Hello fellow Golden Staters!

[ditchparrot19]

I've visited here quite a few times over the past 2 or 3 years, but never signed up to post. I grew up in the Owens Valley and now live up near Chico, and I get after the wild roosters as much as I can (which has been less often over the past few seasons because I have a 3-year-old daughter). I've only gotten out twice so far this year – once to Delevan NWR for the special hunt on the first Monday after the opener and once to Little Dry Creek. Bagged one on each occasion (the accompanying photo is from Delevan).

In addition to that English setter in the photo, I have a pointer and a yellow Lab. The Lab is 11 1/2, but he's still good for at least half a day of busting heavy brush at the wildlife areas.

I usually go to northeastern Montana for a week in October, but didn't make it this year. I'm definitely hoping to go back in 2013. I've also been to South Dakota once, and I much prefer the Montana experience.

I greatly look forward to interacting with you folks on here!

 

[quail chaser]

welome ditchparrot Im from the west side of you in willows.usually hunt the same areas as you but not this year started out with new pups this year!training my pups over at H&H pheasant club in chico!and alot of quail hunting!

 

[quail hound]

Welcome guys, nice to have some more fellow Californians aboard. I'm from down near Fresno but I make trips up north every year to chase roosters at Graylodge. I was out at Los Banos WA today and managed 2 roosters with 2 of my springers.:cheers: Nice looking dog you have there ditchparrot.

 

[calamari]

Looks like you've got a good setup and know what you're doing. Is that an Ithica Mod 37 pump? Looks well used and I like the long barrel multi use aspect of it. You've got to be right on or your right off.
I always wonder if guys from the East coast with long haired breeds have to trim their dogs as short as those from Calif.? I still laugh when I think about a friends GWP who got into a burr field before he got trimmed and came back to us with his ears glued together into a big dorsal fin on his head. Looked funny but wasn't. Another friend had a Brittany that would get Cockle Burrs in it's coat no matter how short he trimmed it but wouldn't let its owner remove them. Had to do it himself. We'd lounge around the pickup bed after a hunt and listen to the burrs come out of the dog crates grate and hit the bed.
Was Delevan crowded with hunters for that Monday hunt?

 

[ditchparrot19]

welome ditchparrot Im from the west side of you in willows.usually hunt the same areas as you but not this year started out with new pups this year!training my pups over at H&H pheasant club in chico!and alot of quail hunting!

The Henmans are great people. I'm a member of Bob's son Brad's club in Corning and will be out there quite a bit during February, once the wild-bird seasons have closed. I like to hunt the perimeter and pick up some of the birds that people have missed.

Welcome guys, nice to have some more fellow Californians aboard. I'm from down near Fresno but I make trips up north every year to chase roosters at Graylodge. I was out at Los Banos WA today and managed 2 roosters with 2 of my springers.:cheers: Nice looking dog you have there ditchparrot.

Thanks for the compliment on the dog. She's 8 now and has been a joy since I got her at 7 weeks old. She's really at home in those big, open spaces in Montana.

Looks like you've got a good setup and know what you're doing. Is that an Ithica Mod 37 pump? Looks well used and I like the long barrel multi use aspect of it. You've got to be right on or your right off.
I always wonder if guys from the East coast with long haired breeds have to trim their dogs as short as those from Calif.? I still laugh when I think about a friends GWP who got into a burr field before he got trimmed and came back to us with his ears glued together into a big dorsal fin on his head. Looked funny but wasn't. Another friend had a Brittany that would get Cockle Burrs in it's coat no matter how short he trimmed it but wouldn't let its owner remove them. Had to do it himself. We'd lounge around the pickup bed after a hunt and listen to the burrs come out of the dog crates grate and hit the bed.
Was Delevan crowded with hunters for that Monday hunt?

Yep, that's a Model 37, but actually a newer one made by the reborn company in Upper Sandusky, Ohio. After a long hiatus, those guns are now back to being as good as they ever were. I have both new and old versions of the 12, 16 and 20 – seven guns in all (that's the new 16 in the photo). Have to use the new one at Delevan because of the non-toxic shot requirement.

My father thought the Model 37 was the only gun worth owning and that's all we had when I was growing up. I've dabbled in some other brands and actions over the past 20 years, and I've circled back to agreement with my old man.

 

[calamari]

The old Model 37 in 20 ga. was THE gun to have for Nevada Chukar hunting in the past. It was the lightest repeater that held six shots at that time.
Was Delevan crowded on that Monday hunt?

 

[ditchparrot19]

Was Delevan crowded on that Monday hunt?

Yeah, it was full. A lot of people had found out about the nearly two-bird-per-hunter average from the year before.

Bird numbers were way down this year, as those big fields on the south end were barren. When I left at about 3 o'clock, the guy at the checkstand told me this year's average was well under one per hunter.

 

[Tombstone17]

DP19, Great looking dog, we have to fight a lot of problems here in the Golden State, but we do have a great outdoors and very diverse wildlife. I still enjoy being out if anything to watch the dogs work and enjoy the company of good people...

 

[ditchparrot19]

DP19, Great looking dog, we have to fight a lot of problems here in the Golden State, but we do have a great outdoors and very diverse wildlife. I still enjoy being out if anything to watch the dogs work and enjoy the company of good people...

Yeah, it's really not that big of a deal to not shoot a whole lot when you don't expect to. I certainly wish there were still a lot of birds around like there were when my grandfather was my age, but I'm fine with enjoying all of the other aspects of it.