pieces of a puzzle

R

rick born

Member
back in 79 I was hunting on the ice of great south bay on long island everything was frozen up solid. clammers were cutting holes in the ice with chain saws. one pocket of water didn't freeze up on a point in my cove still to this day it remains open. I would drag my box to the opening an set stool an wait some days were ok others just a cold set.one of those days of no birds. I walked the shore line back to my house taken a short cut throw a vacant lot. I was pulling my box and stopped for rest and looked in this back yard and I saw an old duck boat on saw horses uncovered. I pulled the rest of the way home about500 plus yards put my stuff away and went back to the house of the boat. I knocked on the door a couple times no body came, then I saw the blinds move. I told the woman that I live in the cottage on the other side of the woods and was wondering if the boat was for sale. she told me she didn't know and to come back tomorrow so I said thanks all through a closed door. I went over to the boat to get a closer look. it was 12 ft long cedar plank over steamed oak ribs covered in layers of canvas on the deck. all night I was thinking about the boat what had to be done to it how old it was and if it was for sale. this was going to be my first duck boat no more pullin the box a boat to gun out of finally. the next day I wait till afternoon and go knock on the door an wait till she pulls the blinds open a crack. I than ask about the boat, she sez you can have it for 75 or 50 dollars. I tell her I will give her 50 but it will have to wait till tomorrow because I need to get money out of bank, it being sunday an all. the story goes on but the short of it the boat is mine. I restored the boat and still have it using it on special days. the pieces to the puzzle come into play in 2002. I meet a man fishing on the beach one day. I was sept. goose hunting and shot 2 geese and didn't hit the third hard but watched and saw it dropping low out of the flock. I sent the dog for the two and than ran boat across the bay to find the cripple. the man fishing was in his late 80s, he saw me looking for the bird. he came over to me asked what I was looking for and I told him the goose that I shoot at, he said it went down over about 150 yards to the right of me. I got up on the bank an saw it laying in the field. I sent the dog on the bird with 2 or 3 whistles command. I had my triple, then the man walked over to me. we talked fishing and hunting. him being a gunner since the late 20s we talked about an hour or so an I told him I had to leave to go back an pick up my decoys. I went back picked up my rig while crossing the bay back home I thought I go back to the man and see if he like to come out gunning still fishing I ask him to come out one day. he was very interested in going but health and age said no but a friendship was formed. I would go down to the beach couple days aweek to talk with him. his name is wyn. he just turned 97 in late jan. 2014 and I took him out to breakfast. we talked gunning different spots. I had pictures of the places he hunted and his old bay shack not there anymore but he could still see it in his mind. he told me a story that day of a gun he bought when he was 15. the gun is Remington 11 made in 1910 that he bought used for 15 dollars. he looked at me asked if I wanted it I told him yes. he tells me more about the gun who he bought it from. he tells me of a man that lived by me who was a guide that would take gunners from the city. he had a big boat to sleep on and pull his grass boats with to the bay. they leave the dock and come back a couple days later with ducks hanging all over the boat this the late 20s. I turn to wyn and ask where did he live. he tells me where an I almost fall out of my chair. its the house I found the old duck boat at. this story goes on about history of these two gunners. I have the boat that I always day dream about wondering what it had done and seen. I now have the gun that was apart of the history of the boat and the man that owned them. I just finished restoring the model 11 new walnut stock, firing pin, bolt and re blueing. I showed the gun to wyn he said it was better then when he bought it. this coming season all the pieces of the puzzle will come together.
 
That's a cool story Rick, thanks for sharing it with us. I bet that boat, gun and all speak to you every time you have it out.
 
Rick,

Interesting series of events. That's great you were you were able to put some of the pieces of the puzzle together.
I wish I had the same luck with a restoration I did a few years ago.
 
Rick-

That is a really neat story. To have found all of the history and story behind the boat and then on top of it to have the gun too. . .very cool. Seeing pictures posted here of project boats and looking at potential boat projects, my mind is regularly flooded with the questions of what has this boat seen, the memories that it has shared, etc, etc.

Congratulations to you.

Chad
 
I got chills reading that. Really.

Here's another request for photos.

Just a point of clarification, though. You really need to find a third old timer from whom you can get some classic decoys to add to the rig. LOL!
 
Rick~

Congratulations on such a wonderful turn of events - and such a fine man. It is especially pertinent because I just got back from Long Island - where I spent all day Monday visiting with and hearing tales from a bunch of South Shore gunners - 'though none had yet reached the 90s. I would love to see your boat on one of my next trips down.

Here is my Dad's Model 11. It's a newer Sportsman in 16 gauge. He bought it in 1946 - from the local drugstore in East Islip. A simpler time....

I spruced it up last winter and use it as a "special occasion" gun - as you use Wyn's old duckboat.

SportsmanampMallard-small_zps70d05b6e.jpg



All the best,

SJS
 
"Here is my Dad's Model 11. It's a newer Sportsman in 16 gauge. He bought it in 1946 - from the local drugstore in East Islip. A simpler time....

All the best,

SJS"


Steve,
How right you are..... I can remember the days when most little hardware stores in Ohio had a representative supply of hunting gear. I also remember bringing a new 20ga. SXS into school to show it to Ed Billingsley, the principal I worked for then. Ed was a quail hunter, and we used to sit and talk dogs & quail guns all the time. Someone would trigger a "lockdown" if they did that today.
I stopped by at the school I retired from just to visit a few folks a few weeks back. Five years later, and they've got a machine in the lobby that runs your drivers' license; has you check off destination, who you're seeing; takes your picture, and then prints out a visitors badge with the pic on it.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
Wonderful story. Better than that, a magical story. Seeds of mystery too. Why was the woman reclusive? What happened to the guide? Just the due course of years or some tragedy? Stuff like this is why I love duck hunting!
 
Enjoyed your article, nice to read real hunting stories instead of some of the new mundane articles. Thanks for sharing.
 
thanks everyone for the nice words. steve you judged the boat at the duck boat show with jimmy r. back in mid 80s. I will try to show pictures of boat and gun not tech savvy. I just pulled the boat out of storage. it hasn't been used in 6 years besides cobwebs and one cracked grass rail she looks fine.(had to lay down in it again to get the feel of her. the dog jumped in too). the old decoys are no problem. I have some old al mac black ducks (mr. decoy). the special hunts out of this rig was dozen blks. and a black powder side x side. I would pick my days because after firing your rounds you have to stand up in boat to reload your charge. to windy and powder going down barrel wasn't fun, plus I wasn't real quick on the reloading. it was always fun to do and see what it was like back in the day. thanks rick
 
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