Benelli Presents To Kill a King takes you on an incredible journey to one of the toughest waterfowling environments known to man. Follow Tony Vandemore, Co-Owner and Operator of Habitat Flats, from his home in Missouri to the shores of the Bering Sea on St Paul Island in search of the King Eider. Located three hundred miles off the coast of Alaska, St. Paul Island is the most remote of the Pribilof Islands. Frigid temperatures, rugged seas, and extreme weather test the endurance of man and equipment. This two-part special explores an unforgiving region that few have experienced and takes you to the edge of the world on one of the most difficult hunts ever documented.
Episode 1
Join Tony Vandemore as he explores the vast differences between his home turf, and one of the most formidable hunting climates on the planet. Spinning the globe, Part One of To Kill A King brings you to the idyllic countryside of Urbino, Italy, where the engineers at Benelli HQ realize their creation of dominance, in the Super Black Eagle 3. Finally, discover why Sweet Home, Oregon might just be the perfect place to make a perfect shell.
Episode 2
In Part Two of To Kill A King, we join Russell in a King Eider hunt, and back at his home workshop in rural South Carolina to watch a King Eider decoy carving. Back in the Bering Sea, Tony learns a bit of the history of the natives on St. Paul Island, and witnesses the fury Mother Nature can bring. Finally, all roads converge for Tony, as he sets out…to kill a king.
St. Paul Island Profile
Not for the weak hunter, Saint Paul Island is located in the Bering Sea more than 300 miles off the coast of Alaska. The rocky 40 sq mi island features a polar climate strongly influenced by its surrounding arctic waters and hosts the breeding ground for more than 500,000 northern fur seals and millions of seabirds, including the revered King Eider. This combination makes for some of the most treacherous waterfowl hunting in the world.
SBE 3 – the full redesign of our venerable Super Black Eagle platform. With carefully considered insights from our pro-staff and veteran hunters, Benelli design engineers have spent nearly 10 years in development with a focus on three areas of critical importance to the serious waterfowler: Improved ergonomics, intuitive, flawless functionality and an updated design, style and feel for the latest in modern waterfowling reliability that’s all about the end game: Absolute superiority in the most unforgiving conditions.
Tony Vandemore is Co-Owner and Operator of Habitat Flats, North America’s #1 Waterfowl Lodge operation with locations in Missouri, Kansas, Arkansas and Saskatchewan. He lives in Missouri where he manages the Habitat Flats farms during the off season, and enjoys hunting with guests from around the world from September through March. Tony is proud to be partnered with Benelli, as well as Under Armour Hunt in the role of Lead Waterfowl Athlete. A lifelong waterfowler, Tony prizes his responsibility as a conservationist and exemplifies his love of the sport throughout every season.
Capt. Charlie Summerville is Owner/Head Guide of Aleutian Island Waterfowlers. He lives in Kodiak Alaska with his wife Helen and 2 daughters and has been guiding full-time in Alaska since 1985. Besides heading up the top Waterfowl guides in Alaska, he is also an accomplished bush Pilot operating his other lodges and camps on Kodiak, Cold Bay, Adak Island and Katmai National Park offering discriminating sportsmen true Alaskan adventures. During the winter offseason he operates Island Dream Vacations on the Caribbean Island of Guanaja.
As a bonafide son of the south, Russell has dedicated his entire existence to the lifestyle of working in the outdoor industry. He has created the ultimate life of adventure working in Alaska. During winter, he guides sea duck hunts on the fabled Bering Sea for King Eiders. Summer calls him to Bristol Bay as a sport fishing guide in Katmai National Park. When Russell is not in Alaska, he can be found in his home state of South Carolina making hand carved sea duck decoys and chasing the occasional wild turkey.
A native of California, Charlie (better known as C2) is the newest addition to the extreme waterfowling team. He spends the month of January as a King Eider guide on St. Paul Island and ventures to Ninilchik, Alaska, during the summer months as a fishing boat captain. In the spring and fall seasons he can be found guiding bear hunts in the Alaskan terrain.
The King Eider is a large sea duck found in the Northern Hemispheric Arctic coastal waters and is one of North America’s most spectacular waterfowl species. The adult male is unmistakable with its mostly black body, buff-tinged white breast and multi-colored head. These ducks winter in the arctic and subarctic marine areas, most notably in the Bering Sea, where they form flocks oftentimes exceeding 100,000 birds. This, combined with the inhospitable weather of the Bering Sea, makes King Eider hunting perfect for the true adventurer. You will be cold. You will be wet. And your equipment will be tested like nowhere else in the world. Do you have what it takes to kill a King?
Benelli dominates the skies each waterfowl season with its iconic and highly acclaimed Super Black Eagle shotgun. Built around an efficient, tough-as-nails Inertia Drive action pioneered by Benelli, the Super Black Eagle was the first shotgun designed to shoot 3 1/2-inch shells and the first semi-automatic to become universally accepted by hardcore waterfowl hunters. Introduced in 2017, the new Super Black Eagle 3 continues to take durability and performance to unprecedented levels with larger controls, increased recoil reduction and a feel that’s simply perfect.
Everyone Has A HEVI•Shot® Story!
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