Another rainy day...

[Ranger Rick]

Oct 5 I got soaked while bird hunting. I mean every stitch of clothing wet. Cold, too, being that wet. Took me a while in front of the fireplace to warm up. I finally broke down and bought a pair of goretex field pants from LL Bean. I'm hoping they arrive soon. It's pouring here today in northcentral WI and looks like it might be wet again this Saturday.

Some years ago I finished a successful morning hunt with a stop in a local pub for a bite. Soaked up to my waist, muddy boots, I'm the only customer and the bartender chatted about what I'd been up to. In walk 3 guys who take seats near me. She asks them about their day. They respond they're out bird hunting, but to her next question reply they were skunked. All 3 are dry and clean. She tells them I shot some grouse. The closest guy looks at me, looks at my wet clothes and muddy boots. I volunteer that you need to get wet and dirty to get birds.

This past weekend I come around a corner in the woods road to a car stopped, doors open, two skinhead-looking types walking in front of the car with a Rottweiler, ciggys hanging in their mouths, full camo dress. They weren't happy that I came along, seeing as they had to move their car so I could get by and the grouse they were trying to ground pound most likely had skeedaddled. Road hunters crack me up

 

[wisturkeyhunter]

Some years ago I finished a successful morning hunt with a stop in a local pub for a bite. Soaked up to my waist, muddy boots, I'm the only customer and the bartender chatted about what I'd been up to. In walk 3 guys who take seats near me. She asks them about their day. They respond they're out bird hunting, but to her next question reply they were skunked. All 3 are dry and clean. She tells them I shot some grouse. The closest guy looks at me, looks at my wet clothes and muddy boots. I volunteer that you need to get wet and dirty to get birds.

Did they carry on about how "lucky" you were to find any birds?

P.S.
My Dad has llbean Gore-Tex pants and he seems to like them.

 

[AtTheMurph]

I bought some surplus goretex bibs on Sportsmansguide a few years ago. I beleive they were Czech military, maybe Hungarian or something. Are camo with a very tough outer shell of some type of nylon, almost a cordura type stuff.

Best damn thing I've ever bought! I think they were less than $30 bucks too.

I bought my hunting buddy a pair because he always hunts in Carhart overalls, those brown cotton duck things that soak up all dew, melted snow and rain like a Shamwow.

 

[Ranger Rick]

This weekend is our annual brothers grouse weekend and it seems something notable happens every year. A couple buddies also come along. Last year, I get to the family hunt camp and walk inside to a cloud of stinking, petroleum-smelling air. One buddy decided to apply Camp-Dry to his carhart pants - INDOORS. It smelled like Camp-Dry in there all weekend. I swear -don't light a match or the place could blow. Man! Take that $h!t outside!!! Didn't help him none, either. He still got soaked from the waist down.

I've been finding plenty of woodcock where I expect them to be. Not many grouse, though. This afternoon I'm hunting with a buddy in another county where in the past we've had good grouse numbers. Then on to the family hunt camp for a weekend of woodcock and hopefully a few grouse.

Another damp, gloomy weekend, too. Sure glad my new pants arrived!