Lack of Grouse Again

B

bones

New member
Went out Friday with a buddy and his dog, Macy, chasing grouse again. He has a Weimi that is a blast to shoot over when she's on and provides enough comic relief to make up for it when she is not. Macy got birdy several times, and definately found more sign than I had ever seen, feathers, poop, road crossings.... . Went on a hard point once but, just a coyote or fox killed bird. Still for all the effort no birds to hand or seen. About 2:00 pm I decided pesky squirrels and rabbits had; had enough of laughing at me and got my .22 out and commenced to making stew meat. I enjoy rabbit so much more with the scatter gun and getting them on the run but these guys were way out sunning themselves in big fields and were not sitting still once we moved in. Wound up with a limit of pine squirrels and rabbits. Had bunny fajitas on Sat night and squirrel stew yesterday afternoon.

Headed to Quail Run today with my friend's dog to remind her what a bird looks like. The offer a lot of birds for the money; hopefully my shooting doesn't suck.


Have a Good 'Urn,
bones
 
Bones,
I feel your pain. Figured Sunday would be a good day to chase grouse at my Rampart haunts in the snow. My dog flushed turkeys at every turn. I have never seen that many turkeys. They are really starting to over run the place. My dog just dosn't understand when I don't shoot when he flushes birds. Not a single grouse or sign of one. They must have been sitting high in the pines laughing as we passed....
Figure there is one more weekend for a deep West excursion before the weather closes it down. I know Rampart will be open but soon we will be shooting at the dragons flying over the open fields of Kansas and Colorado. There is always next September. Ever so far away but ever so close.
Hope you had a great day at Quail Run. Jerry runs a really good show with both birds and clays......

Matt
 
bones said:
Went out Friday with a buddy and his dog, Macy, chasing grouse again. He has a Weimi that is a blast to shoot over when she's on and provides enough comic relief to make up for it when she is not. Macy got birdy several times, and definately found more sign than I had ever seen, feathers, poop, road crossings.... . Went on a hard point once but, just a coyote or fox killed bird. Still for all the effort no birds to hand or seen. About 2:00 pm I decided pesky squirrels and rabbits had; had enough of laughing at me and got my .22 out and commenced to making stew meat. I enjoy rabbit so much more with the scatter gun and getting them on the run but these guys were way out sunning themselves in big fields and were not sitting still once we moved in. Wound up with a limit of pine squirrels and rabbits. Had bunny fajitas on Sat night and squirrel stew yesterday afternoon.

Headed to Quail Run today with my friend's dog to remind her what a bird looks like. The offer a lot of birds for the money; hopefully my shooting doesn't suck.


Have a Good 'Urn,
bones
Click to expand...

I think I saw you guys there yesterday. Myself and a buddy where shooting sporting clays. I shot 60 out of 100. I like Jerry out there...think I may join.

Greg
 
Thanks Uplandhunter67 - I appreciate the story as it make s me feel like less of a looser not seeing any last Sunday either. However, we did enjoy braised rabbit from the trip and my dog needs the experience. Unfortunately he got rolled by a moose last year (thankfully no broken bones) and he's completely neurotic now. Not really sure how to get him over it besides patience - he gets a little better each outing...
 
fast900t
Thanks for the compliment. Never a looser when you take the gun and the dog for a walk. It is a win win always.. The shotgun spends alot of time in the safe and needs to get out once and awhile... LOL...
I think I'd be a little neurotic if I got rolled by a moose... Glad he didn't get broken up and is getting better. Moose tend not to be forgiving... Wish I had some advice on how to get him over it but all I can say is time can heal some serious whoas.....
supposed to hit 80's in the valley... You headed to the hills?
 
Unfortunately not - bogged down at the office this week, so I'll be living vicariously through others reports.

Uplandhunter67 said:
fast900t
Thanks for the compliment. Never a looser when you take the gun and the dog for a walk. It is a win win always.. The shotgun spends alot of time in the safe and needs to get out once and awhile... LOL...
I think I'd be a little neurotic if I got rolled by a moose... Glad he didn't get broken up and is getting better. Moose tend not to be forgiving... Wish I had some advice on how to get him over it but all I can say is time can heal some serious whoas.....
supposed to hit 80's in the valley... You headed to the hills?
Click to expand...
 
Well we're going to try our hand at the Western high country. Hopefully the road will be open to our spot and not covered in snow.... We'll walk the gun somewhere no matter what so I'll have a fresh story come Monday....
 
Well the grouse have moved into the timber and made shooting fast and furious. I'll have to reload a few shells. Manage to knock down two. Nice male and a smaller female. Amazing how heavy that bird gets when you're carting him through the pines miles from the truck. Wind picked up late in the day and being in those dead pines gets a bit spooky. Think I could avoid a falling tree but being hit by a large branch probably be more likely. The dog and I put on a lot of miles and saw / heard 9 birds total. There is probably a blanket of snow on the mountain so hunting grouse there will have to wait until 2012.... Guess I'll tread some new ground this weekend.
I did make a 2 hr run up to Rampart on Saturday. The only sign I found there was made by the bears. Ripped up logs everywhere.
Few more weeks to the season of the dragon...................
Matt
 
Thanks for the update - appreciate the pics too. Sounds like a good trip.
Since duck is open, I might have to redirect my frustration - er.... efforts there until pheasant opens.
Bill-
 
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