GET A LOAD OF THIS

KNOW YOUR LOADS

UNDERSTANDING PATTERNING CAN MAKE ALL THE DIFFERENCE WITH WATERFOWL SHOTSHELLS

BY SCOTT HAUGEN

Being locked in winter, there’s plenty of time to reflect. While many Alaskans think of past fishing or big game hunting experiences, others turn to waterfowl hunts.

Last fall I was hunting ducks and geese. A lone honker came skidding into the decoys at 25 yards and I knew it was dinner. But it didn’t come together as I envisioned in a clean, one-shot kill.

My first shot busted the left wing tip of the goose. It landed and was swimming near some floating honker decoys at 30 yards. My two follow-up shots didn’t touch its head or neck. Rather than sticking in the same loads I’d just shot, I grabbed my standby Browning Wicked Wing 3-inch, No. 2 shot. The goose was engulfed in a mist, and when it cleared, the bird was stone dead.

Thus, after 47 years of waterfowl hunting, I learned a lesson: Don’t trust a load just because it’s supposed to be something special. The first three shots I fired at that goose were a hyped-up bismuth load. I also rea rmed my own belief that it’s important to pattern a load before hunting with it, which I failed to do.

Patterning loads on paper reveals a precise pellet count. Doing so at 40 yards is standard, and I also like shooting at 50 yards to know what to expect on follow-up shots – as well as at 20 yards

When it came time for author Scott Haugen’s dream hunt for emperor geese, he selected his go-to load of Browning’s Wicked Wing in No. 2

Ti any Haugen turns waterfowl meat into a deli classic with a wild Alaska twist. Duck pastrami o ers plenty of options, including delicious pâté or quite a unique

Reuben sandwich. (TIFFANY HAUGEN)

FROM DUCKS TO DELI MEAT

BY TIFFANY HAUGEN

When we lived a semi-subsistence lifestyle in Point Lay, Alaska, in the early 1990s, we ate a lot of sea ducks – mostly common and king eider. Early in the season we enjoyed puddle ducks, but they, along with the brant, headed south pretty early.

Wild ducks can widely vary in size and flavor. One recipe that is always a winner is duck pastrami. The long corning/brine process tames any strong flavors and the flavorful rub and smoke flavors accentuate what soon may be one of your favorite wild game meats.

Whether you’re hunting sea ducks or looking to pull from the freezer, this is a deli meat recipe you’ll come back to.

3 pounds duck breasts, cleaned and skinned 1 cup boiling water 1 teaspoon InstaCure ¼ cup kosher salt ¼ cup brown sugar 2 tablespoons pickling spices 2 teaspoons granulated garlic 1 teaspoon black pepper 7 cups cold water

In a large crock or container, whisk salt, InstaCure – sometimes called pink salt or Prague powder – sugar and spices in 1 cup boiling water until salts and sugar dissolve. Add additional 7 cups of cold water and set aside. Clean duck breasts of any sinuous tissues and fat, remove all bloodshot meat and place in brine solution. Cover and refrigerate six to seven days.

Make pastrami seasoning rub of choice. Remove duck breasts from brine and brush o excess spices. Pat dry and coat with pastrami seasoning rub. Place coated duck breasts on smoker racks.

Fill your smoker pan with wood chips (flavor of choice). Place racks in smoker and smoke eight to 10 hours, using at least two pans of chips. Smoke until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. Duck breasts can also be finished in a 170-degree oven or 150-degree dehydrator. (Note: When running a smoker in Alaska or other cold climates in winter, use an approved insulating blanket, as cook times will be greatly extended.)

Duck pastrami can be sliced and eaten directly from the smoker, or, more traditionally, steamed before serving. Steam whole for 30 to 60 minutes or slice and steam five to 10 minutes.

SERVING SUGGESTIONS 1) Make smoked duck pastrami pâté by simply mixing equal parts chopped duck pastrami with cream cheese and pulse until combined in a food processor. 2) Use as the corned beef/pastrami layer in your favorite grilled Reuben sandwich. Keep duck pastrami refrigerated or, for longer-term storage, vacuum seal and freeze either sliced or whole.

TRADITIONAL PASTRAMI SEASONING 2 tablespoons black pepper 1 tablespoon ground coriander 1 tablespoon smoked paprika 2 teaspoons granulated garlic

In a small bowl, mix seasonings until thoroughly combined.

HOT PASTRAMI SEASONING 2 tablespoons black peppercorns 2 teaspoons mustard seeds 2 teaspoons cumin seeds 1 to 2 teaspoons red pepper flakes

In a mortar and pestle or co ee grinder, grind all spices until thoroughly combined.

Editor’s note: For signed copies of Ti any’s popular book, Cooking Game Birds, and other best-selling titles, visit ti anyhaugen.com.

– for those close-range decoying shots. Try di erent brands and shot sizes – even chokes – to see what performs best in your gun.

THE LAST TWO YEARSof shotgun shell shortage was unlike anything most of us had ever experienced. To get by, we snatched any shells we could find. We learned a lot about what it was like shooting di erent brands in a range of shot sizes. Or did we?

Racking up misses throughout the season, many of my hunting buddies figured they just had a bad day of shooting. Others thought it was their gun, while some changed chokes after being frustrated by their misses. Most guys I hunt with are great shots, and their misses were uncharacteristic.

On a hunt in Texas last January, I used my phone to record a buddy shooting decoying redheads. He crippled a drake, then proceeded to miss it on the water with his two ensuing shots. Another buddy killed it with ease.

My friend who missed was shooting a load he’d never used before. Played at regular speed on my phone, the video showed a sparse pattern. But when we scrubbed through the video frame by frame, we saw some of the size 2 shot hitting the water 10 feet from the barrel, while other pellets soared out to 100 yards. At 30 yards the pattern was wide enough to cover a small car.

IN THIS DAY AND age of many hunters recording shots on their cell phones, try and capture some of those finishing shots on water and study the pattern. Download it on to a big computer at home and look closely at the pattern, frame by frame. It will reveal a lot about the loads you’re shooting; more than paper can, in fact.

My preferred shell is Browning’s Wicked Wing, though I continue testing many brands. I like shooting size 4 steel shot for decoying ducks, and size 2 and sometimes BB for geese. If shooting ducks on windy days, I’ll back up the 4s with 2 shot to cut the wind and finish o birds that can quickly gain distance. Wicked Wing is fast, holds a tight pattern, has impressive penetrating power without ripping meat apart, and it shoots to perfection in my Browning Maxus II with the company’s factory full choke.

Another impressive shell I’ve shot in my gun is Federal’s Speed-Shok. HeviShot’s Hevi XII in No. 4 shot, a pure tungsten load, recently caught my attention. I still have more testing to do on this load, but love it so far. Last season I shot nine brands of shotgun shells. Some have me exploring deeper; others, not so much.

Keep in mind that as the season progresses, feather density continues to build in waterfowl, especially if you’re a diver, sea duck or brant hunter in Alaska. While some hunters like going to larger-sized shot for geese late in the season, like BBB, I stick with 2 shot backed up with BB, and I

Knowing how di erent loads perform on di erent waterfowl takes time. Haugen had good success on this hunt in Southeast

Alaska. (SCOTT HAUGEN)

Haugen chose HeviShot loads during this king eider hunt on St. Paul Island. Sea ducks are tough, so having the right loads is critical when shot opportunities present them-

selves. (SCOTT HAUGEN) shoot for the head and neck. I’d rather have more pellets with a chance to kill a bird, than try and drive bigger and fewer pellets through tightly packed feathers on a body shot and risk a cripple.

I’ve used extra-full chokes on late-season goose hunts, as well as when chasing snow geese. While fancy chokes look cool sticking out the barrel, be sure to switch them out when shooting ducks over decoys. Chances are, if you can even hit a duck with this hyper choke at 25 yards, there won’t be much edible meat left.

WHEN YOU SHOOT A specific load traveling at a certain speed, you learn what to expect. This kind of familiarity comes with patterning loads to understand their performance and gaining as much hunting experience as possible.

Last season, a buddy – who is one of the best shots I’ve seen – said it best after shooting 23 shells he’d never before used to get his seven ducks. “I’d rather shoot a di erent gun and choke than change shells!”

Up to that point in the season he was averaging about 10 shells per limit, with shells he was used to shooting at ducks over decoys. Just don’t punish yourself over misses until you understand the big picture, because shooting random loads can explain a lot of errant shots.

Confident, accurate shooting starts with knowing your gun, choke and especially the shells, plus putting in range time. ASJ

Editor’s note: For signed copies of Scott Haugen’s best-selling books, visit scotthaugen.com. Follow Scott on Instagram and Facebook.

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REMEMBER to always observe all applicable boating laws. Never drink and drive. Dress properly with a USCG-approved personal REMEMBER to always observe all applicable boating laws. Never drink and drive. Dress properly with a USCG-approved personal