Posted by Scott Farris on March 23, 1999 at 14:07:33:
I live in North Central Connecticut by the airport, and about 8 minutes from the Connecticut River. Waterfowl hunting is my favorite type of hunting, with deer hunting a close second. In fact due to my family’s taste for venison, it probably gets the higher priority until the freezer is restocked. I hunt mostly in CT and NH with a Maine or Michigan deer hunt thrown in every year (My mom’s folks have a farm in the Brown city area of Mich.). I’m Lucky that New England gets about two months of waterfowl hunting before I have to get distracted by our venison needs. Coming from a non-hunting family I got the long desired opportunity to hunt while attending school at the University of New Hampshire. That was over twenty years ago now. My first duck hunt was at a beaver bog that is still my favorite and most productive spot in NH. While my roots have been in the beaver bogs I’m spending more and more time on bigger waters. I want to develop diver and sea duck hunting skills on both Great Bay (NH) and Connecticut’s coastal gunning. Over the years I have made a few dozen cork, cedar and pine decoys, and V-boards. Don’t bother to ask for pictures, they are painted as primitive working decoys, not the beautiful works of art that have been photo.ed and shown off by the artisans who hang here. I’m looking forward to trying the carved foam, burlapped decoys previously discussed. (Note: I have electronic files of most of the discussions on the foam decoys and of the long line discussions if anyone wants them). I have a male 3-yr. old black lab – Beaver Bog Buddy (“Bogs”) who lives to hunt, very mellow, well mannered in boat or canoe. He does have a sense of humor that is brought out by a few hours of inactivity. He will also ball us out if we miss an easy opportunity that he expected to make a retrieve on. Heck I thought by repetition, I would brake him of that particular habit but it hasn’t worked yet. Boats: I have three canoes, of which I mainly use a fiberglass 15 ft Great Canadian for fishing and hunting due to it excellent stability and tracking. I also have a 16-ft bean white water canoe and a 12-ft aluminum sportsman’s canoe. I also have a forty year old 14ft aluminum V-hull which I have decked over (removable for fishing) featured in the readers rig section. Additionally I have a 12-ft Starcraft V-hull that I have need to sell (for the last 5 yr.). Also I’m very tempted to add a 4-Rivers 9.5-ft. to my collection. Firearms – YES: My first love of shooting were handguns so I have a few of them, I then got into high power rifle shooting, both National Match and 4-Position. Deer hunting has REQUIRED a selection of non target centerfire rifles. Waterfowling and CT State land deer hunting has helped justify a collection of shotguns and barrels. There was the first, a side by side double sixteen 311 Steven’s that I took my first ducks and partridge (Grouse in the NE) with. This last fall my daughter took her first goose and duck with this same gun. For freshwater duck only hunts I frequently use a Benelli 20 Ga. that I won at a state dinner for hunter safety instructors. In fowl weather, salt or if geese may present an opportunity I will be found with an 870. Last fall I added a plastic stocked super-mag to my collection. Purchased in Sept. I have not shot to many rounds through it but so far it has functioned flawlessly. It fits just like my other 870s and I managed a number of ducks and geese with it. (I wanted the 3.5” loads for use of a single choke while duck and goose hunting on a mixed hunt. Improved cylinder and 2s or 3s provides a nice pattern, but it’s a bit thin with BBs. Slipping a 3.5 BBs in the improved choke should (seems to) fill out the pattern.) Personal facts: I’m 42, married, father of 2 daughters, 12 & 14. The 14-yr. old hunts with me when practical, and everyone fishes. Like many here I love toys, boats, decoys, rigging, etc. I’ve held the same engineering job for the last 18+ yr. So I have lots of vacation to spend hunting – any one available weekdays in NH or CT?
Scott Farris