and shoot it. Randy and I got together on his land to shoot some clay birds. We began with going away shots. I did well. Then we changed angles to the crossing shots. I could hit nothing. Not to brag but I was a pretty good shot with my 10 gauge. I did not panic however, because I new it would take a while to get used to my new gun, especially after swinging that heavy 10 gauge. The weight of the SP-10 was an advantage on the swing. Once you started swinging it swung beautifully all the way through. You were not going to stop it easily. A few nights of shooting and 7 box of shells later, I felt much more confident.

The first day of goose season came and I was a bit nervous about hunting with my new gun. The first flock of the evening came in and I folded a nice big Canada goose on my first shot. Two geese later, I am convinced that I made a good choice. I really like this gun. Gunner likes it too! He got to retrieve his first birds of the year and he was ecstatic!