by Michael R. Shea

This Home Depot special will be the best $15 decoy bag you’ll ever buy. We used them for diver and sea duck spreads that routinely pushed 80 decoys, stacked over three leaf bags. It works because we long-line our decoys with 400-pound mono and bouy snaps. This way nothing tangles, even if they’re all jumbled together. If you took this same rig and put them in slotted bags, which can cost more than twice as much and always tend to be too small for foam floaters, the clips inevitably hang-up between the slots. Like when coiling line, you’re better off with a contained pile than a tight, twisted-up package.

We bungee corded these bags to the side of the boat while underway. When they’re empty they collapse into a thin foam disc, which makes a nice seat.  There are drainage holes in the bottom of the bag, so it never takes on water, even when the decoys do. My main hunting partner, Tim, and I stumbled on this solution this season. Some smart company needs to come out... [ Read Full Post ]

By Phil Bourjaily

Deadeye Dick asked an excellent question in a comment on the high velocity ping pong ball post: Do you have to relearn how to shoot when you switch to very high velocity loads?

Others will disagree but I will say no, you don’t have to learn to shoot all over again. I haven’t recalibrated my leads consciously or (as far as I know) unconsciously when I shoot high velocity ammo. Remington’s website says the difference in lead between their 1,675 fps Hypersonic and other steel is 11 percent — about eight inches at 40 yards. That would be on a true 90-degree crosser at 40 yards, and most makeable shots in the field occur at shorter distances and shallower angles. On, say, a 20-yard quartering target, the difference in lead between a super-fast shell and a normal velocity shell is negligible. [ Read Full Post ]

By Phil Bourjaily

Occasionally we have discussed hunting vehicles in this space. Photographer Dave Tunge sent me this picture of his “hunting truck,” a Piper Super Cub. “The Super Cub is a poor man’s helicopter,” he told me. “I can land almost anywhere with it.” He uses flotation tires inflated to just 6-8 psi (“like pillows”) he says, that allow him to roll over rocks the size of softballs and ruts in the fields without feeling them. [ Read Full Post ]

by Michael R. Shea

When these fully flocked, full-body FA decoys arrived, I opened them up, attached the stakes and spread them out on our front lawn. About half way through the dogs got outside and they went bananas. Archie, the golden, nearly tackled one, and the little dog, Taco, went berserk, barking and running in circles. They thought geese were invading. When the early season opened, the live birds proved just as fooled.

These new lesser Canada dekes look fantastic, with that great FA body carving and half a dozen postures. For 2013 they tweaked the design a bit. The neck connection between head and body is solid molded this year and they eliminated the snap-on legs, which had a tendency to come off anyway. The stakes run up into a cone in the base of the deke, then attaches to a length of taught bungee cord. At first setup, this felt time consuming and complicated, but as the season progressed I was able to hook them up quickly. The bungee system adds nice motion in a strong wind. They retail for $200 per half dozen and come with a really nice, heavy-duty decoy bag. [ Read Full Post ]

Waders leak. Generally I’m lucky if a pair lasts a season. LaCrosse gets special mention, because their Brush-Tuff Extreme waders have lasted me two seasons of hard hunting. The only other pair that comes close to that is an old set of Cabela’s Super Magnums, but I had to return two sets of those before getting a pair that didn’t leak in the crotch, but I digress. My one and only pair of these bomb-proof LaCrosse waders have worn well.

The 5mm neoprene is fleece lined, which is nice indeed, especially if you’re in a jam and only wearing boxer shorts underneath...long story. Most notable, above the ankle where the leg meets the boot, LaCrosse has designed a gasket-like cuff. You will either love this or hate it. On the love side, it keeps your foot firmly in the boot and because it's snug, I believe it keeps your feet warmer. On the hate side, unless you wear wader pants, which I don’t, it can jam up a pair of jeans pretty good and makes putting them on an operation. But once they’re on, they’re great. The... [ Read Full Post ]

by Michael R. Shea

Like marrying your high school sweetheart, the only shotgun I’ve ever loved was my Remington 870 Wingmaster. Heavy, with a 30-inch barrel, she swung smooth and just felt right. Then last year I shot the Franchi Affinity. Well, I wouldn’t say I divorced my 870, I just moved a younger, lighter, modern gal into the gun safe.

Essentially a dressed down M2, the Franchi’s Inertia system runs up the tube, which makes it nicely balanced, quick to point, and sleek. One of my gripes about most autoloaders is the big bulky feel, like swinging a gas-operated club, but the Affinity has none of that. Franchi will tell you she weighs a lusty 6.5 pounds, but mine is closer to 7 in Realtree MAX-4. She fits well, and held up to near daily abuse on the saltwater. Best of all, you can find one for $700 in synthetic black. For 2013 Franchi has released a Sporting version, with a nickel-plated action, and a few tweaks for the clays course. MSRP: about $1,000. [ Read Full Post ]