trophy/man rooms?

[Bigpoppa]

Yep , good stuff. Skimming thru will cause you to miss some good stuff. I got to rush thru though because I only have about 8 hours each day I can spend on here!

[wwa7]

P.P.-

I know you own Dr. Andrews book... One of the stories was called, "The Day the Two Giants Fell". That story was written about my grandfather. Great book, and great stories.

[The Waterfowler]

Dr. Bill Aycock passed on like many of us turkey hunters would like to go when it's our time. It's perhaps my favorite story in Dr.Chub's book. Wish I had met him. From what Doc said he was some kinda turkey hunter.

[lilham]

F*@# a Duck! Let's here about some Turkeys. You seem to be a true southern sportsman.

[The Waterfowler]

Turkey hunting is as addictive as crystal meth and cocaine. Glad it doesn't overlap duck season. Good thing about places like New Zealand is that you can waterfowl and turkey hunt in the same day!

[pstone]

what's the name of the book, and can I buy it anywhere?

[The Waterfowler]

"Nash Buckingham, Beaver Dam and Other Hunting Tales" by Dr. Wm. F. Andrews. The family had about a dozen copies left from the printing and I have been selling them. $50 includes shipping.

[Duck$$$]

I vote for more stories. Do your sons or kids enjoy and cherish the sport as much as you Waterfowler ? Just wondering because I have 2 young sons that do enjoy it and I hope they will carry it into adulthood.

[The Waterfowler]

I never pushed my two sons toward hunting. My youngest had the potential to be a good, if not great, DB in football but chose to follow his dad each weekend to the duck camp or turkey woods. My oldest was in the field at 4, so they were raised in that enviornment. they also had the good opportunity to be raised around some accomplished outdoorsmen and hunters that gave them an edge over a lot of others their age. All of that is good until you realize that you have to buy 3 of everything and that gets pricy when it's Z-71's and Benellis. But, their path was their choice and thankfully I didn't have to get them a piano or ballet shoes. They are now 26 and 28 and can hold their own with anyone in a duck blind, deer stand or turkey woods. Both are good dog handlers, wingshots and woodsmen and it makes me proud to see them follow in my footsteps. The MAIN thing that I'm proud of is that they have never been in any trouble, done drugs or discredited our family and for this I'm thankful. They were also honor students as they knew it was good grades or no duck camp. At and early age they were taught the values of nature and the outdoors and I honestly think that kids with a rural and/or outdoor background are more appreciative of what is given them and in turn have a better insight of the world around them. I have more confidence in them than a lot of peers my own age and have never thought I was sending a boy to do a man's job where they were concerned.

[crackhead]

I was very lucky to have a father like Pat who made sure I was hunting and socializing with men whom I would draw on their experiences and beliefs the rest of my life. My mom still talks about some of the first conversations my dad had with me when I was four and five years old about when it would be my time to go and hunt with dad at our camp. “Son when you can wipe your own butt and stay out of my hair you can go and not a day sooner!” Needless to say I became self sufficient very quick. And for that I will be indebted to my father until the day he does not want to go duck hunting. Saying want due to the fact that its not if he “can” because I can promise that if he needs to be carried over my shoulder from our camp to the boat in our ditch behind the camp and hand placed in our blinds he has earned that right from me and my friends who he taught to love to duck hunt. That being said I will be dammed if someone else throws out the last decoy he hunts over or calls in the last duck he gets to see fold up!

Pat,

Thanks so much for the books and the time you gave my friend and I yesterday!!

[Deltamud77]

Waterfowler:

Obviously, you have had your share of wonderful days on Beaverdam, what would you describe as you best day? I am ready for November and need some mental imagery to get me through this hot summer.

Thanks

[The Waterfowler]

On page 4 I told of my last hunt with Dr. Chub that has to be my most memorable. I've had plenty of good hunts at Beaver Dam, each one as good as the other. I never had a bad hunt there. I got to shoot a limit of ducks with Bo Whoop II, jump shoot out of Mr. Buck's Alumacraft Ducker, hunt Round Pond and many other places mentioned in Mr. Buck's writings.

Here's one that was memorable for several reasons and was the last hunt I made with my Chesapeake, Jake, before he died.

I seemed like winters were colder then and the morning we arrived at the clubhouse we were greeted with boats frozen in ice that went some hundred yards out from shore. We worked feverishly to free up several boats and get the outboards, that had thankfully been inside, started. There were 6 of us in two boats along with Jake and we hit ice before we got half-way to the north end as we had planned on hunting Doc's Pool. A quick decision was made to head to the south end below The Teal Hole to set up in some tall cypress. We broke window-pane ice and set a few decoys and stood on some stumps and what shallow water we could find after 2 of us moved the boats. Walking was trecherous with all the knees, limbs, logs, beaver runs, you name it. I found a stump with a place for Jake on a log jam as shooting time came and went. Nothing is as miserable as a cold hunt and one with no ducks moving is even colder. We saw a few high ducks with nothing workable. The sun was fully up when the first duck worked. A single Greenhead flying the tree-tops was on a suicide mission. As soon as Jake returned with him more birds started to arrive. We'd hit them with a call and it looked like they were running into a wall high above the tall cypress in the crystal blue sky. Flock after flock fell in on us. It looked like they were wearing parachutes as they comitted. From several hundred yards up they worked down in some of the tallest trees on the lake. I propped my gun beside me to take yet another bird from Jake and promptly knocked it into nearly chest deep water. Nothing else to do but get down on my knees, strip to my waist and lean over into the water and grope for my 870. Luckily it was standing upright and I was able to grab the stock about 3 feet down. Now with a frozen gun I quickly dressed and watched helplessly as more birds decoyed. I became designated caller and dog handler amid good natured ribbing by all as they volunteered to shoot my limit. With straps full of Greenheads we totaled up points and were one bird short if was a Greenhead or better. A dozen Mallards made a wide pass and Doc handed me his A-5 and told me to finish us up. The next circle the dozen were 50 then close to a hundred as they tornadoed above us. Once they comitted it sounded like thunder as they settled through the trees. I was looking for a band when I saw him in the midst of Greenheads and Susies. The A5 went off as it barely touched my shoulder and a big Black Duck crashed into the water to end our morning. A fine ending to a great hunt.

We had many fine hunts and along with them great memories in the early 70's. Doc and I would make many trips there to squirrel hunt, frog gig, fish, brush blinds and enjoy the lake. It never got old.

[Deltamud77]

Good stuff. Thanks

[brake man]

There is just something about arriving early in the morning to Beaver Dam when it is still dark, paddling in, getting set up, watching and hearing the ducks wake up and start to mill about, and then waiting until is shooting time. Until just a few years ago, there was still the morning flight (or flights) that would always give great shooting at least for a while. The past several years it just has just not been the same as the numbers are not nearly what they used to be. The late 80's through about 2001 were truly some memorable times!

This will be my 31st year, my Dad's 68th year, my 8 year old son's 5th year, and (Lord willing) my soon-to-be 4 year old's 1st year to hunt at the brake (as we have always called it). Dad has some great stories about his hunts over many years and how the sky was literally blackened with ducks at many times, especially in the 50's. The high school principal used to write him excuse notes so he could duck hunt before school and then to class late-wouldn't that be nice! Willie Mae, who lived down the road and cooked for my grandparents for 40+ years used to tell me stories about my Dad and how: "Child, yo Daddy would come in heah af'er work on Friday, take off his suit, get all gussied up, put on his tux-ee-duh, get in his cah, and drive to the Peabody hotel on a Friday night. He'd stay out late then come on back heah, change outta his tux-ee-duh, put on his huntin' clothes, and then go duck huntin' when he ain't got no sleep! Then he'd do the same thing on Saturday night, too! Yo Daddy didn't need no sleep!" Dad has told me how he has had ducks knock his hat off and run into his friend's gun barrel many years past. I have been fortunate to have had many memorable hunts over the years and hope that my children and grandchildren will have the same opportunity to hunt this little bit of heaven on earth.

One thing I learned during my first duck hunt, which was at Beaver Dam when I was 8, was that you have to be very careful wading through a cypress brake. I fell down and got water in my hip boots about 7 times that morning and remember Dad kept draining out the boots and putting on dry socks he kept pulling from somewhere. On that hunt, Dad told me and my older brother one thing that he has told us many over the years: "If you're not wet and not cold, you're not duck hunting!" Ain't that the truth!

[The Waterfowler]

Isn't it a shame it's not the same?!?