Dove Season Opener

Dove Season Opener

By Keith Hollar – Guest Contributor

This year I got the opportunity to go on a dove hunt.  It was me first hunting trip. Part of the reason I started to get into clay shooting was so I could at least hit something when I went on this hunting trip.

So after meeting early in the morning on the day before dove season opened and loading up the trucks my dad, me and six other guys set out on the about four hour drive to Parker, Arizona.  We arrived at the vacation house that belongs to the brother of the guy who sets up the trip every year, Neil, to turn on the air conditioner and unload the vehicles.  We wisely decided to wait until the early evening to go out scouting since the afternoon temperatures were in the low 100’s.  We drove out on Indian land and scouted a couple areas south of Poston, Arizona that evening and made a decision on where to go the next morning.

At the early hour of 4:30 a.m., with the temperatures already in the high 80’s, we got on the road for the almost 45 minute drive to the spot we chose to start the opening day on.  We all spread out into different areas of the field to try our luck.  As things got light there weren’t that many birds flying around and not a lot of shotguns going off either.  By the end of our time out hunting that day I only got one bird and I think we only had 17-18 birds between the 8 of us.  From what the guys who had done this before were telling me, this was definitely not normal and it was probably the monsoon rains that had come a couple weeks before and drove the birds off.

On day two we decided to go to about the same area but to a location that we were getting some success.  We got there early and set up.  I selected a bush that would come to find out was not the wisest choice.  While I did bring down another two birds, the mosquitoes ate me alive.  I had at least a hundred, and probably more, bites even though I was wearing long sleeves, pants and bug spray.  It was over a week before they finally stopped itching.  As he traditionally does Neil made us dinner this second night.  Normally he does it on opening day but because of the low amount of birds we got he had to wait until the second day.  The recipe he chose was a wild rice, mushroom, celery, white wine and dove casserole.  It was pretty good.

The third and final day we decided to try a completely different location.  This was met with about the same results, not a whole lot.  I hardly saw any birds and only shot at a couple and missed.    Over the three days I only shot a little over a box of shells.

Overall I had a pretty good time, although I was glad to get home after being out of town for most of August.  I do think it is something I’d like to do again, although the 100 degree weather was a little tiring.  Maybe next year I’ll try my hand at quail.

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This post and its contents are the views and opinions of the author only, and do not necessarily represent Beretta.

My first time with a 92

By Brad Wiltman - guest contributor

I was out shooting it with a couple of good friends of mine. 

It was kind of a bachelor party shooting day. 

When I fired my first-ever shot of my Beretta 92FS. I was in love right away. The round hit exactly where I was aiming. The target was about 15 yards away. It was at a farm where there was a pile of dirt above a hole for landfill. There was a white flat piece of cardboard almost to the top of the berm. Don’t know why or how it was there. But it was a perfect object to shoot my first round at.

It seems childish, I know. I was so excited to shoot my Beretta for my first time that I couldn’t wait to put up any targets. So I shot at the first thing I could find. And I couldn’t believe how well it shot. You just got to love the gun when it hits bullseye for your very first shot with it.

After that, we set up a couple of shooting challenges. One friend had his 9mm and I had mine. We lined up spent 12 gauge shot gun shells along the ground about 7 yards away. Each had 10 to shoot. Whoever hit all 10 first would win. It was as if I couldn’t miss.

We then put one shell in the center. 21 shells total. Each shot 10 to hit the one in the middle. That was so much fun, that I shot about all the ammo I brought just doing that. This gun is just all out fun!

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10 Reasons To Go Deer Hunting Instead of Duck Hunting

By Jason Parks – Guest Contributor

Image courtesy of Tigerdroppings.com

1. Deer tastes a lot better than duck.
2. You have a much better chance of not drowning while deer hunting (except for that one time with my father-n-law and in my defense I was laughing too hard stop the boat).
3. Deer hunting is quiet and precise while duck hunting is noisy and scatter shot.
4. When you get cold deer hunting you can walk around. What are you going to do when you get cold duck hunting in the boat or blind, go for a swim?
5. I have seen the duck hunting shows. You folks miss. A lot.
6. No waders needed.
7. You don’t have to worry about dropping your gun in the water…usually (see #2).
8. Campfires are bad news in a blind.
9. You do not need calls, decoys, blinds, dogs and boats to hunt deer.
10. Assuming the average deer yields 50 pounds of meat, how many ducks do you need to get the same amount of meat and how many times can you eat duck?

OK. I am just funnin' with you all. I know that A LOT of you are duck hunters. I have to admit I have never been so I asked a friend of mine to take me this year. I will be sure to let you know how it goes, if I survive, but I stand by the fact that you don't need waders to hunt deer.

This post and its contents are absolutely the views and opinions of the author only, and do not necessarily represent those of Beretta. Especially this time!

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You can follow (or send the death threats) Jason on Twitter @thejasonparks. 

A Man's True Best Friend

By Brad Wilson - Guest Contributor

As I sit here trying to figure out what I plan to let flow from my fingers on to the keyboard, I look up on the wall at the beautiful pintail that came from a stellar trip to the Laguna Madre.  Then I start to think about the fat greenhead that is resting on a piece of driftwood on my buddy John's wall in his living room.  That particular bird was taken off of a marsh pond in the back lakes of Trinity Bay.  As I think about hunts that I have been on and cold boat rides, beating the crowd to the public spots and hot September mornings waiting for that huge wad of teal to grace our presence, I know there is something that I am suppose to be typing but I just can't pinpoint what it is.  I then get a nudge from Aeva, my yellow lab.  Whether she is wanting to go outside or if she is really trying to tell me "daddy, tell 'em about ME" is beyond me, but it is the nudge that I needed.

When you've got to go.... You've got to go!

by Carrie Lightfoot - Guest Contributor

The ladies' room, potty, doing your business, going to the bathroom, or even powdering your nose. Whatever you call it - we ALL have to do it! The problem is, what in the world do you do with your concealed firearm when you do? 

For some obvious reasons, men have it a little easier in this department, well... most of the time. There is quite a bit of confusion and not a lot of discussion on this “interesting” topic. In a recent discussion on The Well Armed Woman Facebook page, the lack of information clearly results in less-than-safe solutions. So, what should you do? You don’t want anyone in the next stall to see your firearm, freak out and call 911 when you’re simply answering Mother Nature’s call. You don’t want it to fall on the floor and slide over to into the next stall with a mother assisting her young child and you certainly don’t want to do anything that could risk an accidental discharge. So what do you do? 

Photo: Theo Romeo UCD Advocate

The answer is quite simple. The less you do the better! Any time your remove your firearm from its holster you create risk. A well-made "in the pants" or "on the waist" holster should hold your firearm snug, even if you accidentally turn it upside down. If yours doesn’t, get a new one.  Not everyone likes a thumb break but here is a good place where they come in handy. Keep your hand on the HOLSTERED firearm as you carefully slide down your pants and keep your hand on it. Keep the top of your pants up off the floor and out of view from “neighbors”. If you’re wearing a belt, this is even more important as once you undo your belt - the weight of whole package takes on a mind of its own. 

The problems arise when you remove the firearm to get comfortable. Some of you are placing it on the toilet paper dispenser, the back of the toilet and even hanging it by the trigger guard on the hook on the door. These are no safe solutions and yes, even the most responsible and conscientious gun owners can leave and forget their firearms behind. It has happened, perhaps it has even to you. 

Many women are wearing bra holsters and belly bands. With these holsters this challenge is eliminated. For those of you that carry in your purse, as awkward as it may be, place your purse on your lap or even hang it over your body cross body style.  

If for some reason not addressed here you MUST remove the firearm from your body, keep it holstered and hold it or keep it on your lap while you’re “busy”.

All of this “work” just to do your business may seem cumbersome, uncomfortable and even a pain in the neck. The truth is, this comes with the responsibility of safe gun ownership. If you really think about it, we are very lucky to even have the right and opportunity to be a little uncomfortable this way.  So... Give thanks and go take care of business! 

Carrie Lightfoot is owner of The Well Armed Woman and quest contributor for the Beretta Blog. Join the dynamic group of women shooters on Facebook orTwitter and visit www.thewellarmedwoman.com

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This post and its contents are the views and opinions of the author only, and do not necessarily represent Beretta.

Top 10 Reasons I Hunt

By Brad Wilson - Guest Contributor

As a new hunting season approaches there are a ton of things that run through my head in preparation for what is to come in the next few months.  Is the boat ready to go?  Are the decoys rigged up?  Did I make all the repairs on equipment that needed to be made?  Last week I was out in the garage answering all these questions.  I pulled out my old blind stool and sat down in it and started thinking about things.  One question that kept coming back to me was WHY?  Why do I go to the extents that I do to chase fowl?  Why do I spend the amount of hard earned money on this sport?  Why do I wake up at 3:00 AM to run a boat for 30 minutes in 30 degree weather, trounce through marsh mud that rivals some of the deepest quicksand around, and then spend 45 minutes setting out decoys just to shoot some waterfowl?

Here is my top 10 reasons I do what I do to chase waterfowl.

10.  The smell of gunpowder at sun up as a group of greenwing teal buzz the decoys.

  9.  I have a chance to be out on the water. Growing up on the Gulf Coast, I have saltwater running through my veins!

  8.  Seeing a bird crumple in mid air after I pull the trigger on my Beretta A400 Xtreme!

  7.  Watching my yellow lab, Aeva, charge hard after that bird that just crumpled.

  6.  Enjoying a hot cup of coffee and a blind breakfast during that first lull.

  5.  Because duck breast, jalapeno, and cream cheese all wrapped in bacon and grilled tastes Mmmmmm Mmmmm GOOD!!!

  4.  Knowing that I am in GOD's country and I am doing what he intended for me to do.

  3.  I am able to share that blind with some of my closest friends.

  2.  I can spend time with my kids that I cherish so much.

And the number one reason I do what I do to chase waterfowl:

Passion!  I have a passion for the outdoors and everything that it stands for.  I have passion for sharing those times with my kids and friends.  I have a passion for what God has graced me with.

I take this time to be thankful for those ten things and many others that I am afforded in this great nation and have been so graciously given by the Man upstairs.

So what is on your top 10 list?

Brad Wilson is an avid outdoorsman targeting waterfowl and saltwater fish and is a guest contributor for the Beretta Blog.  He can be reached on Twitter or YouTube.

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This post and its contents are the views and opinions of the author only, and do not represent those of Beretta.

How About a Duck Recipe?

By Brad Wilson - Guest Contributor

One of the most asked questions that I get from people that don't really care to eat ducks or geese is "how do you cook it?"  My answer is short, sweet, and boy does it taste good!  GUMBO!!!  After the jump (that means click on the link that says "MORE"), I will share a recipe that was shared with me and I have perfected.  This stuff will make ya slap yo momma!!!