Equipment Review: Mossberg 500 Field/Deer Combo Shotgun

This weekend I tried out the Mossberg 500 shotgun. Connecticut only allows shotgun hunting on state land, so I wanted a slug gun to be able to hunt deer on Connecticut state land later in November. I hunt mostly on private land, so my state land deer hunting would be only to supplement my regular private land hunting. Therefore, I was not looking for a high end gun. Price and value were more critical to me than features and appearance. The Mossberg 500 Field/Deer Combo 12 gauge fit the bill perfectly.

The Mossberg 500 will not win an beauty contests. It's a gun that's meant to be used, not to be polished and displayed. The combo pack comes with two barrels. One is a standard field barrel. The second barrel is a rifled slug barrel. The gun comes with a scope, 3 chokes, and 2 cheek plates. It's a pump action that can hold up to five 2 3/4 inch shells. The gun weighs 7.5 pounds. At about $265 it was a great value at Dick's Sporting Goods.

I tried out the gun with the field barrel this weekend while pheasant hunting. I missed on the only shot I had, but that was more than likely user error rather than equipment error. The gun did well in the field. It felt light and maneuverable. I have not yet tried out the slug barrel, but based on everything I've seen so far from the gun, I'm not expecting any issues.

It's early (I've only used it once), but so far I would recommend the Mossberg 500 for anyone looking for a solid working shot gun at a reasonable price.

Best of all: It's made in the USA.

New Lessons Learned from Day 1 of 2008 Pheasant Hunting

After much anticipation, the 2008 pheasant hunting season finally arrived in Connecticut. My group was out there first thing Saturday morning. The season started off well with many birds flushed and taken. There were many shots heard throughout the area, so one can assume that others were also having success.

While shaking off the rust, I made two observations that may be useful on the next pheasant hunt.

1) Consider using different shot gun loads depending on whether you are hunting with the assistance of a dog.

Without a dog I typically use a #7.5 as my first load and a #6 as my second load. I hunt with a double-barrel over-under, so I put the #7.5 in the top barrel and the #6 in the bottom barrel. My thinking is that when a bird first flushes the #7.5 is good for a close shot, but for the second shot the bird will be farther away so you need something with some extra distance, hence the #6 shot. This strategy is ok when working without a dog. Without a dog, you need to do the work of flushing, so you generally need to be relatively close to the bird to kick it up. In that instance, the #7.5 is fine.

However, I have found that #7.5 is not the best pheasant load when working with a dog. Yesterday was the first time I have ever hunted with a dog. I observed that since the dog tends to work out in front of the hunter, the bird is generally flushed at a distance a little farther away than it would be flushed out by a hunter without a dog. Therefore, you need a load with a little more distance. I would consider hunting with two #6 loads, or perhaps a #6 for the first shot and maybe even a #4 for the second shot.

2) Be prepared for a bird at all times. This seems obvious, but it is something that has cost me a bird more than once. It cost me one again yesterday. It was mid-day, and I was hunting alone without a dog. I had been walking around for a couple of hours unsuccessfully looking for birds. I had not heard any shots from other hunters. I came to a river. As I was walking the edge of the river trying to find a decent place to cross, a bird flushed right in front of me. However, I was paying more attention to the river. By the time I got my body and gun in position, the bird was too far away for a high percentage shot.

The whole reason for being out there is to hunt birds, so it did not make much sense for me to be concentrating on something else. This lapse definitely cost me a bird.

One final note: Even if you are unsure about whether or not you will go pheasant hunting this year, if there is even a slight chance you might go, please go to the town hall (or on-line) and buy your pheasant tags. Even if you do not end up going, buying your tags helps make for robust pheasant hunting because the number of birds bought is dependant on the number of tags sold in the previous year. The tags are only $10. To me, it's worth the $10 to keep the pheasant hunting opportunities strong for the following year.

Surviving Hurricane Omar in Puerto Rico

Hurricane Omar passed Puerto Rico last night. The island was shut down in anticipation of the storm. The storm ended up being a dud, as far as Puerto Rico was concerned. Just the very edge of the hurricane brushed the eastern end of the island. I was staying in San Juan, so I got a first hand view of the events.
Although I would not wish for a destructive storm, I have to admit I was a little disappointed. Based on the storm preparation here (for example, distributing a flashlight to each hotel room in my hotel, dismissing schools and government jobs, closing roads), I was expecting something big. Instead of swaying palm trees, sideways rain, and wobbling road signs, there was just a bit of wind, and well less than 1 inch of rain. Better safe than sorry I guess.
The biggest impact was on the traffic. A main artery from the south of the island to San Juan was closed, so all traffic had to go around the entire perimeter of the island on city roads (with stop lights) to get back to San Juan. It took me 3 and 1/2 hours to get from San German to San Juan.
So, in conclusion, we were fortunate to avoid the storm, even if it meant less excitement.

Fall Hunting Season Arrives

The fall 2008 hunting season has already started for some, but it starts for me next week when pheasant season opens. Posts have been slow on Connecticut Outdoors lately because we are in that limbo period where it is too cool for many summer activities, but not yet into the fall season. That changes next week. In addition to posts regarding the hunting season, expect reviews of new equipment including new boots, jacket, and rain gear that I plan to try out this year.

Sessions Woods -- Burlington, CT

What: Hiking trails, nature center
Where: Route 69, Burlington, CT

Sessions Woods is a state owned property featuring several hiking trails and a large nature center building. The building is used for programs, but also contains a permanent exhibit displaying samples of local wildlife. The highlight of Sessions Woods are the well maintained walking trails. The primary trail goes 2.6 miles through forested property. The trail is wide, and well maintained with crushed stone. It's an ideal trail for an easy hike, jog, or a dog walk. On Saturday morning I did the complete loop with my dog and 3-year old son. The trail contains mile markers, which are especially helpful to joggers.
Along the primary trail there are several side excursions. There is a permanent observation blind on a beaver pond, an outlook fire tower, and a waterfall, as well as several side trails. There are also nature exhibits along the trail.
Sessions Woods is a ideal place for a peaceful walk through the woods.

Transitioning to Fall

Connecticut Outdoors is experiencing a little bit of a slow down as we transition from the summer to fall season.

As we move towards fall you can expect a reduced percentage of posts relating to family day-trips, and a higher percentage of posts on fall hunting.

I still have a few family outdoor hikes planned while the weather is still good, but there will be no more beach related posts, no more camping/campground posts, and kayaking season is also likely ending.

I might also try to throw a few equipment reviews in, which are actually quite popular and generate a lot of hits from random Internet users.

A Day at the Beach: Silver Sands State Park – Milford, CT

Shhhhh. Don’t let too many people know about this little known gem! I hesitated to even put this one on my blog. However, this beach certainly has room for growth.

Credit my wife for discovering this one.

My family visited Silver Sands State Park during this past Labor Day weekend, typically one of the busiest beach weekends of the year. What a different beach experience from the typical Hammonassett-Rocky Neck trip! The park was 100% free. That’s right; no parking charge, no entrance fee. There was ample parking. The beach was not crowded at all, even at mid-day.
The attitude at Silver Sands was laid back. There was none of the strict rules and pretentiousness of other beaches. If you want to fly a kite, go ahead. If you want to bring your kayaks on the beach and do some paddling, go ahead.
Silver Sands beach includes an island a short distance out. This island is accessible by foot during low tide via a sand bar adjacent to the main beach. We used our kayaks to reach the island.
There are some things you will not find as Silver Sands that are available at some of the more popular state public beaches. There is not a changing area, shower area, or bathroom. Porto-potties only. Large waves are also non-existent at Silver Sands. This is good for small children, but may be a bit of a disappointment for older children that enjoy the waves. There is also no food service available on the beach. You will need to pack your own.
Although the water and overall grounds are quite nice, the sand is not the highest quality. There are quite a few small shells that make it a little rougher than some other beaches. I suggest bringing sandals or some sort of water shoe.
Some of these features may turn some people off to Silver Sands, but for me it was a benefit. Silver Sands was a bare bones, simple, back to basics park. Low crowds, low cost, and low stress.

Silver Sands will likely replace Hammonassett as our family beach destination.

Kayaking the Housatonic River

The Facts:

What: Housatonic River
Put In: Pull off parking area near power plant just below dam in Falls Village, CT

Take Out: Housatonic Meadows State Park in Cornwall Bridge, CT (see recommendations below)

Distance: About 10 miles

My wife and I just bought two new kayaks, so we were itching to try them on on a river trip. We decided to do a 10 mile stretch on the Housatonic River. We chose this for our first trip because I am very familiar with the area being originally from this region.

We are both novices to kayaking. This was the first river trip for both of us. It was not a difficult run. The start of the trip is mostly slow moving, so your speed really depends on how hard you want to paddle. We got on the water around 11 AM, stopped for lunch at the covered bridge in West Cornwall, and made it to the the take out area around 3 PM.

The second leg of the trip (after the covered bridge) features more fast moving water. There are some moderate rapids, but certainly nothing that ever put us in any danger of tipping. We would perhaps get a little splash at the most. Even if you did tip (which again, seems remote) the river is mostly narrow and shallow. You would most likely be able to stand, and if not, it would be a short swim to shore. My point is, this trip is certainly acceptable to a novice or recreational kayaker.

We mostly had the river to ourselves, save for the occasional fly fisherman. The trip provided an excellent opportunity for bird watching. We spotted several cranes, hawks, and other assorted birds that you don't normally see at the bird feeder.

I do have one recommendation to improve the trip. Water levels were quite low for about the last mile of our trip. We got hung up on rocks several times. Perhaps it could be different in the spring, or after a heavy rain, but in late August it was an annoyance. Instead of ending at Housatonic Meadows State Park parking area, I recommend finding a spot further north to take out. There are several pull off points that fisherman use along the river on Route 7 that would serve as an adequate parking spot. I would suggest finding a spot just north of the Housatonic Meadows campground. This would reduce the length of the trip, but avoid the last mile of struggling with rocks in 12 inch deep water. The second negative of taking out at Housatonic Meadows is that there is a pretty steep bank to climb from the river to the parking area. It was not a problem for me, but I can see how some people might find it difficult to climb such a bank while trying to drag a kayak.

Despite these take out issues, it was a fun and enjoyable trip. A great day in the outdoors.

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Kayaking at Park Pond -- Winchester, CT

The Facts:
Where: Park Pond. State boat launch off RT 263 side of Blue Street.
What: Leisurely paddle around pond.
Of Note: Ample parking. Port-a-pottie in parking lot. Few people. No large motor boats.

We finally got a chance to try out our new kayaks. The family was new to kayaking, so for our first excursion we chose a calm place where we could be leisurely. Park Pond in Winchester fit the bill perfectly. Everyone had fun exploring the medium sized (by Connecticut standards) pond. The water was clear and warm. We were able to observe two turtles sunning themselves on a fallen log, as well as a family of ducks. We don't have a lot of pictures because it's always a risk bringing the camera onto the kayak. However, you might be able to tell from the two pictures posted that Park Pond is quite, with only a few cottages. On the far side there are 2 summer camps, but they did not appear to be doing any activities near the water. Overall a fun family experience.

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Campground Review: Wolf's Den Family Campground -- East Hampton, CT

The Facts:

Where: 256 Town Street, East Haddam, CT

Contact: 860-873-9681

Website: http://www.wolfsdencampground.com/

What: A long weekend of camping

Features: Pool, large wooded sites, full hook-ups, playground, camp store, mini golf, ice cream, right down the road from Gillette Castle State Park, 3 PM check-in/check-out

Cost: $78 for camper site for 3-day weekend

Wolf's Den Family Campground has struck a balance. They have managed to be kid friendly, and adult friendly, while still retaining the feeling of being in the outdoors. It's an excellent family campground. Wolf's Den has all the amenities that kids enjoy like a large pool, playground, game room, mini-golf, and a camp store. Wolf's Den also had several organized activities like arts-and-crafts, horse shoe tournaments, and softball. The weekend we attended was a theme weekend. The theme was safety. The campground had a fire truck, ambulance, police boat, police cruiser, and police dog all on display for the kids. The kids were able to climb, touch, and explore all the equipment in a laid back atmosphere. The equipment was so hands on that my son managed to blow the extremely loud horn of the fire truck right in the ear of his uncle! The highlight of the day was a state police helicopter landing. It's not every day that you get to watch a helicopter make a landing. The theme weekend concluded with a fun, family-oriented DJ dance on the basketball court. The kids loved it, and it held the interest of the adults as well.

The sites at Wolf's Den are large for a private campground. You can choose from wooded sites or more open sites. The open sites are closer to the activities (pool, etc.), but the wooded sites are more peaceful. We chose a wooded site. All the sites I observed were flat and well kept. Just a single site was plenty large enough for our camper, a large tent, and a screen tent. 7 people camped comfortably at the site. The only disadvantage to the site was that it was at the bottom of a steep hill, so we had to trek up this hill to got to the attractions. This was a minor inconvenience.

The campground was well run. The pool was extra large and there were plenty of chairs around.

There were few negatives about Wolf's Den Family Campground. If I have to list a couple negatives, I would say that one is that they tend to "nickel-and-dime" you a bit. For example, they charge $.50 for the mini-golf which could easily be free. There is also a charge for the arts-and-crafts programs. Although a bit annoying, these charges were not a big issue. The only other minor negative I could think of was the attitude of the guy in charge of the pool. He gave us trouble for having a morning coffee in the pool area, and was a little gruff at times with the kids. I hesitate to even mention it because it was definitely not an issue. I just feel I should come up with at least a couple areas for improvement just on the off-chance the staff happens to read this!

On the way out of the campground, we stopped at Gillette Castle, which is literally the next turn just down the road from the Campground. The campground is also within a 5 minute drive from the Connecticut River boat launch, and the Goodspeed Opera House. We enjoyed a nice picnic lunch at Gillette Castle (see previous post).

In summary, we all had a fun, active, and relaxing weekend at Wolf's Den Family Campground. The kids are already asking to go back. I guess the highest praise I could give is to become a repeat customer, and plans are already in the works for my family to return to Wolf's Den Family Campground.

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