It’s become a family tradition. For the past 2 years, I’ve treated my daughter-in-law, Tracey, to a teal hunt for her birthday. So far, we’ve only hunted teal in Louisiana — in a marsh and this year, in a lovely, flooded rice field. And so far, we’ve found no reason to look elsewhere for our annual excursion to limit out on excellent, fast and delicious teal. DIVA Women Outdoors Worldwide (DIVA WOW) invited us to join them on this special hunt, sponsored in part from the Jeff Davis Parish Economic Development & Tourist Commission. We found the offer appealing and I wanted to take my new V3 from Remington in the field to see if it would perform.
The 2-day hunt included not only some of the best teal hunting in the nation, located near Lake Arthur, but also one of the most accommodating outfitters I’ve ever met — Southwest Louisiana Sportsman Lodge. From the bunkhouse to the big gathering room — complete with a kitchen for an executive chef — the lodge came stocked with plenty of towels, lots of room, a wonderful country setting and delicious meals. And the guides? Exceptional.
I’ll tell the rest of the story, and a bit of a review on the victorious V3 in photos below.
You have to get up before the sun to get into the blinds for teal hunting.
This is what sunrise looks like when you’re in a rice field duck blind.
And this … is my V3, a 12-gauge workhorse of a duck gun, at the ready.
This is my V3 after another teal came down.
The V3 Field Sport Black Synthetic shoots from 2 3/4 inch target loads up to 3-inch mags.
This gun is a total workhorse, but with a soft gait. I must confess: Remington gifted this gun to me last year after a writers’ event, and I wanted to see how it would work on a teal hunt. But believe me, I would never take a shotgun afield that will not work just for the sake of a review or for a free gun — of which I didn’t ask for in the first place. I spent hard-earned money for this hunt and getting my daughter-in-law and me, via air, to our destination. I shot a few boxes of shells at clays before I left my home for the hunt, and without a single malfunction and with handling all types of loads, I knew this gun would be reliable afield.
On the hunt, I shot it again and again, going through a few boxes of steel shotshells and not a ding or bruise or mark anywhere was to be found on my person. That’s because, like its predecessor — the VersaMax — this gun comes built with a VersaPort gas system. I also appreciated its stock — synthetic and with no fancy schmancy covering.
One of the best features, and one that women will appreciate, is that its carrier features a locking-back device, so you can load the gun without it pulling off or destroying your thumbnail. If you shoot shotguns, you know what I mean.
This bird had been banded in Minnesota.
One of our hunters, Miss Chia, discovered she brought in a banded bird, which is quite a score.
Check out head guide SWLASportsman Garrett Cole and his homemade birdstrap out of gator!
We are looking forward to making duck gumbo this year at deer camp.
Thanks to the women who made this event happen: Judy Rhodes (left), founder of DIVA WOW and Marion Fox, President /CEO of the Economic Development Tourist Commission for Jeff Davis Parish.
Look at Tracey’s expression when she got brave and held this “baby” gator from the Gator Chateau in Jennings, La. Last year, she held this same little guy and he truly was little. This year, she went outside of her comfort zone to hold him.
Find out more about the Gator Chateau, which is undergoing a major renovation, but will be even more spectacular. http://www.jeffdavis.org/tourism/attractions/gator-chateau.html
April, who manages the outfitting business and cooks up wonderful meals when an executive chef is not visiting, was not shy around the baby gators at all.
Exec. Chef Dustie Latiolais, of Crawfish Town USA in Henderson, La., prepared a chow-chow stuffed teal, with turnip greens, bacon jam and sweet potatoes with Tasso.
And … oh my … bacon jam on top of a block of cream cheese? Created by Dustie Latiolais, the chef, and available for sale at Cochon Cannery in Breaux Bridge.
You can inquire about ordering a case of this bacon jam by calling Cochon Cannery: http://www.cochoncannery.com Seriously, I’m going to order a case because it’ll make super Christmas gifts and great party fare for the holiday season.
Next year, we’re going back for big ducks! Here are Judy Rhodes, along with her pals Suzanne and Brittany — all DIVAs — and their limits for the day. Oh, and that’s Shaka, who is otherwise distracted and tired from retrieving all those ducks! (DIVA WOW photo)
Book your own duck hunting trip of a lifetime with Southwest Louisiana Sportsman: http://www.swlasportsman.com/#contact
https://www.remington.com/shotguns/autoloading/v3-field-sport/v3-field-sport-black-synthetic
MSRP: $895 for the black, synthetic finish
This Retro WON first appeared October 18, 2016.
Publisher/Editor Barbara Baird is a freelance writer in hunting, shooting and outdoor markets. Her bylines are found at several top hunting and shooting publications. She also is a travel writer, and you can follow her at https://www.ozarkian.com. View all posts by Barbara Baird
