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i also like the symetre but not the rear drag(personal preferance) i own 4 of them all are 2000s.
not so sure on the newest model symetres though, they kinda looked cheap at the store. the ones i have are 5 years old and built like a tank, i have used and abused em and have never had a problem with them.
I have a couple of the older symetres and like them very much. Never had and problems with them at all.
Ducks
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You really do not need one for that close of range. If you were shooting 35-50 yards, well then rock on! They are the best chokes for steel shot and bigger steel for geese. I use them in my Browning Gold and SP10. 60-70 yard hivis BBB or T’s. What a killer. I have shot them for ducks with 2 shot. Makes a mess of them under 30 yards.
That is what I was wondering also. I shoot Hevi-shot and was wondering if the combination of the two would be to much. I was just looking for the best possible pattern. It appears that in the range I’m talking I should just stick with my Ruger chokes. But if I decide to buy a Pattern-master for geese at 35-50 yards? Which choke then? Standard? Medium?
Ducks
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You really do not need one for that close of range. If you were shooting 35-50 yards, well then rock on! They are the best chokes for steel shot and bigger steel for geese. I use them in my Browning Gold and SP10. 60-70 yard hivis BBB or T’s. What a killer. I have shot them for ducks with 2 shot. Makes a mess of them under 30 yards.
That is what I was wondering also. I shoot Hevi-shot and was wondering if the combination of the two would be to much. I was just looking for the best possible pattern. It appears that in the range I’m talking I should just stick with my Ruger chokes. But if I decide to buy a Pattern-master for geese at 35-50 yards? Which choke then? Standard? Medium?
Ducks
Thanks again guys I’m sure my buddy will find your advise MOST helpful.
All I can tell you is that the dog owner bought the dog for companionship and not for hunting. HE bought the dog with papers on advice from a friend. Now he has changed some things in his life and wants someone to have the dog who will treat it very well. He was talking about selling it but told my buddy that since they were such good friends that he would give him the dog if he wanted it. My buddy was just a little apprehensive because of the dogs age. He has only trained dogs from the puppy stage, not 3 years old.
It sounds like he should give it a go.
Ducks
Thanks again guys I’m sure my buddy will find your advise MOST helpful.
All I can tell you is that the dog owner bought the dog for companionship and not for hunting. HE bought the dog with papers on advice from a friend. Now he has changed some things in his life and wants someone to have the dog who will treat it very well. He was talking about selling it but told my buddy that since they were such good friends that he would give him the dog if he wanted it. My buddy was just a little apprehensive because of the dogs age. He has only trained dogs from the puppy stage, not 3 years old.
It sounds like he should give it a go.
Ducks
Kind of what I was thinking. Just didn’t know if at 3 years old that would pose a problem. It sounds like to me he needs to go check out this dog and do a few things to see how receptive it is to commands. You can usually tell if a dog will be willing to learn or if they don’t have any willingness to please by doing a few easy things.
Thanks for the input guys, I appreciate the insite!
Jason, How you been buddy? Been quite a while! Bustin’ any birds? I’m mean the ones that sit on the water. LOL!!!
Ducks
Kind of what I was thinking. Just didn’t know if at 3 years old that would pose a problem. It sounds like to me he needs to go check out this dog and do a few things to see how receptive it is to commands. You can usually tell if a dog will be willing to learn or if they don’t have any willingness to please by doing a few easy things.
Thanks for the input guys, I appreciate the insite!
Jason, How you been buddy? Been quite a while! Bustin’ any birds? I’m mean the ones that sit on the water. LOL!!!
Ducks
If that was a guess all I can say is
YOU DA MAN!!!!
Ducks
If that was a guess all I can say is
YOU DA MAN!!!!
Ducks
Very good memory ya got there Ryan. Didn’t know if you would remember that or not.
I was telling Ryan this morning that I hunt a part of the river only a few miles south of where most of that story took place.
A few years ago a friend of mine and I started out from Manchester, Ia. in a snow storm. We left at around 3:00am and it was almost a blizzard. I told him I didn’t think it was a good idea and that I knew we could get there,the storm had just started, but I wasn’t sure we would be able to make it back. He finally convinced me by saying, “If it is that bad we’ll get a hotel for the night.” He also said, “Let’s give it a try, if it doesn’t get any better we’ll just turn back.” So, after he talked me into it we left. Drove about 20 miles and it was only a flurry, drove anther 10 and it had completely stopped snowing. We arrived at our spot on the Miss. around 5:00am. Decoys are set, blind is in order, guns are loaded, hunters are ready. Now all we needed was the ducks. Had a few buzzing the area but not what we had expected. Then, about 9:00am…..the ducks showed!! Divers and mallards seemed to fill the sky. You would work one bunch, drop one or two and it would only be minutes and you would be working another. Turn out to be a great hunt! Well, it was so fun we hadn’t noticed the snow. Not until we noticed the decoys were all pretty much white. Before we knew it we couldn’t see the trees on the other end of our spot….about 125 yards away. It was snowing THAT hard. We were deciding at what point we were going to leave….I’m mean…..we did still need to try and get home. 
As we sat there watching this blizzard and hearing the mallards quacking over head(couldn’t see them) it suddenly dawned on us….. ARMITICE DAY!!!! It didn’t take long for us to vacate the area. No sense in trying fate! Equipment is different today, forecasts are better 
, chances of another Armistice Day tragedy are much slimmer today. But ya know what…..blizzard conditions ANYWHERE aren’t fun……but on the Mighty Mississippi, it just isn’t worth the risk.
It was just a very strange feeling when we realized we were hunting in a blizzard on Armistice Day with similar conditions. Sobering to say the least.
Ducks
Very good memory ya got there Ryan. Didn’t know if you would remember that or not.
I was telling Ryan this morning that I hunt a part of the river only a few miles south of where most of that story took place.
A few years ago a friend of mine and I started out from Manchester, Ia. in a snow storm. We left at around 3:00am and it was almost a blizzard. I told him I didn’t think it was a good idea and that I knew we could get there,the storm had just started, but I wasn’t sure we would be able to make it back. He finally convinced me by saying, “If it is that bad we’ll get a hotel for the night.” He also said, “Let’s give it a try, if it doesn’t get any better we’ll just turn back.” So, after he talked me into it we left. Drove about 20 miles and it was only a flurry, drove anther 10 and it had completely stopped snowing. We arrived at our spot on the Miss. around 5:00am. Decoys are set, blind is in order, guns are loaded, hunters are ready. Now all we needed was the ducks. Had a few buzzing the area but not what we had expected. Then, about 9:00am…..the ducks showed!! Divers and mallards seemed to fill the sky. You would work one bunch, drop one or two and it would only be minutes and you would be working another. Turn out to be a great hunt! Well, it was so fun we hadn’t noticed the snow. Not until we noticed the decoys were all pretty much white. Before we knew it we couldn’t see the trees on the other end of our spot….about 125 yards away. It was snowing THAT hard. We were deciding at what point we were going to leave….I’m mean…..we did still need to try and get home. As we sat there watching this blizzard and hearing the mallards quacking over head(couldn’t see them) it suddenly dawned on us….. ARMITICE DAY!!!! It didn’t take long for us to vacate the area. No sense in trying fate! Equipment is different today, forecasts are better , chances of another Armistice Day tragedy are much slimmer today. But ya know what…..blizzard conditions ANYWHERE aren’t fun……but on the Mighty Mississippi, it just isn’t worth the risk.
It was just a very strange feeling when we realized we were hunting in a blizzard on Armistice Day with similar conditions. Sobering to say the least.
Ducks
“Just be the ball……be the ball……just…..be the ball…….your not being the ball…..well it’s kind of hard with you talking like that.”
“well that it’s then…..we’ll just get married. Oh god that’s all I need. You don’t want to marry me Danny. Yes I do. No ya don’t. Yes I do! No ya don’t. YES I DO!!”
“Misses Cramer…..I’m….watching you….you little monkey woman…..your lean and mean and not to far between……bark like a dog for me.”
“Madonna with meat ball.”
“So Maggie, how was it? How was what? Well I guess it couldn’t have been that good then.”
“mister Havacamp….mister Havacamp the green is this way….just hit it……That’s a peach hun……golly I’m hot today”
” you know I’ve alway aspired to go to college…..but (sigh) it look like my folks won’t have the money to send me. Well the world needs ditch digger too.”
I just hate that movie! 
Ducks
Gonna be great to have you and the son out here! If things pan out for us, it should be a Hale of a hunt!
And I PROMISE!! NO MUSHROOMS!! 
Ducks
Gonna be great to have you and the son out here! If things pan out for us, it should be a Hale of a hunt!
And I PROMISE!! NO MUSHROOMS!!
Ducks
Maybe…….but isn’t it cold up there year around? LOL!!! I heard it never thaws out! LOL!!!
If I ever get the chance to head your way Tom, I will look you up for sure.
Ducks
Well, not sure I can explain it very well but it is on the west side of Mich. about 340 miles north from Chicago. Empire is right on Lake Michigan and almost directly west of Traverse City. Quite a drive from Manchester, Iowa. Long drive but worth it. I think we put 1300 miles on my Yukon!
Ducks
Great outting Dave!! Glad to see ya still got the skills!
One of these days I’m gonna have to bring my Dad up and we’ll hook up. He still tells me I need to get that arranged.
Ducks
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I hope he has steel shot in his wrist rocket then!!! Chuckles
Well……..aren’t rocks non-tox? 
Ducks
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I hope he has steel shot in his wrist rocket then!!! Chuckles
Well……..aren’t rocks non-tox?
Ducks
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Calling??? 5 year old Cade “calling geese in”
Ryan Hale
Can’t quite see it but I could swear Cade is holding a wrist rocket. 
Ducks
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Calling??? 5 year old Cade “calling geese in”
Ryan Hale
Can’t quite see it but I could swear Cade is holding a wrist rocket.
Ducks
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Scott,it’s going to be a great time.I’m really forward to hearing you call dude!!!
I plan on bringing the cam corder so we can get some fun footage.
Whats the countdown,4 months sound right?
Ryan Hale
Guess I better get practicing on the calls then. Would want to let you down. Actually I have been very lax on my practicing….I need to get back to it.
BTW…….129 days!!
Ducks
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Scott,it’s going to be a great time.I’m really forward to hearing you call dude!!!
I plan on bringing the cam corder so we can get some fun footage.
Whats the countdown,4 months sound right?
Ryan Hale
Guess I better get practicing on the calls then. Would want to let you down. Actually I have been very lax on my practicing….I need to get back to it.
BTW…….129 days!!
Ducks
Just getting you boys charged up. Gonna be a great time!
Just getting you boys charged up. Gonna be a great time!
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Why do you need to call when I can go out my door and see this??
Because of the holes in the boats the ricochets would make.
Ducks
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Why do you need to call when I can go out my door and see this??
Because of the holes in the boats the ricochets would make.
Ducks
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Scott,
Thanks for the kind words, it was a pleasure to finally meet you, and to be a part of a weekend that will be long remembered. It’s nice to read about peoples memories and what makes them special.One of these days we’ll have to meet up for some time on the water.
You’re so right about the waterfowling in NW IA, not too much like the Miss flyway.
dave
We saw ducks on almost every area of marsh we saw. And that was from the road, without binoculars. The Miss. doesn’t have squat on the Western boys.
Ducks
Good luck on the eyes Kraig! Let me know how you do.
Ducks
