After 11 months under water, it works fine!!!

**Russ F.** · 12-20-2005, 06:20 PM

In Oct. 2004, While hunting for pheasants in North Dekota, my hunting party came across a cattle tank (a large man-made hole in the ground for watering cattle), that was surround by hundreds of birds.

When we got back the the land owners house, and told him about all the pheasants we ran into at the cattle tank, he told us there was a shotgun at the bottom of the cattle tank and it was a good one!

What????

It had fell through the ice with a hunter that was trying to retreave a bird from the fozen cattle tank the year before.

It just so happen that I had my waders with me, becuase I'd planned to fly straight to, and, go duck hunting in Idaho following my pheasant hunt.

I was lucky, that summer it was very dry. The water level was low. Being that there are few trees or rocks in this area, thus no breches in the water. I knew it was going to be easy to find the gun.

Two minutes into the search, with one hand on a rope my friends were hold up across and over my head, and a pole in the other, up to my chest in mud and water, I felt it!

It was stuck in about a foot of mud under four foot of water. Thank God I'm 6' 10" inches tall. I worked my foot under it and kick it up my leg. I didn't want to get wet, because the muddy water smelled bad!!

Up it came, a Benelli M1. Two round in it, safty off, and no plug. (need 3 shot plug in SD)

I brought it back to the house, hosed it off with garden hose, cleaned and oiled it up, and killed birds with it the mix day. It still smelled alittle funny, but it looked and shot great!

The high quality composit stock and forearm, camo finish receiver and barrel, cromed plated barrel bore, save this gun. The quality black oxide finish on the steel parts kept them from rusting together. I was able to completely disassemble the gun and clean it. There was just no rust anywhere.

That was my frist encounter with a Benelli shotgun. As a Machinist with 25 year in the trade, I was impressed with the gun. Now I own two.

Russ F. , out

[ 12-20-2005, 05:25 PM: Message edited by: Russ F. ]

**nodark** · 12-21-2005, 01:17 AM

pretty cool

**Commando** · 12-21-2005, 01:50 AM

Too bad you didnt have a camera to show you in the search, recovery and end result when cleaned.

**JetPilot** · 12-21-2005, 03:30 AM

This story doesn't surprise me. That's what a Benelli is all about. Congrats on your find Russ.

**Butch-M** · 12-21-2005, 06:40 AM

Amazing Russ! "Finder's Keepers" aside ... and not to rain on your parade ... but I wonder what the legalize is here though. Will there be any problems with serial numbers and government registrations, etc, etc? Is the gun "registered" to the original owner? While the oppressive and sometimes ridiculous laws change almost daily here in Jersey, we've been so regulated that you technically needed a written "transfer" slip for your buddy to hand you his firearm just to let you try out his gun on the target range! (at least at one time) It's nearly impossible to keep up with the changes in the laws, so I have NO IDEA how things work out west ... but I'd check into the situation so you're not trying to fly out hunting somewhere, or get stopped by a futuristic game warden and wind up in handcuffs because the serial number doesn't show up in his hand held Dell super computer which tapped into the Orwellian central database. LOL

The guy must have been a real classic Bozo. Walking on the ice WITH his gun (guaranteed to take you right to the bottom)... safety off! And then LEAVES it there after he goes through??? No way on earth I leave that gun there! I bet you never realized how dangerous that retrieve was (I would have never thought about it) ... waterproof shells, no safety, you could have blown yourself in two if the trigger snagged something. You're a lucky guy Russ. <smile>

**Russ F.** · 12-21-2005, 07:52 AM

Bozo? As the story goes, the man fell through ice, as he got himself out, then he accidentally kicked the gun in the hole.

I do know, after he fell through the ice, he call his insurance company, and that afternoon, went straight to town and bought a replacement.

I left the gun with the guide. He contacted the man that lost the gun, and he had no interest in getting it back. I think after a year in the water, he must have thought the gun was a gonner.

Everyone envolved though I should have it. This year I went back to SD and picked it up. I then brought it to Idaho, and gave it to a police, hunting friend of mine, to hold for me and use as his own.
Now, I don't have to go though the airport BS when I go duck hunting out there. I have a gun waiting for me.

New Jersey is NUTS! I live a half a mile from the NJ boarder, in New York. I can come and go in NJ with my long guns as I please, but you poor guys are trapped by paperwork. The only thing I have to weary about is hollow point bullets. A no-no in NJ.

AS far as retreiving the gun, I used the pole to tell witch way the gun was pointed. I also knew it would not fire, it would have blown up if it had gone off. And I handle the gun accordingly by picking it up by the stock end , keeping my hands and body away from the barrel and receiver until I could clear the gun. I've had a receive blow up on me onces, so I know what it like. I do wish, I had save the two shells and tryed to fire them. oh well, next time...lol

-Russ F.

**Butch-M** · 12-21-2005, 08:26 AM

Great story ... and I see you covered all the bases, crossed the "T's" and dotted the "I's." Good idea to get the coppers involved. LOL (I belong to the local county Police Chief's Association)

**Russ F.** · 01-27-2009, 02:56 PM

After Five years, I'm still killing birds with this gun!!!! ( see post above for story.) No Rust here

Russ F.

**timb99** · 01-27-2009, 03:09 PM

Neat story.

Except one minor problem with your story. You do not need a plug to hunt pheasants in South Dakota.

**Russ F.** · 01-27-2009, 04:17 PM

That's what our guide told us the rule was in "NORTH" Dekota.

http://gf.nd.gov/regulations/smallga....html#pheasant

Quote:

20. Legal Firearms and Ammunition
Game Birds and Waterfowl - Only firearms no smaller than 410 gauge nor larger than 10 gauge loaded with shot and capable of holding no more than three shells, legal archery equipment, and raptors may be used. Pistols may not be used to take migratory game birds. Nontoxic shot is required for some species and on some lands. Raptors may be used only by those possessing a falconry permit.

Russ F.