Desert ducks

[JayF in AZ]

I had another good day cruising the stock tanks looking for ducks. They're getting spooky. I think the ducks down here now have been shot at all the way from Canada. This is the only one out of about 3 dozen that was close enough to shoot at.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jayinaz/11604567003/

[earlmck]

Good shootin', Jay. I can attest to those fellers being real hard to get close to. Back when I was a 5th grader (that'd put it in 1955) we lived on a ranch south of Prescott. I discovered the dirt tank just a couple of miles from headquarters was used as a stopping-off place by migrating mallards. Had a 12ga single shot on loan and kept a watch on that tank. Now what I wanted to do was get a shot at a nice little flock all sitting together on the little island in the middle, so I could get several with the one shot (shotgun shells are expensive, don't you know?). Never could -- they always jumped up and hit the air as soon as my eyeball cleared the top of the dam.

Finally abandoned "the plan" and shot at a fleeing group in the air and one poor duck took a bb where it disabled him and brought him down. After the pursuit through the cactus and catclaw I had this trophy to take home, like yours in the picture. Mom roasted him up and served him and forever after I have the idea that desert mallard tastes like "old dry liver".

I hope your recipe is better than mom's.

[Blaine]

That's some hard shooting.....Way to go

[Nath]

Thats a result, just a shame them barrels have been fitted wrong only kiddin' bro

Nath

[J35]

Nice way to spend a AZ winter day.

I used to spend a lot of time stalking stock tanks in S AZ for ducks.

Most of the time I left my dog at home and carried a telescoping fishing pole with a large top water lure to retrieve the ducks.

I have shot just about every type of duck off those small tanks, from Teal to Geese and everything in between, that was the fun part you never knew what was just over the dike and in about 2 seconds it was all over with.

I have came home with a limit of ducks quail and dove quite a few times from one days outing.

And Earl I could tell some stories on myself about X # of ducks with one shot, that goes for dove and quail as well. I have been at a waterhole right at dusk when there was so many doves in the air that you couldn't hear yourself yell because of all the wing noise, have seen a little mud bar 40 ft long by 10 feet wide that was solid doves.

-----J

[JayF in AZ]

Thanks for the kind words, guys.

Earl, I'll probably make cajun duck and dumplings again, it turned out very good with the last duck I had.

Nath, I do love my SxS guns too, but I don't have one that I can shoot steel shot with. And the softer alternatives are too expensive. I've had the Beretta for 15 or 16 years and it fits me like a glove too.

[Nath]

Thanks for the kind words, guys.

Earl, I'll probably make cajun duck and dumplings again, it turned out very good with the last duck I had.

Nath, I do love my SxS guns too, but I don't have one that I can shoot steel shot with. And the softer alternatives are too expensive. I've had the Beretta for 15 or 16 years and it fits me like a glove too.

Was only kidding you I have the same problem.

Nath.

[JayF in AZ]

I know you were .

I should have mentioned I have a partner, or we'd probably never get a shot doing this. We "surround" a tank as well as two guys can then pop up over the rim and hope they flush towards one or the other of us.