Punt Gun For Waterfowl In The Market Gunning Era

[Mr VJP]

Known as a punt gun and used during the era of market gunning for waterfowl, this gun could shoot 1 pound of shot with 1 pull of the trigger. Many ducks could be bagged with one shot if you could "get your ducks in a row".

 

BTW, it was secured to the boat itself and not fired from the shoulder. The recoil would push the entire boat backwards in the water for many yards after the shot.

[Lawdwaz]

And the trigger was never pulled on flying ducks, just those sitting ON the water. 

[Pygmy]

My oh MY.....That's a BIG one....

[grampy]

I have an old Sears 12g.double barrel from my Grandfather, that will rival that for recoil! Only shot it once, a couple of times. Nuff said.

[Lawdwaz]

My oh MY.....That's a BIG one....

 

I had a feeling Vince had the biggest..................

 

 

 

 

 

[Mr VJP]

And the trigger was never pulled on flying ducks, just those sitting ON the water. 

 

Correct.  I forgot to mention that.  They would skull the boat (move it towards a raft of ducks with one oar out the stern) in range and yank a line tied to the trigger when they got the boat and the ducks lined up just right.

 

I did some waterfowling on Barnegat Bay in my youth and often let the boat drift close to the rafted ducks before rising up in the boat to flush them within range.  They would often let a drifting boat get real close out in the open water.  I was never able to get more than two at once though.

[Pygmy]

Does KICKS make a  " Patternmaster"  tube in 2 gauge ?

[Critter4321]

i guess once you fired it the boat would be back on shore from the recoil 

[Uncle Nicky]

If you ever get down to the Eastern shore of Maryland, check out the Ward Museum of Wildlife Art in Salisbury, the display at Blackwater Refuge, or the Maritime Museum in St. Michaels. Lots of history and exhibits of guns and equipment used during the market hunting days. Tons of decoys as well.

[Marion]

They had that gun on the Ripley's believe it or NOT TV show years ago when Dean Cain hosted it. Said it could take out 500 ducks at a time

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[Lawdwaz]

 

 

I did some waterfowling on Barnegat Bay in my youth and often let the boat drift close to the rafted ducks before rising up in the boat to flush them within range.  They would often let a drifting boat get real close out in the open water.  I was never able to get more than two at once though.

 

One of my best hunting buddies hunted that way for many years across Lake Erie from Buffalo at Point Abino Canada.  He called it "sneak shooting".

 

When he first arrived, usually AFTER all the early morning duck hunters had been on the water for a few hours, he'd row out into the bay and set his spread of dekes.  Then he'd row back to shore, haul the boat up on the beach and start drinking his coffee right out in the open.

 

Soon a flock of bluebills would light in and land in the spread.  Tom would chug the rest of his 3x cream & sugar coffee, cork up the Thermos and push the boat back into the swells.  The sneak boat (yea, he made it from scratch) would then be slowly paddle out into the swells towards the unsuspecting ducks as he was hunkered down behind the hinged screen.

 

When he would get within range of the birds he'd give one more hard shove on the paddle and then set the it down in the belly of the boat. Then, slowly he would grab the old humpback Browning light 12.  As the boat was now among the birds he'd push the muzzle of the gun into the screen, folding it down and come up on the birds.  The handloaded Peters Blue Magic hulls would fly!

 

Back in the early days lead shot and 8 bird limits were the big draw to the Canadian hunting.  That,  good people & nostalgia were what made Tom happy.

 

Tom carved all his own decoys in the day and had a 50 bird spread that today would be valuable to collectors but they aren't for sale.  He may have given a couple away to very close friends but I just don't recall and would never ask.

 

Often times he'd invite a friend along, they'd take turns sneaking in and limits were very common.  Soon the Canadian's imposed steel shot and limits were lowered and Tom spent more time at his farm in Arcade, NY.  Sadly, he was done with this type of hunting when we first met in early 1986.  Then tradition archery grabbed him and hasn't let go!!

 

Making sneak boats, carving decoys, loading metallic and shot shells, tying flies, building bamboo fly rods, recurve bows, long bows and HUNDREDS of the finest cedar shafts are just some of the things he has perfected as a hobby while earning a living as an artist.  His full name is Thomas Aquinas Daly.

 

Sorry for all the unrelated stuff but I'm proud to call him a friend........

[ants]

I would love to see it fired with two guys holding it in the same way the guys in the photo are holding it!! LoL!!…... You Tube gold….

 

[DirtTime]

I would love to see it fired with two guys holding it in the same way the guys in the photo are holding it!! LoL!!…... You Tube gold….

Ditto.

 

 

That's a big gun. 

[jjb4900]

if you get the chance, pick up the book "The Outlaw Gunner"......all about market hunting back in the day, good read.

[Daveboone]

somehow I don't think this is a real example of one. on closer look, the lock doesn't look real...the people holding it look like kids, (the one on the right is wearing his hat down over his eyes).

I think this particular gun is just a display of some sort in reality.

From what I have read though, those punts were massive, and weren't designed looking anything like a real shoulder gun....quite literally a big pipe mounted on a stock squared to match against a sandbagded transom, fired by a pull string.

[Pygmy]

You guys should be ashamed with all of that sexist talk....

Oh...Wait a minute....You said PUNT guns, didn't you....Never mind...Musta read it wrong..