off-season shooting - what do you do?

quane

quane

Active member
I'd like to start a discussion about off-season shooting, and what kind of things everyone does.
Now that the seasons are winding down, what do you plan on shooting for the next 8 months?
Shoot at a club
DIY- throw your own clays
shoot starlings
etc...

Also share any routines about shooting with kids and dogs!

Let's hear it!
 
Last year I took a trip to Canada to start the season early in september. Before I went I thought back to the shots that always gave me trouble on opening day. It was usually that dropping in and slightly away to the side malard so I went out and got a thrower and some thin rope :) I setup that shot and practiced it over and over again. Also worked on some other shots. This year I plan to do more of the same except I am going to work on the climbing out and away bird since thats what I was missing out of the layout blind last year.
 
My offseason season is almost totally related to shooting Sporting Clays. Starting the first week of May I will be shooting in two leagues at two different clubs and am trying to find a third. One league is 10 rounds of 50 and the other is 16 x50. In my mind Sporting Clays is the best practice you can get.

Our subzero weather just broke today so I'll be at the club on Sunday for a round or two.

As for the dog, we are still chasing pheasants at a local club and that goes on until the end of March.
 
A couple rounds of Skeet,trap,or five stand each month.I may shoot a couple IDPA matches with both revolver and Auto, both 45 ACP.Birds till I March,whenever I feel like puttting some out.Nice days ,in the summer I'll sail my Melonseed and take note of likely duck hunting locations for next winter.Then there is always the boreing grass to cut and trim.I'll be messing around with upgrades on the boats and refurbising a 12ga Hammer gun.Thats enough for me,if I in fact get it all done.Life's too short to carve decoys!
 
barn yard pigeons and skeet. my family has a few farmer friends that have pigeon infestations so me and some friends usually go down and take care of them. one day a few years ago i shot 55 birds in an afternoon from the same farm. went back the next day and shot another 27. late aug and early in sept before the res. goose opens up i shoot the black birds off my farm. those things will kill a corn field in no time so i usually put in a full or turkey full choke to make it a little more challenging. personal best is 24 birds individually with 25 rounds.

and the skeet range down the road is open every sunday

eddie
 
I'll go shoot a couple pheasant with the MLB boys then we have a sporting clays get together in may or june...that's about it for me. This year though, I am digging out my outers thrower and get my grandson blasting with the 410 and 28ga.
 
Shoot some crows!

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Also, perhaps try some spring Greater Snows, 15 per day if they show up, until March 10th and new spring Canadas (5 per day March 1-10) this year in NY!
 
Crows and pigeons until Sept then Doves until wood ducks then big ducks then crows and pigeons until Sept then Doves until wood ducks then big ducks then crows and pigeons until Sept then Doves until wood ducks then big ducks then crows and pigeons until Sept then Doves until wood ducks then big ducks then crows and pigeons until Sept then Doves until wood ducks then big ducks then crows and pigeons until Sept then Doves until wood ducks then big ducks then crows and pigeons until Sept then Doves until wood ducks then big ducks then crows and pigeons until Sept then Doves until wood ducks then big ducks thuntil Sept then Doves until wood ducks then big ducks then crows and pigeons en crows and pigeons ...............
 
First off I'm new to site and have enjoyed the reading so far. I have found this site to be most relaxing and w/out B.S. found on other fowling sites. That being said, I'll jump right in. I will sight in 2- 270wsm's w/new 4.5x14 scopes from x-mas and then work on new loads and bullet types for this year's trip to WY. Pattern new loads for spring turkey, then I'll practice w/.22's in summer. Along with throwing clays on my farm for Son and I.
JMB
 
In April I start shooting wobble trap, 5 stand, trap, and sporting clays. I usually shoot every weekend about 150 to 200 rounds every trip. Thank god I reload.....
 
If you have a retriever club nearby who uses live fliyers in training (provided it's legal of course), these clubs are usually looking for gunners to volunteer for thier tests, usually all that's required is to show up with a working bang stick and you can spend an entire day shooting live ducks/pheasants, being launched at high speed from a winger, makes for some good practice on quick flush type scenarios, all your ammo is provided and most clubs will usully feed you too. If you have a dog then training on live flyers is an excellent tool for testing/instilling steadiness and control especially in a walk-up scenario where a bird gets launched and shot within 10 or 15 yards of your dog, so you are faced with a close but quick shot and if your hound doesn't break after that well congrats, you've got yourself a very steady dog and you both get an great tune-up drill
 
I used to do that for a dairy farmer friend of mine up in Kingston, ON. Some of them were as big as a goose, always wondered if they were edible but never bothered to really find out, usually don't shoot at things I'm not going to cook but those birds really used to tear up his corn and he never let me leave without a couple of gallons of moo juice fresh from milking barn, never tasted better milk. Between shooting crows and a few days of helping him get his hay in each year I had free and exclusive access to hunt his place, less than 20 mins from my house. Once he even tried to pay me for helping him with his hay, it took a little time to convince him that having 400 acres of private land all to myself was worth more than money.
 
During the summer I shoot trap every Thurs eve at the gun club not because trap is the best practice but it is my social night out and shooting beats not shooting. Oh yeah it only cost for the birds, last year that was $3.00 /round. Cheap shooting in anyones book, I wish shot wasn't $50.00 / bag. When I want real practice it is sporting clays or pigeons out of the barn.
 
Hey Rhett,

Did you hunt any on the Nansemond or James rivers this season ? I'm originally from Murfreesboro and use to deliver LP Gas around Courtland.
Best,
Harry
 
The shot you describe missing first souds like your stock might be a little long.

Get a gun with a shorter stock and try some sporting clays.

Just my $.02 worth,
Harry
 
Hey Rhett,

Did you hunt any on the Nansemond or James rivers this season ? I'm originally from Murfreesboro and use to deliver LP Gas around Courtland.
Best,
Harry
Click to expand...

I have a friend who hunts the Nansemond, I don't. I try to stay local its easier with three kids. Ever hunt the Meherrin or Chowan?
 
Shoot through a few cases of lead at the skeet range and will probably shoot a few rounds of trap but thats about it. I was planning on shooting trap league this year but with the increased cost of lead and steel I'd rather shoot skeet and save the extra few bucks for a hunting trip this year, Besides I'll probably need a few extra boxes for eider hunting in Maine again.
 
6 to 10 cases worth of skeet, and maybe another case worth of five stand, and a box or two of trap if I can't get out of it. Pull some of that out to turkey shoot games at the range. I shoot it all low gun, an a lot of skeet is shot with my but on the ground. That helps with shooting out of a sneak and ground blind. Grouse opens almost a month before Ducks and Geese up here so that dosn't hurt either. The wife makes a Wicked grouse pie.
 
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