Hunted with Jim conte in the morning.  We did a land based shoot for a couple of hours.  We had some good gunning and bagged a few buffleheads and broadbill.  We then set out with the open water layout boat for an afternoon hunt.  Ken Mearns joined us.  All was well until we set the rig and the fog rolled in.  It would have been a real good shoot but the fog reduced   visibility to the point that we couldn't see the birds and they couldn't see our rig.  We did bag a few buffleheads and a couple of broadbill.  A good day overall and a lot of laughs.  Scary in the scooter however when a couple of boats almost ran us over in the fog.

Captain Al Lorenzetti

12/29/02

It was an interesting day.  We put together our lay-out Great South Bay scooter rig and went gunning for broadbill.  A great crew of Rich Santos, Jim Conte, Ken Mearns, Ralph Scordino and Tony.  As it turns out we set up in the wrong spot for a lot of reasons.  Another crew came out after us and set up to our west but a little too close so the birds coming from the west got shot at and/or flared and moved away from our spread.  We were also not in the best position as most of the birds were flying to our north, just out of attractive distance for the size spread we were using.  Then to top it off, a scalloper started dredging scallops about 200 yards to the east of us and diverted any birds coming from the east.  At ten o'clock we had enough and decided to pack it in rather then re-rig the spread.  So be it!   It was a good trial run however and as always we learned a lot.

In the afternoon we did a short shore-side hunt and bagged a couple of birds and saw a beautiful sunset.

An interesting day on the water.  Some days you eat the ducks and some days they eat you.

Captain Al Lorenzetti

12/28/02

Had a great day hunting with my son Luke and Rich Santos.  On the first run a Broadbill came close to the rig but didn't tend.  It was crossing at 40 yards and Luke took a bead on it and killed it dead.  It was a great shot and I really took pride in my son's shooting ability.  He loved it.   We bagged two more broadbill and two buffleheads and a merganser.  The merganser was killed by me and Luke on a simultaneous passing shot at about 45 yards.  

In the afternoon we hunted with Ralph Scordino who is the Mayor of Babylon.  We had some long shots but then a couple came real good.   We bagged a brodabill and a big fat drake mallard.  Ralph was the shooter on both birds.  Not bad for a guy that didn't hunt in two years.  It was a fun day.   The total was 2 buffleheads, 4 broadbill, 2 mergansers, 1 drake mallard.  We lost a couple but it all worked out in the end.

Tomorrow we will shoot in our lay-out boat for broadbill.  All is set up and a good crew going with us.

Captain Al Lorenzetti

12/17/02

Hunted with my son Luke this morning.  He is home visiting for the Holidays and taking a break from studies at California Maritime.   We did a short hunt at daybreak and bagged a couple of broadbill.  Luke is a good shot.  We both had a good time and enjoyed each others company.  It was real good hunting with him again.  I missed it a lot.

Captain Al Lorenzetti

12/15/02

Hunted with Rich Santos today.  The morning was very slow.  Some birds passed by, a couple came far out and we missed.  The afternoon bite was a little better.  Killed one hen broadbill, missed another and killed a big resident goose.  The afternoon was beautiful on the water.  Another great day to be alive and on the bay

Captain Al Lorenzetti

12/14/02

Gunned with Rich Santos and Jim Conte.  It was a good duck day, wet and breezy.  We bagged a brant, black duck and a few broadbill.   We missed a few as usual and had some passing shots and made a couple of those.   We had some laughs and a lot of fun.

Captain Al Lorenzetti

12/13/02

Had a great day outdoors.  Ken Mearns and I hunted for a couple of hours in the early morning.  We bagged our limit of broadbill, four drakes and two hens.  The birds came real well to our little rig.  We certainly did better with the shooting than we did yesterday.  We then decided to do a little scalloping out in the bay.  We picked about a bucket full of big fat Great South Bay scallops.  They are really healthy with meats the size of marshmellows.   I think tonight will be a bay scallop feast.  It was calm and beautiful on the bay.  A good day to be alive and out on the bay.

Captain Al Lorenzetti

12/12/02

Hunted with Ken Mearns today.  We did an afternoon shoot if that is what you would like to call it.  We shot a lot and had fun and most of the ducks won.  One hen broadbill lost the battle and maybe we tickled a couple of others.  It was good gunning with Kenny again.  We hunted out of my little 14 foot MFG.  The boat hides real well.  The birds came like chickens but we were a little slow on the draw.  It was a picture perfect afternoon.  A great time shared with a good friend.  The pictures will tell all.  Ken really likes his Benelli Nova but forgot to pump it and didn't remember where the safety was for the first go round.  Lots of laughs.

Captain Al Lorenzetti

12/11/02

Did some Great South Bay open water lay-out boat gunning today.  Hunted with Jim Conte, John Toronto and Pete Nowinski.  We used Pete's rig.  It was a ducky day.  Northeast wind and some rain.  We bagged about 6 broadbill and a few buffleheads.  It was fun.  If we rigged out in a little better spot we could have really beat them up.  Nice to shoot from a scooter again.

Captain Al Lorenzetti

12/1/2002

Got out for a few hours of hunting with Rich Santos.   The wind was blowing about 30 knots.  A couple of widgeon bombed into the rig and we bagged them both.  A little later two black ducks swung in and met a similar fate.  We missed a couple and had a good time. 

Captain Al Lorenzetti

11/21-24/02

Went to Sexton Island for the opening of the waterfowl season for 2002/2003.  Gunned with Rich Santos, Pete Johnston and Jimmy Conte.  We arrived on Thursday and set up things at the house.  I did a little plugging for striped bass and boated and released a fish about 15 pounds.  Friday was opening day and a good day for hunting ducks and geese.  It was overcast with some wind out of the east and a little rain.  We had an excellent day bagging about 8 brant and 5 big Canadian geese.  The birds came real well to our rig.  We rigged out on a point of an adjacent island and used floating decoys and silhouettes.  On Saturday, all hell broke loose with winds about 40 knots or more.  It was a blow-out with the boats, hunting was limited to the island neighborhood.  We had a couple of shots at black duck but they won.  The wind blew all the water out of the bay.   On Sunday morning at 6 am. all our boats were sitting in the mud.  No water around the island at all.  We didn't know if we would ever be able to get off the island.  Luckily, enough water came in at the top of the flood to make it out into the channel.  We only had about one foot of water to scrape through but we made it.   Another day on the island with limited food and beverages was not a pleasant thought.  It was another invigorating adventure!    Good company, good hunting, a challenge at every turn.  That's what makes life interesting!

Captain Al Lorenzetti

11/15/02

Looks like it might be a good Waterfowling season.   Lots of brant, buffleheads and a few broadbill on the water already.  Geese are moving around pretty well.  Tons of black duck and mallards.  Opening day is 11/22 and I look forward to hunting again.  Got a new Hastings slug barrel for my Browning BPS shotgun.  Mounted a Bushnell Holo Sight on it and took it to the range last week.  Very accurate piece but the 3 inch magnum slugs beat me up pretty good.   Wicked hard hitting out of a pump gun.  It should do the job during the shotgun season in January.

Captain Al Lorenzetti

ARCHIVED HUNTING REPORTS

HUNTING REPORTS 2001/2002

12/16/2001 to 1/20/2002

The duck season that never really happened.  All the warm weather and lack of ice up north just never pushed the ducks down our way.  We bagged a few brant, a couple of geese and a few assorted ducks, black, scaup, mergansers and bufflehead but no good shooting at all.  We did have some great times at Sexton Island and some super meals.  We stumbled upon a set of scallops and had a feast of the biggest and sweetest Great South Bay scallops that I have ever tasted.  Below are some pictures from the last few weeks of the dismal duck season of 2001/2002.  Also included is a photo of Ken Mearns on the shotgun deer hunt at the Peconic River Sportsman's Club.   Rich Santos, Ken Mearns, Jim Conte, Luke Lorenzetti and Captain Al, all having a good time enjoying the great outdoors.

Captain Al Lorenzetti