For those of you that feel a shotgun fits your wants or needs and that you really should carry a slug or two, I am going to let you in on a trick used by some poachers.

First, make sure the shotgun is open choked. When you see a necessity for a slug and have nothing but shot cartridges, take a knife and cut throught the hull at about the midpoint of the shot wad. Load and fire thereby expelling the front end of the shell in an almost intact condition.

By the way, if you do this in the field or are found in the course of normal hunting with shells of this nature, in Wisconsin, you can kiss your gun, your car with all its contents, and serious cash in the form of fines goodby. You also lose hunting privaleges for a number or years.

So make sure you are really in need of an emergency slug before getting out the old knife.

Bountyhunter