Weird dove opener

[Wildgame]

We got in on the 31st, after setting up the trailer we started to relax a bit. The biggest storm I have seen In that area rolled in. Lighting, thundering and heavy rains. Seating outside under the awning watching the storm there were 100s of birds flying away looking for shelter.
100+ degrees weather and 100% humidity made us move inside. We enjoyed the AC until stoped working!...we tried not to panic. There was no way we would make thru the night wo AC.
We figured out the extension cord we used it was for 110v and not 220v. In the storm we had to move the trailer a few feet to reach the 220v.
The AC was up and running again ..until it failed yet again. We figured out the AC worked reliably on high setting only. An indication of a bad capacitor that needs to be replaced.
We showed up to the spot and it wasn't slow, it was dead. No birds. Talking to some of the usual suspects I recognized they said the storm pushed the birds away.
We managed to get a few. We tried the afternoon at different spot and got some more birds. We hunted yet again the next morning and got some more.
Really fun to hunt 3 times but boy it was really hard to get a bird. I had to move to modified choke and take longer shots.
No trailer next year. The weather is just too unforgiving the heat is just brutal.
Sorry guys no pics. We were always too busy trouble shooting or relocating looking for birds.
We got checked by wardens. All in good order but they nailed some folks for not having a plug I was told.

 

[AndrewSD]

@Wildgame Sorry, maybe a silly question. What did you mean by "for not having a plug"?

 

[fish impaler]

Magazine blocked to only hold 2 shells +1 in chamber

 

[ilovesprig]

@Wildgame Sorry, maybe a silly question. What did you mean by "for not having a plug"?

Most all repeating shotguns have a tubular magazine that hold 4 or 5 shotshells....The law reads that your shotgun can only hold 3 shells total in the gun (1 in the chamber, 2 in the mag)...So, a plug is put into the tubular mag to make it hold only 2 shells.

ps...Remington used to NOT put the plug in their shotguns...Always check to make sure...This actually happened to a kid I know after getting a new 870.

 

[AndrewSD]

@fish impaler @ilovesprig Thanks for feedback. Know the rule just was not sure about the "plug" word. So I thought maybe some new crazy rule from CA officials I am not aware about yet (every dove hunter should have a plug in their pocket or somewhere else) Things are changed so quickly here.

 

[ilovesprig]

@fish impaler @ilovesprig Thanks for feedback. Know the rule just was not sure about the "plug" word. So I thought maybe some new crazy rule from CA officials I am not aware about yet (every dove hunter should have a plug in their pocket or somewhere else) Things are changed so quickly here.

It's always better to ask here than trying to explaining it to the warden (or judge).

 

[WaterDawg]

We got in on the 31st, after setting up the trailer we started to relax a bit. The biggest storm I have seen In that area rolled in. Lighting, thundering and heavy rains. Seating outside under the awning watching the storm there were 100s of birds flying away looking for shelter.
100+ degrees weather and 100% humidity made us move inside. We enjoyed the AC until stoped working!...we tried not to panic. There was no way we would make thru the night wo AC.
We figured out the extension cord we used it was for 110v and not 220v. In the storm we had to move the trailer a few feet to reach the 220v.
The AC was up and running again ..until it failed yet again. We figured out the AC worked reliably on high setting only. An indication of a bad capacitor that needs to be replaced.
We showed up to the spot and it wasn't slow, it was dead. No birds. Talking to some of the usual suspects I recognized they said the storm pushed the birds away.
We managed to get a few. We tried the afternoon at different spot and got some more birds. We hunted yet again the next morning and got some more.
Really fun to hunt 3 times but boy it was really hard to get a bird. I had to move to modified choke and take longer shots.
No trailer next year. The weather is just too unforgiving the hit is just brutal.
Sorry guys no pics. We were always too busy trouble shooting or relocating looking for birds.
We got checked by wardens. All in good order but they nailed some folk for not having a plug I was told.

Wierd sums it up pretty well. Glad you got a handle on the mechanical issues and were able to have a good time.

 

[Cdj85]

I forgot the plug one time on my 20 ga. Just made it out to the field and realized it. I had a couple pencils, duck tape and a knife to cut to length. It worked for the time being. Never did run into the warden that trip though. But better safe than sorry.

At least you had some fun hunting though. I ended up limiting each of the the first three days but we were out there all day long. And it got very slow but kept at it.