Why We Hunt

The traffic to work is killing me, and the long hours at work tire me out, but still I can’t sleep.  If my son keeps jumping through the house, or my wife tells me one more time about bruise on her foot ….

I’m going hunting

To see what’s in the field

To get away from this

And ignore this

To spend some time with friends and Family

To see some of this

And this

And maybe a little of this

And this

Why we hunt.

A Gun for My Kid(s)

  I’ve been looking for a shotgun for my daughter and son to shoot.  I’ll probably have to buy two.  Reading articles and surfing the web has given me a lot of ides, but no one has recommended the perfect gun for a small kid to learn on.

First: Click here to find out who is paying me for this post.

Sure they could use the gun Johnny is letting me use, but it’s a beast to shoot if you’re a young gunner.  You also have to learn to safely operate the hammer.  The final drawback is the weight which might help with the kick, but not for long walks in the field.

Johny's Gun.  It was great for us to learn on,
but is it right for my childreb?

Some recommend starting with a .410, but you have to be dead on with this gun.  Johnny has a new one and when we shot trap a few weeks ago, he would hit the targets without breaking them.  We found several targets with a single hole or two holes in the target, but not broken.  For encouragement alone, the gun needs to hit the birds hard enough to make it fall.

Stopping by the gun counters in the big sporting goods stores; I’ve looked at and had Sydnie hold the Remington 11-87 Youth and the Mossberg 500 Super Bantam.  I know several people who learned on the Remington and it’s a gun that will last.  Nothing fancy, just built for young gunners to shoot and shoot.  I haven’t met anyone who has learned on the Mossberg, but the 500 is built cheap and to last as well. Price is a little bit of a concern, and the 11-87 generally costs almost twice as much as the Mossberg.  But with the end of the seasons coming, sales are abundant as the big outdoor retailers start clearing guns off the aisles to make way for fishing.  Still, the Mossberg 500 wins the pricing war.

The Remington Adjustible LOP System

The neat thing about both of these guns is the adjustable stocks.  They both have plates that can be used to change the length of pull in ¼ inch increments.  The Mossberg Length of pull ranges from 12” to 13”.  I can’t find a specification for the Remington, but it must use their standard youth 13” LOP for the max and adjust down to 12” as well.  To compare, the single shot from Johnny has a LOP of 12.5”.  Maybe this adjustable stock system was around when I was young, but I didn’t have that feature.  It sure would have been nice.

Perhaps the largest difference between the two guns is the action.  The Remington 11-87 is a semi, while the Mossberg 500 is a pump.  One big consideration in my selection is recoil, and the gas-operated action of the Remington should reduce recoil considerably.  While the poor boy in me is partial to the pump action in the Mossberg, it’s not going to be my gun.  I’ll say that Remington 11-87 wins here.

The other feature I’m looking for is the weight of the gun.  As they are learning, I don’t want the weight to contribute to fatigue, an unsteady hold, or both.  Spending hours in the field hunting quail can also wear on a youth with a heavy gun.  It’s supposed to be fun for crying out load.  I’d rather not ruin my children for wing shooting by forcing them to tote a heavy gun all day.

The Mossberg 500 Super Bantam,
at 5 1/4 lbs, a Little Lighter

The Remington comes in at 6 ½ lbs.  At 5 ¼ lbs, you would think that the Mossberg definitely wins.  However, one way to reduce recoil is weight, and if the Remington isn’t too heavy, but lowers recoil slightly by the extra 1 ¼ pounds, it may be the best weight.  Then again, I could add weight to the Mossberg magazine and stock to reduce kick.  Round three goes to the Mossberg 500.

With the weight difference, I would assume that the Remington has a longer barrel.  But I’m wrong; the 11-87 has a 21” barrel while the Mossberg barrel starts at 22 inches.  I’m not sure if the barrel length matters too much here for a youth gun, maybe it will help the gun reach a little further, maybe not.  The barrel length may help the gun balance a little better, hopefully we can tell at the counter.

Barrel length is also important for the longevity of the gun.  In really don’t want this purchase to be like their clothes.  That is, I don’t want to have to purchase more and more as they outgrow the latest in a series of guns.  I would rather buy one gun for each.  They can buy more after they get out of my house.  The Mossberg 500 will fit any other 500 barrel.  With the adjustable stock, it should make for a gun that can be used as they grow with just the additional purchase of a longer barrel.  Remington doesn’t include this in their marketing of the 11-87, but I’m guessing that it will do the same. 

The Remington 11-87  With a Little Longer Barrel
Seems to Have Better Reviews

As far as longevity, I’ve read reviews that the 11-87 will shoot thousands of rounds with few problems.  All the reviewers seem to like the 1187.  On the other hand, there are several reviewing the Mossberg 500 who don’t like the look, the ported barrels, or the magazine spring.  However, all of these negative reviews are about aesthetics, not necessarily about how it shoots.  There are a few who say it will shoot thousands, but not enough to give any comfort.  So it’s a big scpre for the Remington 11-87 here.

So far the two guns are about even; with a slight lead by the 11-87 because people claim that it will shoot thousands of rounds without problems.  So what will it take, what’s my decision?  With each being so close, I’m going to let my children decide by the feel, and handling the gun.  While they can’t shoot the guns in the store, they can raise it up, hold it, and mount it.  My guess is that Sydnie will choose the Mossberg because she shoots lefty and the safety is on top.  I’m sure we can order a left hand safety from Remington, but she will not get to try it out.

But we will see.  How about a little help?  Be sure to take the poll to let me know what you think. LOOK TO THE RIGHT FOR THE POLL.

I Sure Hope Sydnie Doesn't Go With the Mossberg in Pink!!

Caw Caw to You Too

You know there are no ducks when someone says, “I just like being out here.”  This was the case last weekend when my son and I woke up, layered up, and dragged gear into a small, icing over beaver pond in the hopes of a ducks landing in the decoys.

In the past, my son, 8, has come on these hunts only to complain “I’m ready to go now.”  This time was different.  This time he watched the woods waking up and this time he noticed things.  The hooting of a barred owl marking its territory, the song birds calling to each other as they wake, and the squirrels chattering and running from tree to tree all broke through the still and quiet morning one after another.  Soon, it was the cawing of a murder of crows flying over the swamp.  Dylan just hollers back. “AND A CAW CAW TO YOUR TOO!” I just laughed.

Dylan Watching the Swamp Wake Up

Then he looked at the calls around my neck and asked how to blow them.  I handed him the wood duck whistle and he puffed his checks to produce an awful screech.  A little instruction and it sounded pretty good.

After our toes were starting to numb, we picked up the dekes and headed back to camp; Dylan stopping to jump in a puddle and to laugh at the cawing of a few more crows.  He probably thought we had gone to the pond to hunt ducks, or at least that’s what I thought.

Don't Think, Meat

One of my favorite movies is Bull Durham.  In it Crash Davis tells Nuke “Don’t think, Meat.”  This advice was given to keep the pitcher from thinking too hard on pitching.  Once Nuke cleared his head, he threw strikes.  I don’t know about you, but for me shooting a shot gun is the same.  When I start thinking about how to shoot, I start missing.  When I am surprised by a bird rising or a dove showing up behind me, I just shoot and have more success.

A couple of weeks ago, I visited my brother and the rest of my family in North Carolina.  I tried to get him to arrange a duck hunt, but time and scouting just wouldn’t allow it.  We did however visit Deep River Sporting Clays in Sanford and shot a round of clays with my dad and nephew watching.



My Brother and Nephew ready to break some clays



I shot miserably, and started thinking about each shot.  You’d think I’d be better with the nice Browning BPS my brother let me use, but no gun was going to keep me from thinking that day.  The next morning, I noticed a bruise on my arm where I was putting the gun.  I was thinking so hard about lining up the barrel, that I wasn’t even placing the gun on my shoulder.  I wish Crash had just said “Don’t think meat,” let the gun do the work.

Despite my shooting, I had fun.  The best part was that the trapper was super nice and set up some of the clays for my nephew to plink with a bb gun.  He even gave some great advice about shooting, which my brother and nephew used to get better.

Teaching to Shoot?

I am not sure that I’m a qualified shooting instructor, but my Daughter is almost 10 and she’s been handling the BB gun with precision.  She has proven to be safe with the BB gun and was encouraged to start learning the shot gun.

This has to be one of the most exciting times; the time of passing on the skills, knowledge, and joy to the next generation.  My father taught me, and my best childhood memories are of hunting and fishing with my dad.  Even if we came home with few, or sometime no birds, it was fun.  Hopefully, I can do the same with my children.

Johnny has a single shot 20 gauge.  With the exchange between families (His father knows my father well), we all learned on this gun.  Johnny’s dad bought it when Johnny was 10, and Johnny learned on it.  Then Johnny’s brother learned on it, then my brother, then me, and then my younger brother.  So the gun has some tradition between the two families.

The problem is that the gun is a beast.  It’s almost as heavy as my gun designed for duck hunting.  It’s also one of those with a hammer, so once the hammer is cocked, it is not safe until you either shoot or un-cock the hammer.  This happens to be hard for small young hands.

But, what the heck?  It was good enough for Johnny’s family and my family, so why wouldn’t it be good enough for my daughter?  A couple of months ago, Johnny brought the gun to camp and let Sydnie take a shot.  With anticipation, Sydnie took the gun and we showed her the stance to use.  “Get your head down, legs apart, one foot forward, hold the gun tight to your shoulder, ……”  She must have been confused by all the instruction we were giving.

Then we asked her to open the gun and insert a shell.  “Now cock it.  OK, I’ll cock it and hand it to you.  Hold it tight to your shoulder, wider stance, put one foot forward, ok, well go ahead and shoot.”  By the second shot she was on target, and we took the gun home for her to practice cocking, un-cocking, and opening the chamber.

Recently, Sydnie carried the gun on a Quail hunt and sat under a tree for squirrels.  No luck with either, but it sure was fun to watch.

Back in the Field

It has been well over a month since my last post and I could make some excuses. Busy at work, few doves in the field, procrastination, etc. etc.  With the field full of weeds and the drought keeping us from burning, the field did not look that attractive to the doves that we hoped for.  Enough of the excuses, the season is in for crying out loud. 

Labor Day Weekend - There were birds flying over, so we set out open day weekend to have some fun, hang out and shoot the field.  To sum it up, we saw plenty of birds, but all flying high or around the field, and most in the same direction.  We checked the craw of the few doves killed and found them full of sunflowers, something not in our field.  So, a field close by was the primary feeding field and ours was simply a place for the occasional seed.

But all was not lost, we did have some fun and I got to:

Watch my daughter take her first shot with a shot gun

Watch my friend Jonny and his son claim one bird they both shot at

Eat well

Watch Johnny's dog work

Spend hours sitting in the field with my daughter

Shoot at a few birds





Here are some pictures, I’ll write more about the three hunts I took in Georgia’s first season in upcoming posts.

Sesame still in bloom



A hand full of Sesame seed

 












The Dove Field before the first shoot







My daughter getting ready for her first shotgun shot.















A happy first shot



Finally, Hunting!
(Remember to change the date on my camera next time)





 

Dove Hunt in Tropical Storm Dennis

I have to admit that many of the dove hunts I’ve been on have not produced a lot of shooting.  There was the time my brother Mike, and I drove 2 hours to pay $50 for a hunt over a field that was supposed to be full of doves.  We waited in line to pay and took our place in the middle of a field crowded with hunters but few birds.  I think I shot twice.

Then there was the hunt in the middle of tropical storm Dennis.  Mike had secured an invitation to a field of cut corn outside of Kinston in eastern North Carolina.  He picked me up in the morning and we started the trip hoping to return with our limits.  The problem was that Tropical Storm Dennis was headed straight for us.  As we drove east, the storm moved west.  By the time we were half way to the field, the flags at a car dealership were flapping so hard that it looked like the poles would snap.

By the time we got to Kinston, the first bands of rain had arrived and we crowed into a garage across a narrow highway from the dove field.  The field had been corn, but was recently cut with a lot of kernels left on the ground. A buffet in the minds of the doves.  But we were inside staring out at the rain and playing cards.  No one was about to hunt in the wind and rain and we all joked at the two young teens who toted guns out in the field.

As we watched from the dry comfort of the garage, an amazing thing happened.  We heard a gun and then saw a dove drop to the field.  In seconds we all had our gear and were headed to the hunt.  Doves were coming into the field from all directions to feed as much as possible before the full force of the storm hit.  While trying to shoot one flying with the wind at 90 mph was difficult, trying to hit one going crossways to the wind was impossible.  The wind would catch the dove and lift it, bend its course, drop it unexpectantly and then lift it up again.  It was like watching a super ball bounced under a table.  The best chance was to aim at the doves flying into the wind.  Really, thease doves were slow, and it was like shooting at a still target.

We ended up hunting in thirty minute increments.  Thirty minutes in the wind and then thirty minutes of down pour in the garage.  We left a few hours before the full tropical storm force winds hit and drove home wet and quiet but thrilled.  We didn't get a lot of shooting moving into and out of the field, but we sure had lots of fun.

Return to New Hand Wingshooter Files Home

Why Newhand Wingshooter?

I grew up hunting, well hunting occasionally.  We shot birds, mainly doves and quail, but sometimes ducks.  As I got into college and beyond, I enjoyed dove hunting with my brother and his friends.  I never killed many, my shot has never been great, or even good, it was the social aspect of wing shooting that drew me back.  I can't think of many things as fun as sitting in a field with friends and family with a chance to shoot.

Those Dove hunts were on public hunting fields, and sometimes part of the thrill was seeing the 300 plus other hunters all shooting at the same birds.  This was also part of the problem, because I worried about being shot like Harry Wittington.  Often it was just overcrowded.  The other dilemma was that public fields are not managed for optimum shooting.  Sometimes they are great opening day, but not after.  Sometimes,they are not planted or managed to even attract doves, so the shooting is sparse.

Last Dove season, a company I use invited me on a Dove shoot at a field one of their employees grew.  This field was managed right.  As we drove up, it had doves flying in and over.  The number of hunters was limited so no overcrowding.  Best of all it had hundreds of doves coming in.

Of course, I blew it.  The first two doves I hit with no problem.  After that I returned to my subpar shooting skills.  Worst of all, I only knew two others in the field.  My seven year old son, who was too hot, and the guy who invited me.  I didn't really connect with the others.

So, for Doves, I can either go to the public fields with few birds and too many hunters; or wait to be invited by a friend or vendor and take some class to improve my social skills.

Then, by the wonders of business losses and tax software, I found that I would get back much more from Uncle Sam than I thought.  This opened up a third option.

I could go to my friend who lets me do some deer and duck hunting on his land.  He has a few food plots, maybe he would let me plant a dove field.  I could mange it the way I thought would produce the best hunt. He may let me invite friends and family, those who know I have no social accumen.  He had the equipment.  It seemed like the answer.  When I asked, he said "Yes."

"focussed on wing shooting"
My son on his
first quail hunt

Now, this friend of mine has gotten away from deer and hogs, the primary game to date on his land.  He burned some of the pine plantations to promote quail and beavers have dammed up the creek, promoting ducks.  So now he is focussed on wing shooting.  And to my delight, he was as excited as me to have a dove field on his property.  So the planning began.

With all this planning and excitement, I thought I should document it and share my experience with others.  Why New Hand?  I've been hunting for over 30 years, but am definately no expert.  I just don't hunt enough or spend the time to develop it.  But I do love it.  Also, I am not a farmer, not a game manager, and this is the first blog or aything like it I've tried.  I could have used the word "novice," or "neophyte," or "tenderfoot."  I could not use the term "Old Hand," so "New Hand" seemed to fit.

If you want to follow this endeavor, or if you want to offer advise, keep coming back.  I can't promise the dove will produce to my dreams, but I will let you know about any success as well as all the troubles in this adventure.


Back To New Hand Wingshooter Files Home