16 December 2011, 19:42
collectorPacific Eider
The Pacific Common Eider is the biggest of all the 6 sub-species of the Common Eider. Mature males have a black "V" under their chins. They are the "purest" of all Common Eiders, as they have evolved in the Northern Pacific...most other Common Eider sub-species interbreed with each other in certain overlapping areas.
To watch a big male Pacific come low over the ocean is a sight to behold....they are big, and fat, and powerful, with some males reaching 7 pounds in weight.
16 December 2011, 22:13
NortonVery nice. Do you have a pic of your trophy room? Are all of your birds kept in the same place?
19 December 2011, 19:43
collectorThanks Norton, yes they are all in one room, not very many of flying position though because flying birds take up more space.
20 December 2011, 21:51
L. David KeithI really enjoy your posts collector, thank you from a fellow bird lover/hunter. What shot do you like for Pac. Eider? We started out on day one with #2 Federal steel but I quickly recommended we move up to BBs. The results were immediate; follow up shots on cripples all but vanished. #2s were fine on Scoter and Old Squaw. LDK
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Took the wife the Eastern Cape for her first hunt:
http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/6881000262Hunting in the Stormberg, Winterberg and Hankey Mountains of the Eastern Cape 2018
http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/4801073142Hunting the Eastern Cape, RSA May 22nd - June 15th 2007
http://forums.accuratereloadin...=810104007#810104007 16 Days in Zimbabwe: Leopard, plains game, fowl and more:
http://forums.accuratereloadin...=212108409#212108409Natal: Rhino, Croc, Nyala, Bushbuck and more
http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/6341092311 Recent hunt in the Eastern Cape, August 2010: Pics added
http://forums.accuratereloadin...261039941#926103994110 days in the Stormberg Mountains
http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/7781081322Back in the Stormberg Mountains with friends: May-June 2017
http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/6001078232"Peace is that brief glorious moment in history when everybody stands around reloading" - Thomas Jefferson
Every morning the Zebra wakes up knowing it must outrun the fastest Lion if it wants to stay alive. Every morning the Lion wakes up knowing it must outrun the slowest Zebra or it will starve. It makes no difference if you are a Zebra or a Lion; when the Sun comes up in Africa, you must wake up running......
"If you're being chased by a Lion, you don't have to be faster than the Lion, you just have to be faster than the person next to you."
22 December 2011, 18:58
collectorBIG EIDERS:
If Eiders are decoying within 30 yards then #2 Steel will do the job. Cross wind plays a very important factor so you have to keep an eye on it when using steel. Even 20 mph cross wind will sway steel #2 at 30 yards. So moving up to steel B would help out greatly...or even BB or BBB.
Hevi-shot is my preference in B (3" or 3.5") and you can shoot with confidence out to 40 to 45 yards even in cross wind. It kills them clean. Cost of shells is higher than steel, but in the big scheme of things (total cost of the hunt) it is nothing.
SMALLER SEA DUCKS
For smaller birds (say Harlequin, etc) I like to use Kent FastSteel and it does a good job out to 35 yards.
KEEPING SHELLS SQUEAKY CLEAN
In salt water I try to keep my shells dry by keeping them in small ziplock bags. And I wipe the unused ones with an oil cloth after I come back. Brass on Federal and Kent can rust on the outside under certain conditions...which can lead to shells not cycling properly in semi-autos. So you will not find me using a shell belt while hunting salt water. It exposes the shells to rust, which causes cycling issues.
