Women’s Waterfowl Week 2022– A BERETTA Experience
Each December for the last ten years we have hosted women waterfowl hunters at Bust-A-Duck guide service in Augusta Arkansas. This year was extra special because we partnered with BERETTA to share some extraordinary shotguns with our guest.
The anticipation and preparation were so exciting for me. When guests book with Sisterhood Outdoors we try and discover your wants and needs for participating in our events. At this event we had a first-time hunter, a new to guided hunting and several seasoned waterfowlers. It’s always a great mix of knowledge. Barbara Baird of Women’s Outdoor News and Lana Van Winkle, three times ladies World Champion duck caller both came to support the event.
In preparation for the event BERETTA provided six A300 Ultima shotguns, some blind bags, and hats for our guests. We filled the bag with Sisterhood swag, Hot hands, and snacks. We didn’t forget the DOTS! (if you have been on a Sisterhood Outdoors event you know DOTS bring good luck and big bucks)
The work begins upon arrival to create an event-like atmosphere for everyone. We loaded each locker with all the swag and name signs for the ladies. The first orders of business are introductions, pick a bunk and unpack your gear in the locker area.
The fun began when we unboxed the shotguns, showed everyone how to put them together and worked our way to the range. We busted some clays and shared features of the A300 Ultima. Some comments I overheard were, “wow, I love the low recoil”, “I didn’t realize I could shoot a 12 ga” and “love shooting this gun”. I’d say we got the excitement going early!
THE GUNS
The BERETTA A300 Ultima was the perfect choice for our event. This is a great entry level shotgun that will do it all. I like to tell people it is a “see it, buy it” gun. If you find it on the shelf at your gun store, it won’t be there very long. We chose all 12 gauges for this event. With the low recoil of the Kick-Off recoil reduction system, it surprised everyone. The fit is balanced, and it is a shell cycling machine. We had no issues with loading multiple brands of shot shells. We had the A300 Ultima Black Synthetic stock in a 28 inch barrel length. It easily fits each of our guests with no issues.
Teaching while we hunt is what we do. Our team was ready to answer any questions about what to expect for the first day of hunting. We covered all the safety rules, what to wear for the weather each day and the type of blinds we would be hunting. Covering the safety rules with a shotgun traveling to and from the blinds as well as while hunting is always a priority. Our annual Women’s Waterfowl Week is the best way to improve your skills as a waterfowler and to meet new friends who duck hunt.
The BERETTA A300 Ultima was the perfect gun for the Women’s Waterfowl Week.
THE HUNT
Each evening brings the anticipation of the morning hunt. We gather around the dinner table and the campfire and discuss our strategy with the guides. At Bust-A-Duck they only hunt in the morning. The guides spend a lot of time scouting and gathering intel on what the most appropriate strategy should be for a successful hunt. Once decisions are made about who goes with which guide, we know what to expect. The ladies gathered their gear and packed the blind bags before lights out. Then the task of sleeping while dreaming about ducks flying into a spread begins.
Each morning the wake-up call is met with hot coffee and small snacks. There are no diet plans on this hunt. Snacks and coffee cups are loaded up with the extra shotshells and we head out before sunrise to get to our hunting grounds. There is something special about loading into a duck blind in the dark and listening to the sounds of the ducks and geese all around. It creates so much anticipation of a good hunt. We quietly settle into our spots in the blinds and get organized. The sun rises and the ducks begin to work. The shots are called and taken. On our hunt at least one group a day hit a limit of ducks. Watching the dogs work and the guides enjoy our success is my favorite part. There are snacks and hot breakfast burritos served while we hunt. This year, Kelly was our new hunter and we got to witness her taking her first duck. We met friends from all over the country and shared stories of our journey into the outdoors.
Arriving back at the lodge everyone wants to hear how it went. Stories are shared and ducks are prepped for taxidermy and for taking home to feed the family.
Everyone hurries to get mud off their boots and waders and heads to the kitchen where we are greeted with an amazing hot breakfast. The food is a welcome site after a long morning in the cold blinds working ducks.
THE FELLOWSHIP
Being there for this experience creates a memory to last a lifetime. The 10th anniversary of this event was a huge success. Having the support of BERETTA is such a blessing. It’s so easy to teach new hunters shotgun skills with these great guns. The A300 Ultima was a working machine. A perfect fit for our new and experienced hunters alike. We love creating moments of belonging with BERETTA. Women’s Waterfowl Week is our annual event to teach all things duck hunting and share the outdoors together.
To learn more about the BERETTA A300 Ultima click here.
To learn book the next BUST-A-DUCK event click here. Join us!
