anthony m coons sr
Well-known member
I shared with you guys the other day that I found a bunch of old hunting photos . I wrote about it in a post named waterfowl wealth. After looking at the photos one picture reminded me of a funny hunt I was on. Funny for me and my friend Tom ,not for the duck. We were hunting the Hudson River south of Catskill NY.
It was late December very cold and snowing. My girlfriend at the time gave me a Browning BPS 10 ga. for a early Christmas gift. The ice was on the shorelines but the river was wide open. We started off on the river early in the morning that day. At day break we spotted a large flock of green heads floating in the middle of the river. I told my friend lets try to sneak on those birds. The tide and the wind was right. Toms boat was covered so good it looked like a small forest coming down the river. With the motor turned off and the wind pushing us with the tide. We had a good chance to get on these birds. As I was the point man it was going to be my job to shoot. Having this brand new gun, I wanted to show my friend who was boss. As we floated closer I could see there had to be around two hundred mallards in this flock. As we got within fifty yards or so .The heads came up on the resting birds. They all jumped around the same time. I shot three times, the first shot my gun hit off the front of the boat. Smacking me very hard right in the nose. I pulled the trigger two more time the birds were getting higher and further away. Tom was in the back of the boat yelling at me for missing. Thank God !I looked on the water and I had hit a drake with the first shot. Still not turning around to face my friend . I felt something dripping down my face. It was blood and I mean lots of blood. The recoil of the 10 ga whacked off the boat and hit me square in the nose. As we started the motor to pick up the dead bird. I turned around to look at my friend. He thought it was funny as heck that my nose was bleeding. I said some choice words to him, as we got to the so called dead bird. I reach into the water and picked up the bird and threw it at my partner. As we headed up river I started hearing a quack. I didn't want to say anything because I thought it was because I got hit in the head with my gun. I heard it again, this time I hear it louder, I look back ! it that dam mallard. Walking up to the front of the boat. I grab that sucker an started to ring its neck. Then I threw it back to my friend. As we headed back up river, I hear quack quack again. Tom tells me ! kill that SOB. I grab the bird, ring its neck again , there is no movement. I throw it back . About ten minutes later Tom stops the boat. The bird starts walking back up from. This time Tom grabs the bird! and bangs the heck out of it, There is said: that's how you do it. By this time the boat is covered in blood. All from one duck. As we head back up river, For the fourth time, I hear wing beats . That dam bird flew right past my head. I grab my big gun and shot once. This time ending it for good. I never want to see a bird suffer, I did all we could. But this was unreal. I'll never forget that duck as long as I live.
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It was late December very cold and snowing. My girlfriend at the time gave me a Browning BPS 10 ga. for a early Christmas gift. The ice was on the shorelines but the river was wide open. We started off on the river early in the morning that day. At day break we spotted a large flock of green heads floating in the middle of the river. I told my friend lets try to sneak on those birds. The tide and the wind was right. Toms boat was covered so good it looked like a small forest coming down the river. With the motor turned off and the wind pushing us with the tide. We had a good chance to get on these birds. As I was the point man it was going to be my job to shoot. Having this brand new gun, I wanted to show my friend who was boss. As we floated closer I could see there had to be around two hundred mallards in this flock. As we got within fifty yards or so .The heads came up on the resting birds. They all jumped around the same time. I shot three times, the first shot my gun hit off the front of the boat. Smacking me very hard right in the nose. I pulled the trigger two more time the birds were getting higher and further away. Tom was in the back of the boat yelling at me for missing. Thank God !I looked on the water and I had hit a drake with the first shot. Still not turning around to face my friend . I felt something dripping down my face. It was blood and I mean lots of blood. The recoil of the 10 ga whacked off the boat and hit me square in the nose. As we started the motor to pick up the dead bird. I turned around to look at my friend. He thought it was funny as heck that my nose was bleeding. I said some choice words to him, as we got to the so called dead bird. I reach into the water and picked up the bird and threw it at my partner. As we headed up river I started hearing a quack. I didn't want to say anything because I thought it was because I got hit in the head with my gun. I heard it again, this time I hear it louder, I look back ! it that dam mallard. Walking up to the front of the boat. I grab that sucker an started to ring its neck. Then I threw it back to my friend. As we headed back up river, I hear quack quack again. Tom tells me ! kill that SOB. I grab the bird, ring its neck again , there is no movement. I throw it back . About ten minutes later Tom stops the boat. The bird starts walking back up from. This time Tom grabs the bird! and bangs the heck out of it, There is said: that's how you do it. By this time the boat is covered in blood. All from one duck. As we head back up river, For the fourth time, I hear wing beats . That dam bird flew right past my head. I grab my big gun and shot once. This time ending it for good. I never want to see a bird suffer, I did all we could. But this was unreal. I'll never forget that duck as long as I live.
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