What's on the bench? January 2022

I (used) to shoot mergies, but I also ate them.
Primarily as jerkie.
Not sure I ever had a chance to shoot a full 5 bird limit of them. 2 hoodies, yes, but never a total of 5 mergies.
 

When I did shoot Mergansers I ate what I shot. As already stated some grind em and make hot stick, etc.

Surprisingly Mergansers shot in Canada, prior to getting to the great lakes did not taste bad at all.

Have shot Mallards that fed on Gizzard Shad that tasted terrible.



Most of us are not "native" to North America... like the Brown Trout. But that is a whole different subject.
 
Vince Pagliaroli said:
Most of us are not "native" to North America... like the Brown Trout. But that is a whole different subject.
Click to expand...

Are "Native Americans" native? I mean people came over the land bridge during an ice age looooooooooooong ago and prior to that there were no people, right? So, is the portion of me that is native american blood truly native?
 
Dani said:
Vince Pagliaroli said:
Most of us are not "native" to North America... like the Brown Trout. But that is a whole different subject.
Click to expand...

Are "Native Americans" native? I mean people came over the land bridge during an ice age looooooooooooong ago and prior to that there were no people, right? So, is the portion of me that is native american blood truly native?
Click to expand...



Ask the Brown Trout. [;)]
 
Nick Zito said:
Dani- CT is one such state. Mergs in the regular duck bag.

Interesting Bill, no one I hunt with shoots mergs except for me, and even that is rare. However with sea ducks I've heard people like to give them away.

Curious if the Atlantic flyway commission will extinguish the separate sea duck bag this year. I haven't seen any updates from the December meeting
Click to expand...

Mergs was a change since I've been here that Min made. One argument was that by adding them to the limit, it would be more likely that people would get their limit and thus feel more successful. None of the rational for the change really resonated with me, but since I don't shoot them much it doesn't matter much. There were guys that could really pile up the ducks on a good day and a bunch of mergs added to a limit of ducks a trio of brant a couple geese and couple seaducks makes for a pile of eats.
 
Dani said:
Can the states set a limit that is outside of what the Feds say?

In FL, mergansers are separate from ducks and geese. I guess if the states say mergansers are part of the duck limit that is more restrictive than the Feds rules, so it is okay?

I had never heard that mergansers were included in the duck limit anywhere. Learn something new....
Click to expand...

Dani, Feds set the frameworks. States can be more restrictive than Federal frameworks but not more liberal. Mergansers limits are in addition to the regular duck bag limit in some flyways but not all (I believe the Pacific Flyway is the only one without a separate limit for mergansers). But many states chose to include mergansers in the regular duck bag limit as Tod said for a variety of reasons.
 

Bill,

Thank you very much.

Where I lived in western PA, the Spring migration of RB Mergansers was large, in the Fall not so much. Hooded & Common were more numerous in the fall. So I made decoys for all three types of mergs, in canvas & wire, wood, and cork. They always added something to the rig, no matter what type of water hunting I did, or where I was.

This drake RB, shot at Chincoteague, VA in the 90's did much to inspire me. Canvas & wire made correctly are mighty fine decoys to gun over... and look good on the shelf also.


Best regards
Vince




View attachment Ky Kraus merganser.jpg
 
Good to know y'all. Thanks!

My workbench is in the process of having major upgrades done......ELECTRICITY ADDED TO THE WHOLE BUILDING! I also added one more shelf to one of my shelving systems. I have one more shelf to build still.

i-KVM83Bz-X2.jpg


i-qq54qtn-XL.jpg


i-8schVpz-X2.jpg


The workbench wall has two outlets, the decoy storage wall has two outlets down low, the one up high so that I can add a thermostat run attic type fan, there are now lights in the building and outside the building in the covered parking area there is one light to start with and then two outlets as well. My garage time will get way better now that I won't have to run an electrical cord from the house to the garage just to turn on a light or use a saw or anything else that needs power. I am quite excited.

In the same project I also ran power for the rv as well as upgraded the house and moved the panel. It was in the kitchen and now that it is moved I can put in upper kitchen cabinets!!!!! I will have more storage. It used to be a whole mostly wasted wall. That will be the next project inside the house I think.

But now my workbench has power, with 100 amp service out to the garage.
 
I really need to com up with a storage bin for scrap wood. I try not to have too many scraps but I was just stacking stuff in a corner. However, the mice get into the corner and it is also a pain to get to that corner when everything gets piled in it.

It should probably be on wheels like everything else in the garage too. Still working on that idea.

Thanks though!!!!
 
Dani,

In my world there is no "Scrap Wood", or cork, etc. Material hoarder? Ya could be.

I use large light weight plastic garbage cans, with a secure cover, that are on wheels to store some of it. This way it can be moved when needed. Safe from the elements, and most critters.

WARNING! Mark what is in there on the lid. Save lots of time and sometimes $$.

Cuz well.... we can tend to accumulate that which we forget.


VP
 
Hahahahahah material hoarder? perhaps. But, the electricians needed some things and I was like well I have a chunk of 2x4. Or I have a piece of aluminum angle that should work for mounting that....saved me some money and them some time and frustration.

I ended up making some space for some of my longer "scraps"....I actually used some of them on the back side of this decoy rack to keep them from coming out the back. Plus it used some of the scraps! Then I moved my decoy rack away from the wall so that I could slide the longer and wider pieces in behind the decoy rack. It isn't ideal, but it certainly works and saves me the space and lets me be able to access the decoys. The decoy rack is just a little small for all those decoys....I need a taller rack, but I am happy with this so far....

i-Cj8MqL5-X2.jpg


i-vXSDddp-X2.jpg


The green bucket holds dowels, rebar, metal rods and pvc quite nicely....
 
ISO a 1/4 or 1/3 scale Canada Goose pattern...large duck size.

I'm wanting to make a decoy urn for my son's Lab ashes. The dog passed some months ago. Recently my son stated that Tessa's last retrieve was a goose so I think that a goose urn would be fitting. I've not had any success reducing patterns in the past. So if anyone has a pattern to share or can point me in the direction of a possible reduced size goose pattern I'd appreciate it. Thanks in advance for any help.
 
Brad, I can't help you with a smaller pattern but could you take your pattern to Office Depot or Kinkos or something like that and have them reduce it for you on a copier? That's what I do when I need something larger (except I do it on the copier here at work).

I like your idea though.

Dani
 
Stiller's makes patterns for a variety of species, including some of the smaller Canadas and Cacklers. Using one of the small Canadas would get the size you want in a life-size bird so that you could hunt over it.
 




View attachment 128.JPGView attachment 003.JPGI can get around six birds out of a sheet,J














































































































































































































































































































































oel, but I clamp four sheets together and cut multiple birds out with the sabre saw, which goes a long way to clean-up the edges. I just cut 18 more birds in three new poses outside this week, but it was 25F so no pics taken.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top