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Forums10
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Most Online1,344 Apr 29th, 2024
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Joined: Oct 2019
Posts: 502 Likes: 228
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Oct 2019
Posts: 502 Likes: 228 |
I’d 2nd that. How ‘bout a third frame of the guns you used?
Speude Bradeos
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1 member likes this:
BrentD, Prof |
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Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 6,996 Likes: 493
Sidelock
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OP
Sidelock
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 6,996 Likes: 493 |
I’d 2nd that. How ‘bout a third frame of the guns you used? I'd love to post some pics of the guns but Nebraska was too hot and the north was too drippy to get it done. I'll be leaving in a few days for Grouse Camp 2 and I promise better photos and gun photos. Should be perfect weather.
_________ BrentD, (Professor - just for Stan) =>/
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Joined: Jan 2004
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Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 6,996 Likes: 493 |
Grouse camp 2 is now in the books. Much tougher than I thought. The weather was fine, and birds were abundant. About 60% of the leaves were down and more falling every minute as hard frosts were occuring nightly. Nonetheless, i've never been so frustrated over getting a shot. For example, two of us got there in mid afternoon. We threw up tents and then went off for a brief hunt - maybe 1.5 hrs. We flushed about 12 birds, but never fired a shot. I might have seen feathers on one of them. They were uncanny about keeping out of sight. And every day there after, they only got better at it. Where they had to be visible, they ducked behind dogs more often than has ever happened before. So, very few shots were taken, few of those (2) were actually reasonably good opportunities and only one was converted. Crazy times. But we had plenty of birds to keep us happy. We had some interesting interactions with landowners. Some were really great, one or two not so much - one was claiming hundreds of acres of national forest as his own private land. Met a really great CO (unrelated to the landowner issue), and some other great folks. There wa a woman who I'd seen before out there hunting with her fluffy white foo-foo dog of some sort and an old lab. She was darn passionate about grouse and she certainly took her share. Another guy with a pick up truck full of kids. Some had guns, some did not. My favorite had a nice alder stick gun with which he showed a ton of enthusiasm and good "muzzle" control. Tons of road hunters. More than I have ever seen. But we got some grouse - even me. Only one was a spruce grouse - the most handsome of all the gallinaceous birds that I've ever seen. I'll just post a bunch of photos and minimal commentary. Grouse camp 3 is set for the first week of November. That will be the end of it for me, with only 3 weeks left of pheasant hunting before shutting down for the season. You would think, on this ridge of rock and scattered trees, grouse would be easy to shoot. Not so. No shots fired for about 8 flushes or more. Snowed the first night Did not deter Gus Hard to really show the size of this tree, but it is among the biggest Norway Pines I've ever seen
_________ BrentD, (Professor - just for Stan) =>/
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1 member likes this:
Parabola |
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Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 6,996 Likes: 493
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 6,996 Likes: 493 |
For some reason, I found most of the grouse in the less grousy habitat. What constitutes textbook grouse habitat was often devoid of birds, but a few pockets held them. Mostly they were scattered in overmature or conifer stands instead of places like this. Or this They were feeding on alder cone buds and lots of greens and maple or ash seeds. But one bird had these red-to-white berries that almost look like mountain ash, but not quite, unless they were unripe berries. What color is MT Ash before they are brilliant red? Lloyd, if you see this, I would love to know what you think about these. They were also eating something that had a small somewhat bean-shaped seed. May have been rose hip seeds, but we never saw rose hips in the crops. The seeds were always in the gizzards. I promised pics of the guns this time, but the new kid in camp got in the way. He's less than 12-mo old, and coming along well. He will be a good one. Pheasants will be his next objective in three weeks. Here we go. We had three hunters, 6 guns, all doubles. Left to right, a Henry (Scotland), Cashmore (England), and Boucher (sp?, French). Back-up guns were Greener, Osborne (English), and OShatz (Polish) respectively. We finished well, that's all that counts. Next trip may include a bit of time hunting soon-to-be-mine acres that I know hold grouse - though that is not why we are buying it.
_________ BrentD, (Professor - just for Stan) =>/
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Tim Cartmell, FallCreekFan, Parabola |
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Joined: Jun 2002
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Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Jun 2002
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Joined: Jan 2002
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Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 9,816 Likes: 101 |
wonderful images...thank you...
keep it simple and keep it safe...
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Joined: Aug 2013
Posts: 667 Likes: 51
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Aug 2013
Posts: 667 Likes: 51 |
Looks fantastic, particularly from the perspective of the office...thanks for sharing.
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Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 3,228 Likes: 674
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 3,228 Likes: 674 |
Looks like a 5 bird day for you and Gus. Those red fruits in that birds crop look like rose hips to me, the paler fruits look like another dogwood variant (Redosier?). Great photography of both guns and countryside!
Last edited by Lloyd3; 10/14/22 08:05 PM.
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1 member likes this:
BrentD, Prof |
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Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 6,996 Likes: 493
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 6,996 Likes: 493 |
No rose hips, but the dogwood - that's a probably a really good guess. Thanks.
Our best day was only 3 birds, but the buddy with the Bourcher pulled it off. The last being the only spruce grouse of the season so far.
I'm headed back up in a few weeks for one more stint.
_________ BrentD, (Professor - just for Stan) =>/
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