Hey all, well it's that wonderful time of year again! Couple more days until the season opens. So it's time to revive this thread that was started some years back.

I hope each and everyone of you have a very successful season and above all a safe one.

So....let's see all those wonderful pictures!

All the best!

Greg

Thanks Greg! Always my favorite thread of the year...Geo

Thanks for this topic, Greg. Truly is one that stands out for positive, mutual enjoyment. To that end, and with all sincere humility, let me encourage everyone to strive for excellence in the other shooting that takes place- the photography. PLEASE take your camera afield! If shooting with a buddy, let him take the gun and you take a camera. Or if solo, make one jaunt with that four legged nose a photo shoot only. Try different angles, like getting on the ground. You can get some amazing shots from above and below, a perspective and aspect of composition often overlooked. As in shooting a gun, it is good to sometimes review the basics of shooting a camera: the law of thirds, bullseye photography, lead in lines, filling the frame, etc. There are some amazing venues traversed by our members, and I really look forward to the vicarious experience of your hunt in places I will never get to go. Happy hunting and good shooting! Mike

Wingshooter is right, but dead bird with sxs plus dog pics are fine too...Geo

photography is nice but I prefer the older oils/waters/acrylics......or quality prints of such.....adds a bit of elegance to the man cave.....

Good Luck to everyone on tomorrows Dove Opener!

Ge Safe!

Greg

Good dove day

You didn't have to show us up in the very first pic sheesh!

Old 20 Gauge Flues
What fun

Mike

Mike, is it out of respect for the dearly departed dove that there are no photos of the birds? Gil

No pics from today for me either. But, the report is good nonetheless. I shot 46% with the Yildiz .410 S x S to kill a 15 bird limit this afternoon. One grandson got 13, but the younger brother was in a bad location ............... happened to be surrounded by shooters who could shoot. Birds would be coming towards him but seldom made it in range for him.

Representative photo from an earlier year, but the same gun.



SRH

Yes
Piles of doves do nothing for me

They do me, especially if they are slow cooked all afternoon in gravy.

SRH

He he he
YUM
Enjoyed the answer
Mike

Delighted you got the youngsters out on the opener Stan, those memories are precious.....

I gave the opener my .410 effort and acquitted myself well for an old crippled guy..... But I miss the chance to take those LOOOONG shots that I have always relished, so it will be put away for now, and today I went out with more suitable ( in my opinion) ordnance for West Texas Doves....needed it too, weather threw us a curve this afternoon....

Hope everyone gets their season off to a GRAND start....

I felt the same way, Paul, passing up lots of shots I knew I could have easily taken with a 20. I still poked at a few I shouldn't have. Shooting a .410 at game is as much about having the will power to only take shots close enough as it is skill.

But, with the two grandsons there I wasn't in a hurry to limit out and leave, so I tried to pace myself. It was fun.

SRH

One last fling with this little this little 28 ga before giving to a nephew.

Another South GA dove opener in the book. Although I'm retired, I still serve on the board of a mutual Savings and Loan here in my hometown. A number of year's ago we figured out that it would be much less expensive over all to quit entertaining customers with preserve quail hunts and to just have one big dove shoot to open the season every year and invite a lot of people at once. We had about 90 folks yesterday, many with kids shooting with their dads. For the first time in many years I had all three of my grown sons in the field with me.

We dedicate the shoot to a local charity, "The James Eunice Foundation" and although the shoot is on us, we have raffles and a small auction to benefit the charity. The charity raised about nine grand yesterday.

Those who've been around here a while might remember me posting about a terrible duck hunting accident which occurred here a few years ago. Eighteen year old James Eunice was hunting with a nephew of mine at a private lake south of town. Somehow he fell out of the boat in waders in the middle of the sizable body of water, and drowned. My nephew was in the water on the decoys while James was relocating in the boat to another spot. He did not see what happened, but he did after a while notice the boat running in circles out in the middle of the pond. It took a tremendous search and recovery effort a month to find the body.

Before his death, James was due to be an honor graduate and attend the University Of Ga the next Fall to play football. After the tragedy, the parents organized the foundation to honor their son's life and dedicate the proceeds of the foundation to providing scholarships for deserving students from the South GA area.

The shoot yesterday was another success with most shooters, including two out of three of my boys limiting out. Personally I was a little under the weather but still managed to hold down my stand for a nice bag. Luckily, my friend '67 galaxie' sat nearby and was kind enough to retrieve my birds since I was a little unsteady on my feet.

Best wishes to all my friends here and I hope your coming hunting season is the best ever...Geo

Just got back, almost didn't go because of the gas panic in Dallas Thursday. Scrounged gas out of the generator and used my five gallon can of ethanol free that I use for the small power equipment, and got the tank near full (you basically could not find gas Thursday in Dallas). Neighbor was going to go, but decided not to because of the gas. I reasoned that it would be ok once I got out of town, took two five gallon cans with me. No problem, and I rolled onto the property with a full tank and ten gallons in cans. My son joined me Thursday through mid day Saturday, and here he is with a whitewing (took his eyes and ears off for the pic)



This is pic heavy, with a lot of the dog. Apologies for that, just wanted to show a variety of poses. Birds very thin the first day, but got progressively better.



Wicked storm blew in with what I would guess were 80 mile an hour winds (rain was horizontal), and destroyed my tall Mojo set up.




One of the more interesting cloud formations I've seen:




More pics on another post, lest this one get too heavy, and apologize for the text being scattered around- the return key is not working (I think I fixed it)

Dog and dove, by dawn's early light




An in field study in terminal ballistics for number 8 at about 1150 fps and 30 yard range: two views of the same dove:

entrance


exit



Great trip, glad I went.

Wingshooter,
Nice pictures! What gun is shown in the picture?

Anxiously awaitng our Grouse season opener on the 15th, with wookcock to follow on the 24th. Come October!
Karl

Looks like an MF Ideal to me...Geo

I noticed the absence of a full length rib.
Karl

"Plume" rib...Geo

That is my Ideal No. 5 from 1925, 16 of course.

Show off!

James, that's a rather odd looking gun, don't 'ya think? Gil

James, if you had an Ideal in 16, and could find your dog, you could post pics like this too.

MF describes that gun perfectly.

Curly coated or American water.???...

AWS, your state dog, I believe. Absolutely coming out of her skin to hunt in the morning, but wasn't interested in the evening shoot. Preferred staying in the a/c. Female, of course.





Here she is holding up her right front, having stepped in some grass burrs. They are pure evil, as she has really soft pads. Getting her to wear doggie boots just wasn't worth the battle.


Mike

Fantastic pictures of your outing Mike!

If nothing bad don't happen, this thread will run the '17/'18 season with pictures of shared shooting experiences that will allow vicarious fun from dove, to grouse, the woodcock, to waterfowl, to quail and other small game, and wind up with next Spring's gobblers. I may even post a deer pic or two if I get lucky.

Repeating myself, but this is my favorite thread of the year...Geo

Mike,
How often does she get a perm? She sure has some curls. I don't notice any cockspurs, burrs, beggar lice, etc., in her coat. My dogs would be head to toe with them around here. It's a little too warm for them early dove season. I will give them buzz cuts for cool weather hunting. Sure cuts down on the embedded burrs, etc. Gil

You forgot Spanish needles, Gil.

SRH

In this pic, you can see them on her chest, ear, and on the bird. Have to do daily maintenance on her to keep the count down. I once spent three hours getting them out of her coat- dinner fork is best on her coat, longnose pliers to get them out from between her pads.

is your doggie an irish water spaniel? used to hunt grouse and pheasant with one 30 years ago...she was a wonder!

I'm Irish, she's American.

I'm not sure who was more overjoyed that dove season had finally arrived....Miss Bella the lab or her grey-bearded old owner.
DeHaan S2 28 gauge with 28" barrels converted a limit of doves into some fine poppers for the grill. One side of a dove breast, slice of jalapeno, slice of onion, slice of water chestnut and wrap with bacon....grill over hot coals and drizzle with thinned BBQ sauce. Mighty fine eating.

Having some dove with your bacon?

Don't worry builder, that bacon fries right down to practically nothing before to eat the dove poppers!...Geo

I love bacon, but I just use a half a slice to wrap mine. Seems to cook better.

SRH

I like bacon; I like dove, but I don't mix the flavors. DSFDF. Gil

Hi all, well today was our Sharptail and Hun opener. To be honest, it was a poor one. We did see birds, but not near as many as last year or in years past. The birds were also spooky for some reason, they acted like mid to late season birds.

The day wasn't very good for the dogs either, poor scenting conditions; hot (85), Windy (15+ mph) and very dry. Raina had a couple good points, but the birds didn't hold well.

We did manage to get 3, Rick, my buddy from MN. got 2 and I got 1

Here's the crew, my daughter Teresa, Rick, my son Jim and the dogs, Raina my GSP and Rick's Chesse Mazy May



I used my 28ga Dickinson today, nice gun



We'll see what tomorrow brings, still great to get out on the prairies!

Best,

Greg

Greg,

Good to see you and the kids enjoying the special times in the field together. Good to see Jim home for opening day ! !

What chokes are you using in your 28 ga ?

Regards, Karl

They are growing up so quick

Hey all, yep they sure do grow up to quick. Will my other son is in the Army in Germany right now. Jim is going to school to become an Archeologist, sometimes he's looking more at his feet looking for artifacts than looking ahead for birds! Teresa is going to High School, but is starting to become my constant hunting partner.

Anyway, thanks for the kind words!

Best,

Greg

Early season Texas Mourner Limit......
The way the Birds are flying this season, this will likely be my only .410 limit.....Browning 425 30" with AA Sporting 1/2 oz. hard 8's Effective out to about 32 yards with Carefully chosen chokes if I do my part....

Hey all, well Sharptail hunting today was a bust for my daughter and me, my buddy Rick was able to get 2, good for him, heck, he drove all the way from MN to hunt with us. He sure deserves a good hunt. My GSP Raina went on a solid point and a bunch of around 8 flushed, he got one on the flush, then a lonesome Charlie, I didn't even fire a shot. Did take a poke at a long crosser, didn't connect. After that bunch in the morning, we saw a few more, but spooky, wouldn't even give the dog a chance to point. Weather was hot, dry and windy....again! No pics today, can't find my camera! On top of that on the way home, one for my tires lug nuts sheared off! Not a good day!!!!

Best!

Greg

Hey all, today was a 180 from last weeks opener. I decided to hit a couple of my honey holes and it payed off. Got a limit of Grouse, plus a bonus Hun. Weather was much better, overcast, 50 and lower winds. My GSP Raina did well also, happy with her! All in all a good day!

I was using my 16b Charles Boswell



Best,

Greg

Hey all, my son Jim and I went out after work to hunt around the house here. While I got 2 (poor Jim, didn't connect today) we only saw 4 birds total, all were singles. Not like last year or years past. Hope to do better tomorrow.

Jim and Raina, Jim was using his 16ga AyA



My 2 birds, I was using my 16b John Wilkes



Best,

Greg

Hey all, well my son Jim and I went for a little walk for grouse today, saw birds, but for some reason they sure were wild today. Didn't bust a cap all day, oh well that's why they call it hunting! Raina did as best she could, couple of good points, but nothing there. It was a perfect day, low winds, cool and overcast. Just something about being on the prairies I love, that nice cool breeze, no noise, I just love it!

Jim and Raina, Jim was using a 20ga Yildiz SxS



Until later!

Greg

Grounds around your son in that photo look lush compared to NE MT, Greg.

The drought has knocked our cover down and dried what is left into explosive tinder.

We have pulled our land out of the blocks, as are so many landowners up here.

I didn't have the heart.
When it's 95 degrees, a man deserves a drink.

Good for you, CZ. You will remember that much more than a kill.

SRH

A couple of his sibs were above him in the brush on the left. Momma and two other sibs were across the road behind him cooling off under a pine tree.

I was running my derby, trying to get him a little heat endurance, so I wasn't armed. I thought Ted might like the pic.

The plan sort of came unglued when I walked up to the puddle and birds were going up ahead, AND behind us.

This heat has been brutal.

Hey Bob, you should have seen it a month ago, dry as dust and brown as all get out. Within the last month we've been getting rain just about every week, sometimes 2 or 3 days. We are now within 2" of normal annual rainfall. But too late for the birds, crops or anything else that needed rain earlier this spring. Even with the rain we've been getting, the duck sloughs are really down. The ones I normally hunt are either gone or cover is a good 20 yards from the water. I think this year we may just do some jump shooting rather than over decoys. We haven't been seeing many pheasants either, we normally get some up while hunting grouse, but not this year. I'm afraid it's going to be a very poor season. I hope next year will be better, barring a bad winter. Fingers crossed!

Best,

Greg

Other than the two that flew over me while in the parking lot, this is the only dove I saw. Absolutely gorgeous sunrise.



Lou M

Nice drilling Lou! I used to hunt with a guy who shot doves with one of those...Geo

Hey all, my son Jim and I went out after work today for a short walk. Saw a lot of birds today, but still wild. The big bunch we saw flushed as soon as we came over a ridge. We each managed a single, so not all was lost. Good day for a hours walk.

Jim, Raina and the birds. Jim was using his 12ga Yildiz:



My bird, I was using my 16b Charles Hellis:



Best,

Greg

Beautiful Hellis.

Not a current pic, but just checking to see if my PB account still works...Geo

Hi all, went out after work today, solo. Didn't see but 3, it was a bit windy. 2 of the birds were wild, but the 3rd one didn't get away.

I was using my 16ga Carl Goluch



Best,

Greg

I was lucky to close out the last day of early teal season here in the lowcountry. I was also fortunate to get an invite to where the landowner’s father in the 1970’s resurrected the growing of Carolina Gold rice. Carolina Gold was the finest rice grown in America 200 years ago in the lowcountry. It had not been grown commercially since the 1800’s. This plantation is not far from the southernmost tip of South Carolina’s high ground before it ends at the marshland and barrier islands. Irma pushed a tidal surge into this ricefield, knocking down acres of rice which attracted hundreds of Blue Wing Teal. Five guns that shot limited this morning. It was over fast. No doubles were used. I had 870 (Remington) reasons not to use my doubles chief of which was I had no legal shot for them. Where you see open water is where the rice was flattened by the tidal surge. A bird taken last Saturday was banded in Watrous, Saskatchewan, in August. Floyd cooked a helluva breakfast after the hunt.

Rice:

Gil, I will be hunting in October in the Watrous/Last Mountain Lake, SK area. Blue Wing Teal are such beautiful birds after the season ends and they are in breeding plumage. Now they are all LBDs (little brown ducks) as shown in your tailgate pic.

Gil introduced me to the modern grown Carolina Gold rice. He gave me a book telling the story of its resurrection involving a Texas seed bank. I was so impressed with the story I bought a ten pound box of the rice. You wouldn't BELIEVE how much rice that is. Seven ounces makes all you can eat with supper. But it is the best rice I've ever tasted!...Geo

Geo, don't know if you recall, but Floyd illustrated the book which was written by the former owner who is the father of the present landowner. Gil

PS: Watrous is 1800 miles away and at the top of the Central, or maybe Mississippi flyway. What's this teal doing on the Atlantic flyway??

Will President Trump's opening the Savannah River Refuge to hunting do you guys in Savannah any good, or has the Corps ruined it?...Geo

Great pics, Gil.

Were you shooting in flip flops?

SRH

Geo, the duck hunting will never be like it once was. The Hordes of Engineers through one boondoggle project have pushed a slug of saltwater so far inland that the natural foods aren't there like before. I know some places I'll hunt woodcock if they don't require steel shot. Spring turkey hunting has been allowed for 20 years. Stan, I lost two pairs of flip flops in the mud. Next time I'll duct tape them to my feet. There was just enough of a nor'easter to eliminate mosquitoes. It was 76 F when I got up to go hunting. I haven't seen teal like this in at least 40 years and more likely, ever. Gil

Sorry, no game gun used, but my 20 month old Drahthaar is tearing it up in the swamp. I'll take my older Draht out tonight.

Nice looking Draat, Dave. Thanks for sharing!

When I bought my GWP Willy 12 years ago, I figured I'd train one more bird dog/retriever into a one dog team. Nope, Willy won't swim, never would. She points and retrieves other game on land but insists on only picking up ducks in water up to her knees. I can do that! Had to get another Lab for duck shooting...Geo

Hey all, went out today solo after our Annual Church Dinner/Fair. Decided to hit one of my good spots. Didn't see any grouse today, but Raina pointed a couple of nice roosters. Flushed up some Huns and managed one from that covey. Flushed up another covey and managed a double for a limit. I felt like Ben O. Williams!

I used my 16ga FN



and.......Raina



Best,

Greg

Greg, give that dog a bone. Would love to get into the Huns and Sharptails some day. Gil

Thanks, Geo!

Hey all, well today was our pheasant opener. It was a poor one (at least for us). One of the poorest openers I've had in years. My son Jim and I each did get one (and Jim also got a grouse), so not all was lost! Saw few birds, plus the wind was really whipping today (22+ and gusts over 30). That didn't help. We saw 5 roosters total, no hens. But as I said the wind really affected everything. Going to try around the home place here tomorrow, so we'll see what happens.

Jim with his birds. He was using his 12ga Victor Sarasqueta 3EC



I used my 12b James Purdey



Raina and the the days bag



Until tomorrw!

Greg

Always look forward to your report with the birds and beautiful guns ! ! !

Congratulations to you and Jim


Karl

Want to adopt me? Great posts!

Hey all, . my son went out yesterday and we saw about 8 birds, and I was able to get one. But, my GSP Raina got a good gash on her leg, so that ended our hunt early. That really sucked!


Went out today solo and no dog, didn't see a thing!!! Terrible hunting, but a nice day for a walk!


Anyway, here's my bird from Sunday. I was using my 12b F.A. Anderson




Hope Raina heals fast!


Best,


Greg

I've just returned from Michigan's UP. It was a very wet Spring and Summer possibly accounting for fewer birds seen. I keep going up there too early resulting in leaves up and very little fall color. Next time I'll wait until October. In addition to the usual GEMS sites managed for grouse, I came across an area specifically managed for woodcock. Looking forward to the rest of the season!

I can't wait to go up there and hunt

Don't make the mistake I made and go too early. I was too anxious to start the season. Lots of flies, mosquitos and way too many leaves, not to mention the heat. I'm looking forward to the woodcock flights.

Looks like you brought at least two Germanic creations there, Karl. My guess is a 147 and a side lock of some sort! Hope the weather cools down on your next foray.

Owen,
The sidelock is my 12 ga. Browning BSS-SL, my main bird gun. The other one is my Merkel 147EL 20 ga.
I'm headed out again this Thursday since the weather is expected to start cooling down. Anxious for the woodcock flights to start soon.
Karl

Hey all, well, lady luck smiled on me today (even if it's Friday the 13th). Went out solo with Raina, decided to start off with an old RR cut that can be either hit or miss. Well today it was a hit. Lot's of birds in it and I was able to limit in a half hour. Most birds I've seen all season. Hope I'll be able to do this again (time will tell!).

I used my 12b Blanch today



And of course....Raina girl!



Best,

Greg

Greg,

Glad to see Raina healed up and is back out!

Ken

Thanks so much! I did have to wrap her up (can't see it in the pic) she came thru A Okay!

Thanks again for the kind words!

Greg

Greg, beautiful gun, dog and day. Gil

Greg, what were the shells you used today in the Blanch?

Thanks!

I was using some of my reloads. 2 3/4", 1 1/8oz, #5 at 1150fps and a pressure of 5700psi. Been using this recipe for the last 3 or so years. It's been a good one for me. The Blanch is Nitro chambered for 2 1/2" BTW.

Best,

Greg

I love this yearly thread because I get to see all of Greg's shotguns but I finally saw one of Greg's shotguns I didn't like. The J. Blanch & Sons. There is a first time for everything.

Hey all, today my son and I hunted our friends ranch north of Mandan. It was a bit chilly this morning (in the 30's) and a bit breezy. We saw birds today, more than earlier this year. We each got 2. I should have limited, but flat missed one!. I had a very enjoyable day with my son, can't put a price on that. Raina also worked well, happy with her. A very good day!

Jim with his birds. He used my 12ga SIACE 350G:



My birds I used my 16ga Ugartechea 1030



And Raina with the days bag



Best

Greg

Greg,
I had the opportunity a couple of years ago to hunt near Garrison in North Dakota and really enjoyed it. We stayed near Sakakawea and found plenty of birds. I had a good week there and hope to return someday. You live in a great part of the country.
Karl

Well...you felt the need to comment that you don’t care for gjw’s Blanch (a gun I almost bought btw), can you please tell us what you don’t like about it? IMO...the pictured Blanch is the finest gun he’s got, it’s an amazing gun actually and if you had it your hands, you wouldn’t want to put it down. Blanch finished those back action’s better than anyone during that time...rivaling H&H’s version of the same gun. Beautifully finished, top notch engraving, and best quality Damascus. There just isn’t much there to not like.

I don't like it compared to his other guns. But being a Brit I know one thing it handles like a dream.

I love everything about gjw's Blanch.

I've just returned last week from my annual grouse/wookcock hunting trip in Michigan's northern peninsula. I saw fewer birds this year compared to the previous one, no doubt due to the excessively wet spring and summer. Minnesota had reported a 50% increase of drumming reports and I had hoped for an increase as well. It seems as though I was seeing some smaller birds from a second hatch, if that's possible.
Anyway, I still had a great time and thankfully managed some birds. In addition to the usual GEMS sites, I came across an area managed by the Michigan DNR specificaly for woodcock which looked good. I love October!
Karl

I just got back from the UP too. Birds were definitely low and very wild which seems to go along with low numbers. I had a couple good days, really had to work at it with good dogs. I heard MN was tough too despite an increase the spring drumming count by approximately 50%. Makes one think drumming counts are only a reflection of how the birds fared during winter but tends not to reflect fall numbers. I had fun though and shot my 16 ga SLE that weighs 5 lb 13 oz. I had a new stock made for it and really enjoyed carrying and shooting it.

Set out today to hunt the place I went to high school. A small town on the Saskatchewan prairies. I haven't been back in 40 years and at that time it thrived in upland and ducks but not a goose or pheasant to be seen. Still no pheasants but plenty of Canadian geese.

My objective was to see the land, drive the old roads, see a few very old acquaintances and try one large slough that used to be full of canvasbacks.

Met up with an old high school chum who now farms 62, quarter sections of land. He said he only saw one upland bird this season. I can see why. The farmers have planted up to the edge of the road, no ditches, bulldozed every dried up slough possible (it was very dry here this year) and along with herbicides and pesticides there isn't an upland bird left.

My slough that I used to sit around and dream of shooting a canvasback those long years ago still held a good raft of them. At that time I had no dog, no boat and had little idea of how to hunt them.

Today I had no boat, have 2 dogs, but still no idea of how to hunt them. They sit out in the middle of the slough much too far to shoot and slowly shy away from the side I was on.

There were plenty of other ducks but I had little desire and only took 2. The bunny was a bonus. Surprisingly, my younger lab retrieved it.

I had a good day, reminded me of my younger days and saw some great country that really should hold a lot more upland birds. Sadly, I won't be back again.

Remington 1894 B Grade

Tamid,
Sometimes visiting old haunts can be bittersweet, I know I've done it myself at times and it's hard to resist. But I find it good for the soul and the memories. Glad that you could go back.
Buzz,
Glad to hear you connected a couple of days, hopefully next year will improve. The winter and spring weather will decide. Still, October is still young and the woodcock flights have yet to begin!
Karl

Glad you got to "go home again", Tamid, to some extent.

The way to kill the canvasbacks is really quite simple, if you think about it. You just have to be there before they get there. Haven't hunted cans in Cannadey, yet, but I've never seen a place that holds the same ducks 24 hours a day. They have to come into it from their roost at some time, and you've just got to lose enough sleep to beat them there. A few dekes near the edge will usually cause them to swing by, even if they intend to light in the middle.

Being in the right spot at the right time is the best "calling technique" I know of.

SRH

Stan,

I don't want to take this thread off context but:
The slough is big enough they just move around it. I have never seen them off the slough as everytime in the past I went there, morning or evening they were there. Perhaps a Nova Scotia Duck Toller to get the raft to move closer to the shore.

Tamid, I've used my Labs to toll ducks, particularly bluebills; once, for over a quarter-mile.

Just back from Saskatchewan. 25th October straight if I counted right. I'm getting too fragile to sit on the ground. As shown in 2nd pic, the nap after the shoot is the best part...Geo

That is quite the blind. Is' any of it commercial or is it all home made ?

Home made. Sets up either as a box or a lean over as shown in the pics. As a box it can be set for two shooters or five with an extension, and any where in between. The woven palm grass sheets are Cabelas, and hang on the four ft. wide supports...Geo

Well done, great pictures
Mike

Hey all, went out solo today, hunted a place about a mile or so from the house, did very well, was able to limit and got a double in the process! Raina did very well, just a nice day!

I used my 16ga Garbi 100



Best,

Greg

Geo, I don't know if you were aware of this, but someone placed a bunch of dead ducks at the foot of your blind while you slept. Gil

My dad's old Winchester 101 20 gauge. He bought it new in 1964. He's gone now, but I still take the gun out a few times a year. Picture taken last week in Michigan. Old gun did well. Limited out in 4 shots.

Tut, nice seeing the first doodles of the year. Gil

Lots more doodles to come once the flights start!
Karl

Shot a limit of doves today with my American Arms Royal in 20 gauge.

Youth deer season precedes our regular season in GA this week. The pics below show the latest kids to take their first Whitetail on my farm this last weekend. The little girls both shot does and my grandson passed up a young eight point, not his decision; his dad thought he needed a little more experience before he was allowed to make his first kill.

I've lost count of how many kids have taken their first deer on the farm. Me included, come to think of it (a long time ago)...Geo

Geo, that's cool! Gil

WAY COOL!!
Thank you for sharing this FUTURE with us
Mike

George,
I'm proud of you for giving them the experience. It will go with them the rest of their lives( I'm guessing yours too).
Mike

Canvasback and Wingshooter in the Sandhills








More to come. difficult to download/upload

That's it, I'm putting sharptails on my bucket list! Great photo of dog with bird.
Karl

Mike, Keep those photos coming about your excellent adventure in the Sandhills. I see you have the birds and it appears James shot your dog. Damn. Scout must have talked him into it. He seems to have recovered nicely, however. Gil

Did you run over them or shoot them ?

George that is too cool! Great job wingshooter!

Wingshooter thinks eating half a cow helps his hunting.

Don from Kansas City stopped by to ask if there were any sharpies in the vicinity. He and his two pointers had been out for 3 hours and seen nothing.

Wingshooter and I wondered if it was because the 60 birds we had just kicked up had left the area.

My last foray in the Sandhills Thursday the temp was 85 degrees, and both dogs and James were wise enough to let me have it all to myself.

We are now on the North shore of Superior with our host Fourtrax. Got my first woodcock ever, and had a little trouble finding it (I was so excited I didn't mark the bird very well). Kept calling Cocoa back to the area I thought the bird was. Finally she stopped at one spot, put down her nose and sniffed at something; lifted her head and looked at me, and walked off. I walked over to the spot she sniffed at, and there was the bird.




Here James has found one of those Pokemon things:

What guns were you guys using?

CB, looks like your French gun?

I've been running my Ideal 314, which now has three sets of barrels. Tubes choked .005 and .015 were employed successfully in the Sandhills; have switched to the barrel set choked .000 and .007 for the North woods. James was shooting his Heym, both guns 16's.

Way to go on the life list, Mike.

Treb.....the 12 gauge Ideal might be a bit overkill for woodcock and ruffies choked .026 and .035. lol

The Heym is choked .007 and .015.

Also it was a bit rainy today. The Heym is closer to a "rain" gun. It is my go-to ruffed grouse gun. Middle weight for a 16 at 6 pounds 6 ounces. It's either that or my 5 pound Tolley 12 gauge. But I didn't get the Tolley on the list of guns BATF was okay with me bringing to your fine country.

Thanks guys!!

Oh, your Ideal, that little Frenchy of yours is beautiful!!! Mike didn't you lend it to James last year for a hunt?

A Heym? Nice!!!!!

There was a bit of a kerfuffle last year getting my form 6NIA back so I had to go south without any guns. Mike very kindly let me use his grade 5 Ideal 16 gauge but we did swap guns a bit so I ended up using both of Mike's Ideals last year.

Hey all, kind of a crappy day today, it started off with rain and ended up with wind! Managed to get out for a hour or so, saw birds, but spooky in this wind (20mph). Did manage one however, so not all was lost.

I used my 12b H&H Royal today.



Best,

Greg

Mike, Cocoa's "I ain't touching that mistake you just shot" reaction to the woodcock isn't uncommon among bird dogs used to quail. James, Scout appears to have a bird pinned down in the photo. Who missed that bird? Gil

Beautiful Royal Greg, that and your Henry Atkin, love em.

Hmm, either a microaggression against cows, or, a macroaggression against Wingshooter.
I like to be well fed and well hydrated on a hunting trip as well.

Especially well hydrated. Domestic or imported hydration will do.

Best,
Ted

It's good to be me.



More to come from North Yorkshire.

My tired baby dog.

Bad day for this guy.

Especially with the Jeffery.

GA opening day 12 point. Good one taken yesterday evening at the farm:



...Geo

Wow great shots everyone...the season is in full swing.

CZ, did you take your guns over there?

I've been out chasing woodcock. Great time of the year to be alive! Congrats wingshooter 16 on your first woodcock.
Karl

Look closely at the sling. Chasing ruffs and woodcock in the North woods has me looking for a bayonet/machete attachment for my Ideal

That is some thick brush. Debilitatingly thick.

Great deer George! Can't wait to see more!

Mike- The picture showing a walk in the woods with a friend are just beautiful.
You and I hunted together in NE for Prairie Chickens many years ago when your passion was first indulged.
Glad to see you are still out there and going after it.
Time waits for no man.

Treb,
I didn't take my guns over, I had poor connecting flights, limited time, and didn't want the hassle.
I borrowed the pair of Jeffery's for a day.

But I liked shooting the Dickson R/A, single trigger, micro forend, gun the most. 1 of about 1,000 worldwide.

The people you meet when you are shooting at a castle.

The gates at Ripley Castle.
What shooting experience lays beyond?

CZ, can't wait to see the pics of that trip!!

Blast my builders eye for seeing the broken window, scaffold & other work that needs doing.
Otherwise, nice pants.
O.M

Finally got out and got this Mature bird!

Cocoa located and put up her first ruff:

I'm still not sure what happened this afternoon. I sat in a ground blind I have in the Alapaha River swamp east of town. I had a shooting pod set up in my blind to be sure the .270 Remington model 700 would be steady for a possible shot. I hadn't got around to sighting in this season, but wasn't worried because this gun seems to keep itself sighted in from season to season.

At 5:30pm a doe came out about 70 yards out, followed immediately by what looked like a fork horn buck. I didn't want to shoot the little buck so I waited.

A few minutes later, the doe took off running followed by a nice buck. I watched him carefully with 10x binoculars and decided he was a mature 8 point. He was big enough for a first buck of the season.

The big buck and the little guy milled around until I decided to take the shot. I lined the scope up on the base of the big buck's neck and squeezed the trigger. I saw a deer fall and kick on the ground. Then, the doe and a buck ran back across the clearing.

I figured I'd walk down and see the deer. When I got to the scene of the crime I was surprised and disappointed not to find the buck on the ground, but evidence of a severely gut shot deer. Stomach contents but not much blood.

I didn't see a blood trail at all so I circled out in arcs where the tracks indicated the deer had run. About 50 yards out from the place I hit the deer I picked up a blood trail and followed it like the yellow brick road. The deer fell or lay down three places along the blood trail. At 300 yards along, I spotted the buck on the ground again out in front of the blood trail. His head was up and the antlers didn't look quite right to me, but I finished him off with a shot to neck where it connects to the head.

I had hit him in the back haunch and the bullet must have glanced off the bone and exited through the stomach. The exit hole was big enough to have dropped the entire stomach and intestines at the shot, so the meat was not tainted by stomach fluids from my exceedingly poor shot. First time ever I've had one field dress himself!

Somehow I had managed to miss the buck I was shooting at and kill the smaller one. He was a small five point; not what I wanted, but will eat just fine.

I called one of my sons who came out with my grandson to help pull the deer out of the woods and get him in my son's truck and on to the processor.



I will go and sight in my rifle tomorrow morning and try to figure out what happened. The smaller buck was out in front of the one I shot at, so I had to have missed my target by several feet. This was either the worst shot I ever made or the luckiest!

My wife's first question was when had I last had my eyes checked. If the scope's not badly off, she might have a point...Geo

I’m glad you are out in the woods! I have yet to go

If the rifle is on, and you're fairly sure you were on the bigger buck and squeezed off a good shot, go back and recreate the shot and look, in line, for a twig or small branch the bullet hit. It happens.

SRH

You know Keith, my retirement is so much fun I have no idea how I ever found the time to practice law for 45 years...Geo

I shot from a pod, so the shot was practically benchrest. If the scope's not off, you're idea may be just what happened.

What kept me awake last night was that maybe I had not missed the big buck at all and had made a twofer. He looked healthy to me when he ran off, and the neck shot usually either misses clean or drops'em in their tracks.

I didn't try to track the big one. I guess the buzzards will tell me this weekend...Geo

Geo, good idea you have to shoot some paper and ease your mind one way or the other. I've had zero shift for no apparent reason from end of season to start of next season.
Mike, that's a great photo of you and Cocoa. Gil

Gil, this rifle is composite stock with the barrel floated. When I sight in every Fall, it is always just a one shot thing with a bulls-eye at 100 yards. We'll see this morning...Geo

I'll bet not only my house but my neighbor's house that your rifle and your shot were dead on but you just picked up the wrong deer in your scope.

That can easily happen.

How was his shot "dead on" when he hit the little buck in the rear end?

SRH

I went back to read it again, I see that now.

The rifle is probably a little off from the off season but I'll bet dollars to donuts when he went from his eyes to his scope he picked up the wrong deer. Or someone really gave that scope a smack to knock it off.

My Leupold is a variable, but I had it set on 4x. I could see both bucks in my sight picture and they weren't lined up...Geo

On the way to the range.

Scope was way off. Lesson here is sight in every Fall no matter what you have else to do!...Geo

Our host Steven's bird finding machine Charlie.

Remind me to tell you a story about my scope mess buck miss

Your reference to prairie chickens (which I chased with Steve Voss in SE Nebraska for a number of years) threw me off- there were a few others that occasionally joined us, but I couldn't place you. Mr Voss clarified that it was the Sandhills for sharpies, and I knew instantly of whom he spoke: Greg with the GSP not afraid of porcupines! You made the best coffee on the planet, and had an amazing upland bird chasing rig and a fascinating employment situation. I really enjoyed your recounting of a serious conversation you had with your daughter, and have often wondered over the years what happened to you. Glad to see/hear you are well.

Mike McDaniel
Flower Mound, TX

Gil, going back over this topic I noticed your unanswered question, and found the picture I think you reference. If it is the one showing James and the two dogs on a two track, I'm afraid the answer is rather ignoble: I believe this is the start of the hunt for the day, and as dogs do at the time, Scout is finishing processing the dog food from the day before.

As we say in S. Ga.: "a kennel point." Gil

A few pictures from my friend, Eric Karlsson of MoIndal, Sweden:





Eric uses his turn-of-the-last-century R11 to good effect for woodcock, pheasants, mallards, wigeon, doves and hares. His Darne needs just a little "love" right now (broken trigger return spring) and I will help him out, as the factory doesn't seem to be interested in helping-not the first time I have heard this of late.

Great pictures, Eric!

Best,
Ted

The European Woodcock is a magnificent bird; nice gun, too. Gil

They look much larger than ours do stateside.
Karl

Hey all, went out solo today, my son Jim was working cows for some friends of ours. Anyway, went up to the farm were we hunt deer. Always see birds in that area. Did see a few today. I did manage a limit.....but, lost one in the cattails and Rania couldn't find him, so only two in the bag. Good day overall, nice weather and a good dog!

I used my 16ga Arrieta 871



And....one tired Raina girl!



Until later!

Greg

American woodcock can be fairly large as well.



Got this one after you left Ted.

Lloyd,
I've managed to take a couple of large females that were rather large, but looking at the example of the European one puts ours into perspective.
Going out today to find some more.
Karl

Wow Karl, you are up early.

FWIW, European Woodcock are more than 2X as big as their NA counterparts.

They are a pound plus.

Most interesting that they can shoot doves in Sweden, Ted. I'd sure be interested in hearing more about what dove species it is and how they go about it, whether there are large concentrations or if it is just "pot" luck kind of hunting for them. I wonder if it is the Eurasion Collared Dove which has become an invasive species here, and which we can shoot at will.

SRH

The advantage of my pursuit of American over the European woodcock is that I don't need an Airbus or Boeing to hunt them. Gil

Im the Swede with the Darne. It is indeed the euroasian collared dove that we hunt. It can be shot over decoys or in August/september when wheat is harvested I take post under a tree on their flightline near the fields.
About the woodcock. The north american is a smaller one, hence the latin name Scolopax Minor, the european is Scollopax Rusticola.
I am new to the forum, but when I learn how to post pictures I have some from dove hunts.

Welcome aboard, Eric. Beautiful gun and bird. Looking forward to your photos. Gil

Welcome aboard scollopax. Very interested to hear more about your hunting experiences in Sweden.

Ask, and you shall receive.

I have a care package being mailed from Minnesota to Sweden on Monday for Eric. I wish it were easier to get factory support to help keep the old Darne guns running, but, I'm guessing that horse has left the barn. I have no evidence they are building guns at this time.
One can use and shoot a Darne with a broken trigger return spring, but, we all like our guns to work as designed.

Perhaps this photo should be in a separate catagory, titled "Photos that bummed you out, 2017", but, here is the root of the problem with Eric's gun:



I have great confidence it will be fixed shortly.

Best,
Ted

Winding down pics from our excursion, here is my shooting mentor and friend Steve evaluating the sales pitch from James, himself a sales specialist:




And one of Canvasback and Fourtrax, your guess as good as mine:

Ted, just curious. If Darne is not building guns and they aren't repairing guns, what are they doing? Busy being insolvent?

Actually, Steve Voss was momentarily stunned by the brilliance of what I had just said and was wracking his brain for a suitable response.

And Fourtrax had just admitted that yes, SxS are much better than the pumps he had been using.

During mid-day while on a Red Deer hunt, a German Forester set me up to shoot Collared Dove( Ring Tauben) from a blind at a mud hole on a forest road. He knew they "watered" there. Also from time to time, while hunting small game on drive hunts, a flock of doves might fly over and we would shoot( these were more like pigeon size). If they were multi colored we wouldn't shoot, for fear of hitting someone's Homing Pigeon( flying these was fairly popular in the area).
Mike

James,
I will admit, that I don't know, exactly. Hervé Bruchet was bought out by a firm known as Fort Royal, a French company that was interested in keeping French artisans of all types producing heirloom quality items for a home market. A quick read of the Fort Royal website shows nothing about the Darne guns, however, they used to be there. The Bruchet website seems to be on autopilot. My understanding of the Fort Royal organization is that money is not a problem, and never will be.
Geoffroy threw in the towel as US importer just after the purchase, and told me he doesn't believe the new owner had full grasp of just what he had bought.
People outside of France who contact (more like attempt to contact) the company report no response.
I did notice that the Bruchet website has no mention of the Petrik designed O/U that was in production from about when Geoffroy got out. There is a truly ugly single trigger Blitz action O/U in it's place, and I've got to believe when you ramp up to produce something like the Petrik, and it isn't listed a few short years later, something has gone terribly wrong.
Full disclosure, I, too, threw in the towel as US importer, and while I wish them the best of luck, I have my doubts a company producing a gun that unique can make it from where we are today.

Best,
Ted

Ted, as a former importer and distributor of products, often sporting related, I have seen up close numerous examples of companies being bought and the new owners being either aimless or clueless....or with a plan in mind that may be good for them but ruins said company. My favorite example involves three footwear companies...Etonic of the US, Tretorn from Sweden and Puma, the German giant. What a tangled web. But that's a different subject. You've answered my question....thanks.

Or he's pleading to keep that little Frenchy since the French can no longer be bothered building guns for people who are not French.

Treb,
The logistics and language barrier are such that I'm surprised it went on as long as it did.
Did you ever order a new French gun? No?
Neither did I.
We both had that opportunity. No company can survive on tire kickers.

Best,
Ted

First PA woodcock taken with my old French SxS:


First big red stag taken with my old Alex Henry 500bpe:

Well done Chasseur!
Glad to see you are alive and well.
It's been far too long since we've hunted together.
What are you doing in PA?

Ted,

Ain't that the truth.

A shame really that few people know of the ultra high quality and perfect balance of a French built shotgun.

FIFY

Glad you fixed it for me, Steve.

Lloyd,
I have been letting the woodcock fly away when we find them for perhaps 2 decades. If the dog handled one superbly, I'd take it, but, the last English Setter never did, and Louie hasn't, as of yet.
I used to see thousands in the course of a season, now I find it rare to see one.
My Gordon Setter was outstanding on woodcock. We took many when he was alive.


Best,
Ted

Where were you hunting in Saskatchewan? (I was born and raised in Saskatchewan)

Very nice Chass!

Last Mountain Lake (Long Lake) area, south of Saskatoon. Our house there is in Nokomis...Geo

Nice. I know the area. My home town is Humboldt which is about one hour north of Nokomis.

I hope you enjoyed some some Nokomis brown ale from the local brew pub located there. Tops on my list for a Saskatchewan made beer.

Small world...Geo

It was interesting how they grow their own hops out back.

Wow I've grown plenty of hops. Even have them growing up the back of the restaurant. Now I have to go George

My friend from Sweden with the broken Darne, Eric, sent along a few photos for us to enjoy:



I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that the pictured gentleman, Eric, is younger than the typical board member by a magnitude of at least a few decades, a good thing, I think. I enjoy seeing younger people participating in our pastime.
Eric mentioned that this is not his Darne, rather, a Greifelt, and his dog is a French Brittany.
Eric is allowed to own six guns in Sweden, and used to own a second Darne, which, went down the road when he bumped up against the legal limit. I don't know what the "mix" say, rifles, to shotguns, handguns, or combination guns might be. Perhaps he will explain it to us.



This hunting trip was to an island, and Eric explained that the only animals are birds, and hares. It would seem there is a bit of a hare infestation, as the take was 30. Next to Eric is his friend, Lars, and his daughter, and I must say, it is always nice to see young ladies participating in hunting and fishing trips.

I mailed an envelope to Eric on monday, with a used trigger return spring from a Darne R model, an unfitted new spring, which, can be fitted to either R,V, or P model Darnes, in the event he suffers this failure at a later date, and some extra goodies that I hope he will find interesting.

Best,
Ted

Hey all, had to work today, but was able to get in a couple hours after with my son Jim. We had our first snow (that stuck) yesterday, so it was still a bit chilly and breezy. Jim wingshot one and he gave Raina the slip. I was able to get 2, so only 2 in bag today. This damn Daylight Savings is going to put a crimp in my after work hunts, but we'll still be getting out come hell or high water!

I used my 12ga Buhag Hubertus today

\\Best,

Greg

Greg,
Great picture of your birds as well as that very nice looking gun. I'd love to get back to North Dakota for pheasants again next year.
Karl

Greg,

You didn't negotiate 2days off a week during hunting season? :-)

Ken

Ted, great pics. Its always great to see younger people hunting with doubles.

Does he ever plan on coming over here for some hunting?

Eric has been checking in since he discovered our little corner of the world.

Perhaps he can answer your question.

I know I would love the chance to hunt hickory grouse, over there.

Best,
Ted

That's an interesting gun, Greg. I googled 'hubertus' and up came saint hubertus, a saint from the dark ages, the patron saint of hunting, mathematics, opticians and metal workers. That gun is East German manufacture? Have you ever removed and inspected the locks, Greg? Back action locks? Gun looks similar to a Merkel sidelock on the insides? Pretty gun, well executed engraving. What's engraved on the other side of the action?

Ted,
It's now official that your status as Marvel Action Hero "Darne Man" is now international. Maybe we can start a thread expanding the "Beware The Man Having 1 Gun" to six guns in light of our new Swedish friend. Gil

I imported them for about 15 years, Gil, and heard from people, and forwarded parts and advice, all over the world during that time. I still hear from 2-10 people a month, usually just asking questions about their guns. Eric had a problem I could help with. Sometimes, it doesn't end that way.
My first task, when I got to St. Etienne, back in the day, was to type answers to a stack of English language correspondence at the plant-with a French language typewriter.
No, the keyboard is NOT identicle to an English language one. None of the English language inquiries were from the US, as I recall.
I could easily get by with 6 guns, Gil. I can't get by with any government official telling me I can only have 6.
What, "Beware the 7th and most deadly gun"? Arbitrary, and irrational.

Best,
Ted

Ted goes on and on about this gun and that gun and maybe this gun needs some exercise but all he ever uses is that 12 gauge Darne he had restocked in France.

Can't blame him though.

Not true. The last time I was out for a walk, I used this:



Not a Darne. Not a 12. Not stocked to fit me.

I saw three hens, had 4 3" rounds of Remington 7 1/2 shot on me, (they were given to me) and, didn't fire a shot.

It was a nice walk with the dog.

interestingly, the other side of the large WMA I hunted is non tox only. I didn't hunt there, but, if I had, I would have used this one:



Again, not a Darne, not a 12, not stocked to fit me. A few seasons ago, I bought some 16 gauge TM, I think I have 40 rounds or so of number 6 shot, and I actually use a 16 gauge Nitro when hunting a non tox area.
I don't hunt them very often.

Best,
Ted

Hey all, well had to work today so had a short time for hunting after. It was a short hunt, thanks Daylight Savings!!!!! Saw quite a few birds, but they were spooky today. Oh well each day is different. Raina did well today. Would have lost this bird without her.

Anyway, I used my 12b Coggie Konor



Best,

Greg

A hard earned limit o’roosters in SE SoDak today with the EC Green, RST #6 1 1/16 oz load.

Hey all, well this weekend was our Deer Gun Opener, my son Jim, daughter Liz and myself all drew Doe tags. Opening day was windy as all get out (25 to 30 mph), but I was lucky and tagged out at 4pm. The rest of the weekend was great weather. Jim wasn't able to fill until Saturday and Liz still has to fill hers. Still have two weeks. Hope she can fill hers.

Myself and my doe (nothing huge, but average)



I used my Old Style Ruger M77RSI in 7mm-08



Jim and his deer (a button buck) he used his Browning A-Bolt in .25WSSM. He made a great shot on his, 260 yards!



I did bring a shotgun with and hunted birds while the kids were trying to fill there tags. I limited out and used my daughters 12ga Zabala Brittany. Jim carried the shotgun today, but nothing in the bag.



Jim and Liz



Great weekend overall. Sure did enjoy my hunting partners, best in the world!

Best,

Greg

Nothing congruent here, poodle, cockbird, 28, and tennis shoes....



We were out for what was effectively adding up to be merely an 'armed walk" when two cocks literally flew over our heads from behind some cover. This one flared instead of turning on the afterburners and I hit it in the head with a load of #9s.

I love seeing pics of your family, Greg.

Great family you have there.

Another nice 10 point my youngest son Trent took at the farm this afternoon. After George Jr., my oldest missed him yesterday afternoon...Geo

The rut was especially hard on that buck, Geo. He might not have made it through the winter.

Nice older buck

SRH

I thought the same thing Stan...Geo

Either that or we're all going to get Mad Cow disease.

Dang, the rut is already happening in Ga? Won't kick off here in Miss. for another month...
JR

Stan,
Why would you say an older buck? By the look of his antlers and very small G4 and G5 I would say he was 3 years and very symmetrical. Leaving him for another year may have seen a significant improvement on his tines.

Son's brother in law was hunting with him yesterday. He is a wildlife biologist and examined the teeth; about worn down to nothing. Guess that's why he was stuck on the green plot; couldn't eat hard mast...Geo

I think we're safe from Mad Cow, but the meat's going to be not so great.

Gunmaker,
That's an incredable monochromatic effect in your picture that really shows well, great job!
Karl

Not the greatest photo, but a bit of a milestone: my first ever woodcock and Gilley's first bird. Flushed, shot, and retrieved. The gun is a 5 lb 6 oz. Verney-Carron 20 gauge from the mid-1950s with light 27-inch tubes opened to .003" and .010" by Bob Day. Well used little thing with moderate pitting in the bores and typical carry wear on the receiver, but easy to carry and comes up quick. I'm not sure who was more surprised, me, Gilley, or the bird. Probably the bird.

God I love this thread! Geo what a stud of a whitetail! Gunmaker what gun is that?

By his overall look, Tamid, including his head shape and coloration, the flatness of the main beams of his antlers, and his emaciated condition. It's been my experience that antlers that have a more flatter main beam appearance are usually older deer here. More upright main beams are usually younger deer.

John, I'd say the rut here is 80 to 90% done.

SRH

That's just crazy, Stan. I assumed Miss. and Ga. were on about the same timeline for the rut. Over here, there won't be any scrape activity for 2 weeks at least, and will go into early January. Have a feeling it will be late this year as well, even though it's the sun angle and not temperature, that drives it. You can't tell the good ol' boys that, though. "Rut ain't gon' kick off real good 'til we get some sho nuff cold nights."
JR

I don't know why it's like that, John. But, we start seeing scrapes here in September.

You can tell by the looks of the buck Geo. posted that they've been running does hard, and neglecting eating, for some time now.

I'll be glad when it's over. They won't be quite as bad a road hazard when the bucks bunch back up together. I saw about 25 on the roadside coming from the peanut field to my house about half hour ago.

SRH

I took this buck from my shooting house, a week ago today.The gun is a 12-bore double rifle that I built about 20 years ago. The load that it's regulated with is the Lightfield Hybred 1 1/4 ounce sabot slug. One shot through the lungs at 123 yards dropped him in his tracks. I have no way of weighing him but his live weight was certainly over 300 pounds.

Amazing buck Ron! How wide is the antler spread on that one? We don't grow'em like that in the South...Geo

Hi George. I rough-measured it using the rifle barrels at about 23 1/2". I've probably killed 40 whitetails and 20 mule deer in my long life but this guy is far and away the biggest!
Hope you're well.
Best,
Ron.

Some friends and I spent 4 days hunting in NW Kansas for the opener, pheasant numbers were ok, quail numbers were very good. We had a great time. Here are a few photos.

Chad,
Beautiful pictures of what I'm sure was a great hunt. Looks like really big country!
Karl

Put a new roof on that adobe dream and love life a little more

Hey all, my son Will came home on Leave (from the Army) early this morning (at 3:30 am!!!) and after we slept a bit we did what we love the most....bird hunting. It was a good day with both my sons. We got birds and had a good time spending time with each other. Jim was the hot gun today, he limited (but lost one) and got a grouse. Will got two (but lost lost one) and I got one and a grouse. Raina did well, some very nice points.

My two best hunting partners in the world, Jim and Will



The boy's and Raina with the days bag



I used my 16ga FN to get these



We're going out again tomorrow, so I hope we do well!

Best,

Greg

I honestly have not shot at game with a .410 shotgun since I was a kid. A few weeks ago I agreed to shoot release birds with a couple of friends at Lenox River Plantation and all three of us would shoot the little guns. I had my doubts, but we shot a wagon-load yesterday afternoon and I was surprised at how effective the .410s were on the easy shots and tender birds we were after. My apologies to Stan for doubting the ability of his favorite opening day dove caliber...Geo






.410 Nitro Special for me, my buddies shot a .410 Beretta and a Citori Browning.

I'm all grins, Geo. Nice pic, my dapper friend.

Now that you've broken the ice, give it a try on some early doves next year. Heck, ChuckH used one of his on wild pheasants successfully several years ago, as I recall.

SRH

I know, Geo is looking pretty dapper in that get up.

Did Chuck use a 410 or his 28 gauge Parker Repro?

The day was hot and the cover was thick; no frost here yet. We'd walked a long way and it may be I was having a wardrobe malfunction...Geo

The snake leggings weren't just for show!

410 For sure.

He met up with several other board members for a pheasant hunt in Kansas(?), maybe. Might have used that pretty NID .410 with 28" barrels.

SRH

.410 works fine for Doves. Used mine for the entire month of September and took over 150 birds. Makes me wonder how I missed with a 12 all those years. Going to try it on released pheasant end of the week but going to cheat and use those Roman candle 3" sissy shells. Plus will have my son backing me up with something bigger. He's still in love with a 12 when I don't give him a 28.

Great to see so many pictures of those great looking young shooters. They just give me hope that mine are not the last. Maybe their kids will follow.

Great going Geo! Love that place. Glad you took Emil to clean up any stray birds. It's a joy watching you two shoot

Geo, squint as I might, I can't visually transform your snake gaiters into spats or plus fours. Dapper is appropriate, however. Smart, too, wearing gaiters in this weather in S. Ga. Gil

Hey all, the boys and I went out today, not much luck. We hunted at a friends ranch today, didn't see many birds however. Just on of those days. I managed one and that was all for today.

My daughter made a marker for our old GSP Duchess. She's laid to rest where she had many good hunts with us. She looks over us when we hunt there and is with us in spirit. Sure do miss her



My sons and Raina



The days game, I used my12b Henry Atkin



Till later!

Greg

Hate to go this direction --- on a double gun site but it will be my favorite for a little while. I have ambushed a lot of deer from treestands, but still hunting a dense wood lot and finding myself among 4 bucks and maintaining the composure to wait this guy out after he appeared and then left the ravine was very rewarding. At the shot he took two steps forward and slowly bedded down. The remaining bucks hung around seemingly unalarmed.
It was the 6th or 7th shot from my "new" Ultra Light Arms muzzleloader. I celebrate everything Melvin Forbes has done and love his rifles. This one will get quite a work out. We get 2 weeks of ML in Va before rifle season and it is always the prime of the rut.

Posted for 67Galaxie. Nice buck this morning. Old looking gun; i don't know what it is. I guess he will be along with details...Geo

Not too old. It's a Winchester trapper 94ae in 44 mag. Drops deer with a 240gr hollow point at 1350fps. Thanks for posting Geo!

Did you put the 'Rifleman's loop on that rifle?

Beautiful game gun TOP, always loved that Henry Atkin.

nope it is original

Great deer!! Nice big buck with that rifle. Love me some lever action rifles especially Winchesters.

Thanks! Next one will be with the 45-70

There's no oversized guard on the rifle that I can see when I zoom in on it. Nice buck, '67.

SRH

No birds yesterday, but great weather to be out with the dog.

Looks like a Darne good day, Bill

Gil that was pretty punny

A few pages back, we heard from Eric, a Swede with a Darne in need of a trigger return spring. I'm happy to report his letter arrived safely, and he is enjoying his properly functioning, older Darne.
He also sent along a picture from a moose hunt:



I was struck by how similar the country appeared to areas in northern Minnesota that I have been in. Moose season is closed here, as brain worms are destroying the population of moose, but, it was a once in a lifetime season prior to that.

I haven't eaten much moose, but, what I had was excellent.

Best,
Ted

Hey all, myself and my hunting partners (my kids) went out for our annual Thanksgiving Day hunt. We just hunt for a couple hours (to keep the wife happy!), so we go around the home place. The weather today was wonderful, 63 temp, low winds and a sunny sky. Saw quite a few birds, but today they were really spooky, wouldn't hold a point, but Will and Jim each got one for the ones that did hold. Wonderful time with my kids, I'm darn lucky!

Here's Jim, Teresa and Will and of course Raina



Happy Thanksgiving all!

Greg

Desert Quail, the tricky little runners.

Had a great grouse hunt in the western NC mountains and carried my 1897 Purdey 12 bore.

Bill, great pics of the dog.

We keep hearing rumors that people actually shoot ruffies in the Smokeys. For most of us most of the time, it turns out to be "armed hiking". Thanks, Owen; you've given me renewed hope! Must have been extra satisfying to take it with such a fine old gun!
BW

Thanks BW had 4 flushes in 5 hours, not great but acceptable. The secret is private land and young timber!

Owen,
That bird would of at least fallen out of respect for that fine Purdey!
Karl

Or out of shock seeing that gun in WNC. Gil

Great pics of the Gambel's, Daryl, and of you and the dog. It's been several years since I hunted Gambel's. I sure miss it. They get off the ground and up to full speed quicker than a wild bobwhite. I was amazed. I killed the first one I shot at, and no one was more surprised than me!



SRH

Stan, I , too, have noticed how fast the Gambles get up to speed. Much faster than a few years ago.

Elsewhere you mentioned your Vegas trip. We'll be at the Westgate a day or two early and will have a table in the Lefever group. Please do stop by.

#21

It looks as if after all that hard work, the pup just doesn't want to let that bird go!
Karl

Sherburn National WIldlife Refuge, today. A nice, this years red phase grouse:



Taken off the second point on the same bird, Louise is getting the hang of wild grouse, something that some dogs never really figure out.
I've owned a few of those dogs. Loved them, anyway.
Louie was belled and had an E-collar on today, along with a blaze orange sleave. No snow on the ground, and she was very easy to see in the woods.
I really wish I had the camera in the woods, I'm guessing this bird held for three or four minutes before it broke, on the point I took the bird on. Spectacular points as well.
The gun is my Lefever Nitro Special in 16 gauge, 26" tubes with cylinder and modified chokes. The entire area is non-toxic only, and I was using some older Heavi-Shot 1 oz loads, at 1150fps, a really nice, comfortable, hunting load.
I own much, much, more expensive guns, but, days like today can make me wonder why.
Tomorrow is pheasant in the southern part of the state. Birds, make bird dogs.

Good luck, everybody.

Best,
Ted

Does she have markings other than on her head? Pretty dog; she's a desirable color for hunting in the thick; I see how she'd be easy to see in the woods. Gil

This statement is one I can easily relate to:



SRH

Gil,
She is not as white as she appears in the photo. There is some ticking on her back, and scattered here and there.

There is still a lot of white dog there, however, and it will raise hell with me being able to see her once there is a foot or so of snow on the ground, any day now, in this part of the world, usually. The Gordon was much easier to see in the snow.

Stan, I ran into a really old local in the woods today, hunting with an Iver Johnson 16 gauge single shot. Said it was the only gun he had ever owned, and he had killed lots of game and deer with it. He had it loaded with steel shot, he didn't know how it was choked (ignorance truly can be bliss) and it was a classic "zero %" finish gun.

I actually had, in the Nitro Special, the nicest gun in the woods today. That I saw, anyway.

More ignorance. And, bliss.

Best,
Ted

Worth Matthewson, writer, duck hunter, and author of "Big December Canvasbacks" wrote that he was shooting a Field Grade L C Smith when steel shot came out. He agreed with the use of steel even before it was mandated, and began using it in the Smith, which was choked extra full in both barrels. He used it for years until taking it to a gunsmith to have some minor problem seen about, and was told he shouldn't be shooting steel in it, especially with such tight chokes. The Smith had digested, and burped, those steel loads for years with no discernible barrel issues!!

SRH

Before steel shot was even being talked about, there were plenty of A5s that had bulged muzzles. They were fairly light in profile, and healthy slug and buckshot loads in lead would do that to them.
I have no desire to find out which guns bulge, and which don't, running steel.

Best,
Ted

The only drawback I found to 16ga is lack of upland or target light steel loads in shot sizes or 6 or 7. It is unlikely such loads would damage that IC-Mod Ithaca Nito Special. The only steel loads I seen is the CIP Magnum Federal and Remington NitoSteel designed for duck hunting.
I read article years ago where a fellow fired about 500 rounds of steel through Parker Bros hammerless with fluid steel barrels. The conclusions were that if the gun is of adequate construction and choked modified or less and small steel shot size modern ammunition is used there will be no damage to the gun. Despite several efforts I can't find that article again.

The 12ga and 20ga shooting fellas are lucky I have seen Winchester Expert Steel #6 and #7s at Walmart for $ 5.94 per box.

PJ,
I don't shoot steel. I have about 40 rounds of Heavi-Shot that was purchased a while back, and have used 2, thus far.
Mostly, I stay out of areas that require non-tox. This is the first time in about 10 years I have been on Sherburn. It is less than an hour away, and was just a good armed hike, today. The bird was a bonus.
The chokes on the Nitro are cylinder, and modified, by the way.

Best,
Ted

Nice bird Ted! Good for you (& Louie).

Owen that is a great deal! I can only imagine the turkey that are there now

I can't seem to take a good picture these days. Not taking too many good shots either. But today, we got a few acceptable shots and a marginally acceptable picture.

Good job, Brent.

Is that SKB you changed the forend on?

SRH

It is an SKB, but I bought a second one and decided to switch buttstocks which slowed the whole process, and I never got it done on the front or the back - yet.

Those Ithaca-SKB 100s were nice simple knockabout guns. The earlier ones with straight grip were called Royal Light and later ones with 3" chambers pg, beavertail wood were little heaver and would make very good inexpensive target guns. Japanese may not have tradition of game shooting, but they sure are good thinkers. Last gun I examined was Sk/SK 26" B.C. Miroku O/U from ca 1960s. It had nicely engraved receiver, nice checkering on walnut stock, disk set strikers and wonderful vented recoil pad with piece of thin leather glued to pad so it would not hang on clothing while the gun was mounted. Another well though out feature was extra hole drilled in solder at muzzle end of barrels. This is smart as it avoids dead space between barrels and therefore makes oxidation less likely. One does not see this type of thinking put into guns from other makers.

Hey, There is no game in this photo and it's the only photo I have of this gun right now, but it is my favourite gun at the moment because I only purchased it this morning. 1967 Beretta S2

Gee, I can't imagine why. Sweet!

Well, that Beretta is just plain delicious.

Love the scroll engraving!

Hey all, my son Jim and I went out today for a few hours, the weather has been exceptionally nice (last year we had about 20" of snow). It was in the upper 40's, sunny and little wind. However.....the birds didn't want to cooperate. They were spooky today, wouldn't hold point (except one rooster and a bunch of hens), but there is always tomorrow.

Anyway, I got the only boy bird today. I used my 12b Harkom



Best,

Greg

Nice...GREAT DAY!, Love Harkoms..

Greg,
The unseasonably warmer weather is extending the upland season for all of us, so continue to enjoy. Looks like a great day for you.
Karl

Wow! New one on the list

Hey all, went out solo today, only had a couple hours to hunt. Did manage to get a rooster and a Hun, not a great day, but much better than sitting at home.

I used my 12b Purdey today



Best,

Greg

Greg that is a beauty! Bobby

Wow that Harkom is lovely

Here I am again this year crapping on you post with OT pictures.
This is the second year my children and I have hunted together and we all killed buck. Not a trophy in the lot, but we hunt in the mountains and with rare exception this is what you get. Sabrina - 10 years old with her crossbow, CJ - 15 years old with a rifle (probably the only thing that really qualifies for this thread, a vintage Remington 722 in .300 savage) and my little six pointer with a crossbow.



CHAZ

Great pictures and an upgrade on the 722 with the stock and stuff. Well done
Mike

I thought about posting a recent photo of a longhorn bull keeping me from my doe kill. Crazy bull is called Yeagar Bomb and the name fits!

That's pretty spicy.

Well now you kinda have to post pics, I for one am intrigued.
CHAZ

We can also find nice ones at fair price....I don't know anything about this dealer but he often has interesting guns at reasonable prices.

I would prefer this to Merkel 201E I used to own.

They are well regarded all over the world so the prices on most good samples are quite "strong". Grade for grade those compete with samples from Merkel Brothers, but as with table fare at restaurants Italians do it better.

Hoof, those a fine pictures and great looking kids. Kids are the only real future hunting has and it s great to see you starting them out so well.

Yes Jagermeister I agree, the S2 Beretta's were fine guns and I think they are much underrated here in Australia. They are still to be found for sale, often in excellent condition. Most of them are lighter than other SO's with mine weighing 7lb 4oz and my friend's weighing 7lb 3oz. I was lucky to find mine fits me well too, the only thing I don't like about it is the sling swivel on the bottom barrel, but hey, I can live with that. Cheers

Ron, did you build this gun off of an FN Anson?

Sadly, no antlers on this old girl, but a beautiful rifle in a wonderful caliber.

Husqvarna 1649, made in 1959 and chambered in 9.3x62

Opening day of woodcock season in Georgia. The birds aren’t in, but conditions for their arrival are optimum as our woods had a 4” rain over the last 72 hours softening the woods floor for ease of doodling for worms. One bird, one shot and it was Floyd’s No. 4 Deluxe AyA 28 ga. Both Abby and Willa, my Britt Com MuttPak, had it pinned down and I had to go into the thick damn near on my hands and knees to flush it for Floyd. I could see Willa with Abby backing but all I heard was it getting up and Floyd’s shot. A good friend will do that for you. Top gun is my recently acquired from Ted Darne R10 20.

While in the woods I spotted a small lion’s mane mushroom and showed it to Floyd. On the way out, Floyd spotted this one from 75 yards out as we drove out the woods. It weighed 3 lbs. and was the size of a cantaloupe. These are excellent on the table. At least I didn't go home empty handed.

Gil,
Good thing there wasn't a cottonmouth in that thicket. Might be hard to explain how your dogs are snake-proofed, but, you, not so much.
Hope the gun helps to bring many pleasant memories for you, and many woodcock for your daughter to rustle from the freezer.
I have already committed to that guns replacement, a bit higher grade, and have located a used bretelle Darne assembly, in the correct gauge for the gun, without having to leave the hamlet of Minneapolis, MN. There will be some other subtle changes made to the gun to suit my tastes, which, are different from the previous British Isles owner, but, exactly the things that would have been available from the French factory to a discriminating owner.

Stay tuned. It should be interesting.

Best,
Ted

F,
I built that double rifle on a gun by Neumann Brothers, Liege.

Geez that's a big mushroom. Love the woodcock photo. I have yet to hunt for woodcock or grouse or prairie chicken.

This was from my fav hunt...Zimbabwe. I had this rifle built for daily carry in Alaska around the bears. It was a 50 Alaskan and I wrote an article that made the cover of Safari magazine. That's the recovered bullet from the brain shot and the bracelet my tracker made me from the hair. The meat fed a village for a month.





This isn't a gun but it is my fav hawk. I'm a falconer. She's a ferruginous and her wingspan is about 5 feet wide. She absolutely crushes big jack rabbits and the occasional goose.

Excellent Bryan!! Could you give us a little more detail on that rifle. Marlin?

Yes it was a stainless Marlin that we made into an 18" octagon in 50 Alaskan. I used Punch solid bullets under a stiff load for Africa. Bear loads used softs at a lesser velocity.

How about we bring it back to wingshooting? It's great to see youngsters photos of their first deer etc, but this.......other just not what I was hoping to see, has nothing to do with doubleguns !

How about we keep right on doing what we have been, showing our favorite hunting pics?

I’m with you on that Steve. I’ll note that the OP, Greg, who we have to thank for this great thread each year, posts pics of wingshooting, his kids and bigger game hunting, like deer. I wouldn’t have it any other way.

The elephant pic sort of shocked me as well, but it is game/gun and completely on topic here. Its just outside my personal area of familiarity. We've certainly had other safari type pictures posted in this annual thread over the years. I say if you're proud of it go ahead and post it. JMHO...Geo

Uh, maybe not South America dove pictures with dead birds piled high and wide as a Volkswagen.

Sorry, I led your post astray. I am glad we saw the pictures we did (the bull is awesome). As a dad I tend to overshare, and I consider many of you here my friends.

How about we head back to the spirit of the thread.
My son with a pheasant we killed during our youth season. He shoots a Remington Peerless that my wife originally bought for me on our fifth anniversary.

Then my daughter on her first upland hunt. I put a 20 gauge youth stock on a 28 gauge Wingmaster my father gave me a few years ago. No birds because she didn't hit anything, but we are working on that. Better luck next time out!

Hoof, your pics/comments were spot on. Don’t apologize. Most of us who hunt birds also hunt deer and enjoy you sharing pics of your kids and their trophies!!! Keep them interested in the sport! Thnx!!

This is from today. These 2 were all we could do for almost 6 miles of hunting on public land today.




Yesterday, was almost as far and we had no birds at all but some REALLY cold fingers.

I can't wait to shoot in Canada and the places plotted out on GEMS!

Hey all, here's one from this last Saturday. Number 2 son and I went out, but Jim got the only one in the bag. I knocked one down, but alas he gave Raina the slip. Hate doing that. We saw quite a few birds, mostly hens (that's GOOD!). Raina had some great points (hens of course), but the rooster were wild. The day was just beautiful and the company fantastic!

Jim and Raina



Best,

Greg

Hoof,

Good to see more Pennsylvanians bought the pheasant tag. Although it seems a bit ridiculous, it would be disappointing to see that program die out. Hopefully, your daughter can get on a bird or two in the late season. Waidmannsheil!

Hoof,
On stocked lands like that, do you shoot hens too? I'm wondering if there is any effort or hope of natural reproduction and if not, why not?

You have a couple good looking kids and good looking dog too. Keep at 'em.

September 2017 Hatcher Pass Alaska

Dennis, I would like to see these photos...I lived in Palmer for a few years. Can I help you post them?

I thought the pheasant stamp would limit the number of other hunters I saw and result in more bird contact for me, I was wrong on both accounts. I am glad the program exists or there would be no birds to hunt in my area. I haven't seen a grouse in years.
Some areas allow the shooting of hens, and some do not. Everything that I have heard and read has suggested that stocked birds rarely reproduce in the wild. PA is starting to import wild birds from out west in some areas. There is no hunting allowed in these "pheasant recovery areas" and from what I have seen they do flushing surveys in the spring and have been seeing increasing bird numbers.

CHAZ

Dennis, nice looking F. Britts and shotgun. Merkel? We don't see a lot of ptarmigan around these parts. Gil

You sure got that right. I hate to use this terminology, but I do seem to see less "slob hunter trash" in the fields. You know...the guys who get on a line 10 men deep and when a single bird gets up they all empty their magazine (and the bird still manages to fly off usually).

Gil,
The dogs said 'thank you' and the gun is a 1941 16 gauge Merkel.

Bryan-pics reposted with Imgur

I just added the fix Photobucket extension to my Chrome browser. Now I can view Photobucket pics just the way I always did.

While I partly agree with the need for the pheasant tag due to very low populations, I am not in full agreement with the part about the line of so-called "slob hunter trash" on a line of 10 men deep...

I believe that a couple hunters with good dogs can do a much more efficient job of cleaning out bird populations to near extinction than a line of hunters who don't shoot well ever could. I personally know guys who simply could not restrain themselves from returning to the same farms over and over, shooting every bird they could, including the hens (or breeders) until the areas were shot out. They then repeated the process on other farms, and then actually bragged about feeding freezer burned birds to the dogs because they shot more than they wished to eat. The same guys were whining about the lack of native birds, and being reduced to hunting stocked birds, on over-hunted State Game Lands just a few years later.

Recovery of pheasant populations in Pennsylvania will likely never happen until the Game Commission can admit making the mistake of allowing the harvesting of hens, and until predator populations are brought in check.

Ahhh....Hatcher's Pass. One of my fav places on earth! Thanks for posting that Dennis.

One of the cool and interesting facts about Alaska is that you can hunt the state bird. Ptarmigan are very interesting.

Ruffed Grouse is the state bird in Pennsylvania. Too bad they are also becoming an endangered species. I was surprised that I didn't flush even one during our two week firearms deer season which just ended on Saturday. But in fairness, I did hunt a few places where I wouldn't have expected to see any 20 years ago.

Jornada Allie

Dirty dog worked hard today, including a 100 yard plus blind retrieve in 4' plus high cover.

that's fantasatic. I hope to repeat that photo myself tomorrow but with one less bird and a slightly different colored dog.

Looks like she worked hard and will sleep well tonight.

This is the best I could do today. 2 birds for 10 miles of walking. Only used 2 shells though.

Great Photo, beautiful Golden. Well worth the effort.

Love that photo. Good shooting too! Pup earned a biscuit.

Hey all, this weekend was pretty poor. My sons and I went out on Saturday and didn't fire a shot, saw some, but either hens or wild flushing roosters. Today was better, just Will and I went out and we each managed a bird a piece, still been tough hunting as of late. Weather has been great, a 180 from last year. The bright spot of the weekend is Number 1 son is home for Christmas Leave, hope to get in some more hunts with him.

Will and his bird with Raina. Will is using his "new" Bernadelli 3E



I used my 12b Allport this weekend. Hammerguns are FUN!



Best,

Greg

As our grouse season has only a couple of weeks left and it's been freezing here in Michigan, I thought I would take a break and shoot some sporting clays with a couple of friends today. Had a great day at the Bald Mountain range in Lake Orion Michigan. I'll be back out for grouse as the week progresses and promises to warm up.

Karl, that looks really cold. Seventies down here this afternoon, and the deer did not move...Geo

We've been having one heck of a fall season.

Just can't wait for winter.

Geo,
This past Tuesday I went out for grouse. 14 deg. with a stiff 18 mph. wind. I lasted 2 1/2 hrs. and it was brutal. I envy your weather and the fact that our woodcock are now wintering down there. I hope you can take advantage of it if you have a woodcock season there.
Karl

The only reason there aren't six depicted is because I didn't hold up my end. Floyd dropped them all with his Ithaca SKB 20. We found some birds. Pop and Sadie at the helm.

Good job, Gil. Looks like the birds have made it down here.

SRH

Gus and I did well this weekend. We got a total of 4 birds, for 14.6 miles of walking, and 5 shells. Can't complain, but we are earning every bird this year.

This isn't the best photo, but note the 1/2 of a 10 pointer rack. It looks freshly shed, which is darn odd. We found a dead 8 pointer and Gus retrieved a pre-dead rooster as well.

Gil,
Not shooting, or, not hitting? I think that old Darne was choked plenty tight.

Might be time for some pattern board work.

Best,
Ted

Ted, tough shooting in thick cane. Patterned it with and without spreaders at 25 yards. Spreaders give both barrels a good pattern similar to Floyd's IC barrel in his 20. Non-spreader loads are tight in the left barrel, but not terribly tight in the right barrel, about what one would expect in a modified barrel. A little tighter than Floyd's IC.

Stan, we are finding birds, but not in the usual spots. We've done a lot of driving north and south of here. Plan on hitting SC tomorrow if the weather cooperates. Have dogs will travel. Gil

Gil

Brent, it sounds to me like you have some deer hunters up there who don't shoot well or track well....

Great dog pic!

That is one beautiful dog!!

Looks like a A. H. Fox, Brent.

treblig1958,
Gus thanks you for the compliment. He is indeed a handsome fellow. He is also a fantastic pheasant hunter. I have been blessed with great Goldens, each one different than the others, but each just as unbelievably special as the next. Although my earlier dogs did not get many pictures, the last three, Ande, Codi (flatcoated), and Gus have been fairly well photoed. You can page through a lot of similar pictures at

http://www.public.iastate.edu/~jessie/PPB/Pheasants/

This is one of my favorites


Mike A. I'm not sure why the deer died. I have found quite a few over the years, and I never can really be sure what did them in. The buck this year was not far from a county road - maybe 150 yds out. He could have been car-hit and wandered that far into the cattails to die, or he could have been injured in fighting or something else. There was not much left to autopsy.

I love the dog photos. Many beautiful dogs owned by forum members. I really, really miss my Chesapeake. He died in Alaska way before his time.

What a cool woodcock photo. That's something I have never done but always wanted to. I've never lived near them.

Hot ugly morning down here, so I took the time to read this whole thread (so far) again. I'll re-read it again this spring when the last gobbler pic gets posted. I enjoy seeing the pics of the guys who post here and of their family. This annual thread is IMHO the best thing we do on this BBS...Geo

Geo,
Along with the exchange of valuable information and ideas, this is one of the forum's best features. Many thanks to Greg!
Karl

Here’s a photo of my dog Trace with the Belgium 13 gauge percussion SXS JABC that I used to shoot a pheasant on my last day of pheasant hunting in Nebraska. I’d loaded it up early in the season hoping to use it in the afternoon after a 2-bird morning. It never happened so on my last Nebraska hunting day I took it out in hopes of “unloading” it on a few pheasants. Low and behold Trace trailed a single pheasant to an easy shot. I wasn’t so lucky unloading barrel number two and missed with my Hail Mary shot.

Steve

Picture from last weekend. My bird season is just reaching the halfway point.

Skip, good to see you surface again. What gun? Gil

Hey Gil. I hope you've been doing well. That's just a plain Jane 1930's 20 gauge Belgian gun. Probably has a little too much choke for most people but there's no such thing in the wide open where those birds live. I started shooting it more often last season because it only weighs 5 lbs, 8 oz. I'm getting too old for anything much over 6 lbs.

Beautiful gun Skip. You shoot that well.

Bull shit Rockdoc, you did a fantastic job on the Belgium muzzleloader. A fantastic job bringing that thing back to life.

Whew, I like that...

Snipehunter, thanks for that picture. I live in the same general area you hunt, and used to do the same thing.

In times of low water, we have a number of huntable snipe bogs around the natural lakes we have in the area. My favorite though, was always the flooded pasture land I'd come across while quail hunting.

Legs and balance have become unreliable now, so I don't do that anymore. But I love the memories and your picture brought them back...Geo

Another Belgium masterpiece of a game gun surfaces and no one knows who built the damn thing. Par for the course.

Teach me master!

Is there anything on the barrel flats or water table that might give an indication who built it?

I not too far from you on the other side of the state line. I've hunted some pastures but usually down around Gainesville. It's tough sneaking up on them in grass no higher than in your yard.

I'm talking about your gun you have pictured.

So, how do those eat?

Any recipes? I have no idea what snipe (or woodcock) are like to eat. I'd like to hear about it. I pass up shots every year because I dont' carry the right loads or tags but I wonder if I am missing out.

That's what I was talking about. Are there no maker's marks among the other stampings that would indicate who the maker was on a guild gun?

They are closer to dove than anything else I have eaten. Milder than woodcock or duck. I have cooked them quite a few different ways but usually I wrap the breast in half a slice of thin bacon and cook on a hot griddle for 3 minutes on each side.

Probably not, but I'm thinking there possibly is some kind of mark inside the action.

However we may be approaching this all wrong. If we can get our hands on the retailer's accounting books of original entry there has to be an invoice and attached cancelled check made out to somebody.

The retailer paid somebody for that gun. That transaction has to be recorded someplace.

Guns from Belgium during that era often have the barrel maker's name or the name of the actioner stamped in the proofmark area. Many of these guns were made for another retailer stamp.

They do? Where?

The barrels I agree.

Yesterday afternoon a close friend and I hunted his quail property. We had five pointers, with two on the ground at the time. A warm (low 70s) afternoon, we didn't head out to the fields until about three o'clock. The dogs would stay on the ground hunting for about 45 minutes per pair, watered twice during that time, then swapped out. This property has had flight trained quail released in August each of the last five years. Many are surviving and rearing young, resulting in coveys that are as near true wild birds as any can be, other than property where none have ever been released. They fly like crazy, often not holding for the point and flushing before the guns can get within range. By 5:45 we had pointed and flushed nine coveys, a couple of which flushed "wild" and we didn't get a shot, including the sundown covey, which was huge.

Owner and I came in with 17. He was shooting his O/U 20, and me my Dickinson .410 with the "new" WW 3/4 oz. loads, which worked wonderfully. This was my first time to use the Dickinson on quail, and I was very pleased. First covey rise I doubled, a right and a left. Then later, killed two with one shot, quite by accident, but both recovered. Wonderful birds in the fields, and wonderful birds on the table.



SRH

Sounds like a fantastic outing...rotating 5 dogs...9 coveys of quail...doubling on quail with a 410...that's just a great day. That's a nice photo that shows how diminutive your 410 is next to the quail. Thanks for posting Stan.

Pretty pic and nice looking gun, Stan. Gil

It clearly shows that Turks have arrived not only making fine wool rugs, leather jackets,....pomegranate juice, fig preserves but also nice shotguns and pistols.

Nash would be proud of you, Stan. What a great bird hunt, nice photo of Gentleman Bob and the 30" .410.
JR

Yes they do, the Turks are really upping their game. And blowing everyone out of that market.

I like the gun so much that I may price a custom ordered one at sometime in the future. I killed some time a couple days ago reading the information and looking at the pictures on their website. I am impressed by the claim that they do a lot of hand fitting of these guns, "smoking them in" when fitting the actions. Engraving is impressive, very unlike what is offered at some other Turkish makers. I really think AKUS has got it together.

This statement grabbed my attention.

"Custom guns. Yes, Dickinson will build a custom gun to your specifications and at a reasonable price too. Special stock dimensions, ok. Your name in gold, ok. Any amount of engraving, ok. Highly figured fancy walnut stocks, ok. Even extra barrels in a different gauge, ok. Whatever you desire, within reason, our master craftsmen can build it for you."

I'm mulling it over.

Merry CHRISTmas, y'all

Extra fancy Turkish walnut, that in itself would be worth it.

Stan what would you order as a custom .410?

A Dickinson with the same dimensions as the one in that photo, but the Prestige model with French gray action and engraving, high grade walnut, a gold inlaid dove and quail somewhere on it, and a gold "shield" on the belly of the buttstock with my initials. I'd have to give the chokes a lot of thought, but I'd specify 3" long forcing cones ahead of the chambers.

One more thing ...... I'd order 30 1/2" barrels. Just because I could.

SRH

Stan, that's exactly the configuration I spec'd a couple months ago. $7,300.00 and a year wait.

The 3600 for the engraving was the killer on the deal.

Wow! Was that from Dickinson? I'd not have thought the engraving would be that much.

Killer is right.

SRH

The photo I saw of the Prestige locks on the Dickinson website look to be high quality, very good metal:metal fit. Surprising they can sell a sidelock for $3995, but I guess the Spanish are doing it too.

I had an enjoyable armed walk with shots fired today in the woodcock woods. Symbolic of our success, are two chicken eggs as I couldn't find a goose egg. Or the two of us laid eggs. Owning a Harris Tweed hat didn't make me shoot like one of the tweeded set.
I had the company of another forum member who would rather my dogs keep quiet about the misses. Once again, they did their job quite well. Gil

The fact that Gil and I came home empty-handed certainly had nothing to do with the dog work. Willa and Abby provided us with several solid points, with a bird there every time.......five separate birds and seven flushes total.

It's not that woodcock are hard to hit ...........it's just that they're so darn easy to miss.

SRH

I wouldn't go into those cane-breaks Gil hunts woodcock in without a GPS chained to one arm and a Epirb chained to the other one...Geo

All I've got to remember is to stay in sight of Gil ...........he's carrying all that stuff. If all else fails remember that all sloughs lead to the river .............but you may have to try the other direction if you end up on the hill the first time.

SRH

Buzz, the metal to metal fitting even on my low end model is outstanding. The ejectors are fitted so closely to each other they look like a one piece extractor. You have to look closely in good light too see the line between them. Yet they slide individually as slick as glass.

I think a good hand-rubbed oil finish on the wood will make it look much better, but I've found no flaws in the fit and function.

SRH

Geo, the rivercane in places is big stuff. Some as big around as a 12 gauge gun barrel and over 10' tall. But the birds love it. Gil

My friends and I had a great day afield. All three of us decided to use 16 gauge Foxes and it was a great time.

Romac,
Our woodcock season ended here in Michigan in mid November, and I miss them. Can't wait until next October! Our grouse season ends here on New Years day, but with the frigid temps here it might be over for me.
Karl

Romac, cool photo. That's a mess of timber doodles...very big on my bucket list.

Bryan,
Come October, get up here and do it! Along with grouse, woodcock are my favorite to hunt. Really tasty too.
Karl

I really want to take my dad on a grouse/woodcock hunt while he can still has his health (4x cancer survivor). We would need a guide with dogs. I'm hoping to do that next fall. These photos are inspirational. Thanks!

I love this thread! I have a lot of oak bottoms that we need to hunt here in south GA

My heart goes out to you folks in the north who have nothing to look forward to but ice fishing and ice carving. We wouldn't have these birds down here but for the weather you endure. Hats off to your indomitable spirits preventing your move to where we don't have to fish through a hole in the ice imagining that passes for a good time. Floyd, Jeff and I tried a new location to the south and we found some birds. 5 birds, 10 flushes. Floyd's glove signifies the bird that he lost when it fell out of his vest while shucking layers of clothing. My Brun-Latrige 16, Miss Brun, aka "Miss" and Jeff's 20 ga. Uggie. A nice couple of hours in the rivercane escorted by Pop and Sadie.

This week we had very low temps around St. Louis. and minus zero wind chill factors. When I wear heavy gloves to keep my hands warm, it is difficult to get fat fingers into SxS trigger guards with double triggers; so I use my old Remington 11-48. It still does the job.


https://imgur.com/q1aVZtg

Jerry Goldstein

GLS,
Perhaps I should just head south and follow the woodock next year, sounds like a plan to me.
Karl

Cold weather here killed all attempts to get out for a final pheasant hunt. Was looking forward to using my Parker DHe that I have just had restored. Temps have been consistently -25 C during the day and down to -35C at night. Due to work I'll have to wait till Feb. Then I can start the 2018 thread!

I need to quit whining about the temps here.

Went to another location today with Ben and Floyd. Started off fast with Willa and Abby finding this bird within 10 minutes on the ground. Ben shot it with his 28 ga. Marocchi O/U his dad bought over 30 years ago. Images of his bird dogs are engraved on the action. We found at least 4 birds with a half dozen flushes but in tight cover and that's my excuse. Perfect weather for the dogs; mid 40s and overcast. When getting truck ready for today, I found the "lost" woodcock from yesterday to the relief of Floyd. It was under a bag, but in fine condition due to the cool weather. Gil

Shot a sunflower field yesterday afternoon near my home. Six of us shooting 24 acres, so we didn't exactly "hem them up". Very sporty shooting, with many of the droves having upwards of 20-30 birds, and flying very fast in the stiff breeze. Late season doves are just a joy to shoot, and will humble the most seasoned veteran at times. I shot 50% on them. Many of my misses being a second miss after the first. Man, it's hard to resist that.

100 yr. old (restocked) BE Fox with 32" barrels, with W. B. Hart, 1919 crudely engraved on the trigger guard bow. I wish Mr. Hart could have been there with us to see his gun in action. Maybe he was smiling down at us. I was sure smilin'.



SRH

Nice! I like everything about that photo, doves, gun, walnut. Great photo from the tropics...

All of these hunting photos are making me jealous! I spent the day driving back from St Louis to TX so I can get on the first biz flight to Raleigh tomorrow. Sheesh.

50% on doves and late season doves at that! Nice shooting.

I know exactly what you mean about wasting that 2nd shot. That's why I don't shoot a gun that holds 3 for dove! Those guys will often do a hail mary 3rd shot with no luck. I might waste a 2nd shot but never a 3rd! Hah.

Beautiful gun.

I am so envious, Stan. Man, that is just some kind of fine winter afternoon dove shoot. And you know I'm not kidding about the envy, my friend, lol.
JR

John, I killed them on the very same field you and I shot on together, with your son Ross, several years ago. It has just been a phenomenal dove field for about the last ten years.

I kinda felt guilty shooting a 12 ga. at doves, I've done so well with small bores over the years, but there's just something about that particular Fox that feels right. It's a sweet old gun. It just wanted to go so bad I couldn't say no.

All my best buddy, SRH

You owed it to the doves to "use enough gun" Stan. Would loved to have been there. Maybe one day...
JR

Nice day to sit in a dove field, Stan, with a beautiful gun and birds flying and falling. If I ever shot 50% on dove, I'd have a parade. Gil

Wow great job, beautiful gun, love the wood on it!!

TM

That is "top notch" Winter Dove shooting Stan..... both the experience and the Fine shooting.....
I know of your attraction to Small bore dove shooting and understand it as well.....But you had the right tool for the job at hand in my opinion.....If birds are a " bit on the edge" (as they are so often this time of year) it is a great feeling to have a gun on your lap that lets you take any reasonable chance....

A 50 yard gun gives you a lot more room to participate than a 30 yard piece does.... Hope the New year brings you more opportunities....

Best,
PM

Stan, what loads do you shoot through that Fox?

Pop and Sadie. Or is it Sadie and Pop? The nose knows.

You couldn’t ask for a better premonition of things to come this morning. Just before turning off the pavement on to the property, we saw a woodcock standing on the fog line, head bobbing back and forth. Little did we know he was the early warning system. We only found one bird, but lots of splash. This cold weather has them on the run. Gil

Normally, 1 oz. loads at about 1150. I bought three flats of B & P Comp Ones, hoping to be able to use them. Tried them in this gun but they misfire regularly in it, and in my BSS, for that matter. The rims on these shells aren't nearly as thick as most all other shells I've measured. I'll find something I've got that will shoot them, hopefully.

SRH

There were numerous times during the afternoon that I knew I needed the tight barrel to kill the bird. I'd just go to the rear trigger and knew if I missed I wouldn't shoot the other barrel. I absolutely love two differently choked barrels for doves.

SRH

From the sunny south: I had another work "snow" day so what's a fella to do? I met up with Stan for an afternoon woods walk under conditions that gave me concern about finding birds. I had to four wheel it through the snow from my house to the main highway to the hunt site. Fortunately the snow we experienced near the coast was worse than where we hunted, but it was still unusual. Surprisingly we found 6 birds; unsurprisingly they were in tough spots to shoot, but Abby and Willa found them. It was sporty shooting. 20 ga. Darne R-10. Gil

Waited until the last cold night, in this string of cold days and nights, to drift the creek in the "duck kayak". Timing is everything, with all the beaver ponds frozen over, and the woodies were on the creek by the hundreds. No problem picking my shots to take a limit of drakes. Beautiful day to enjoy the solitude. BSS w/ 30" tubes, RIO Blue Steel no. 4s.



SRH

Stan, nothing succeeds like success when a plan comes together. Fine eating there.
Finding birds in new areas. Four birds found today by Pop and Sadie; shots fired at 3 and one bagged. Floyd's Woodcock Wand of Woe, 20 ga. Ithaca SKB, 25" barrels, IC/M. Gil

That's encouraging, Gil. Glad to know somebody can hit those things.

On another front, wonder what's happened to Greg? He hasn't posted here since Dec. 17th. I sure hope he's alright.

SRH

My favorite game picture from today.

I sure do miss those birds... Not much birding to be had up here these days. It looks like you guys are enjoying them fully, and kudos on some great wingshooting!

I need to come to the snipe lodge

Hey all, well these will be the last pictures I post as our upland season ended today. It was an Okay season, the bird numbers were down quite a bit due to a hard winter and drought. Still, we managed to get a few anyway. This year was a far cry from last year as far as weather is concerned. We couldn't hunt the last month of the season last year due to some bad winter storms. This year was much better, a 180 from last.

Yesterday was cold and windy, didn't see many, but I was able to get one.

I used my 12ga Buhag Hubertius (sorry, don't know why the pic is the way it is, can't rotate it for some reason)



Today, the last day, was much better, nice day, not bad winds and the area we hunted produced. I was lucky enough to limit out, my son Jim didn't fair as well. So for me it was a great ending to the season!

I used my Siace 12ga 350G



And the best hunting partners a guy could have, my son Jim and my Raina Dog



I just want to thank the good Lord and St Hubert for another safe and successful year, it's been fun.

Thanks for all those great pictures here on this thread, keep them coming!

Best to all!

Greg

Good to hear from you, Greg. Glad you are all safe and sound.

Thanks again for all your pics and posts, and for initiating a great idea for a thread years ago.

SRH

Thanks so much for the kind words Stan! I just hope the good Lord will give me a few more years to get out and do what I love to do most.....bird hunting.

Thanks again!

Best, Greg

Floyd and Jeff on the edge of the rivercane waiting for Abby’s and Willa’s bells to stop ringing. Cool for down here in the high 20’s at 10 a.m. when we started.

We found a few birds. Snow and palmettos?? Not something we see around here usually. The only thing that might be just as rare are other woodcock hunters. The Ithaca SKB 20 of Floyd’s, my MF Ideal 302 16 ga., and Jeff’s Uggie all have in common factory 25” (+/-) barrels. Gil

Greg, the middle pheasant has head marking different than the others. We see this in Canada with male pheasants with no neck rings.

Gil I need you to come help me chase woodcock over here

A couple photos from my last two days in the field. It was cold on Saturday, and birds were in the grass and some very tight, but not a lot of roosters. Nice Opossum though.

Sunday it was warm and there were very very few birds in the grass - they must have been out among the dirt clods in the fields I guess. But we got one, with a really good team effort, and managed to get a picture of it.

I did 15 miles this weekend and got two birds, missed another while shooting from a willow thicket - the woodcock guys will sympathize...





I was glad to see this one. They struggle with the kinds of temperatures that we have been experiencing. But apparently cattail marshes make good habitat and we found more tracks in them. This one had come out to feed in the sun on some waste grain.

How do you cook your possum??

I just pet them on the head and leave them laughing.

Having eaten possum once, I won't be trying again anytime soon (or even not so soon).

I eaten worse. One way that improved them was to put them in a barrel with a few potatoes. They would eat the potatoes but loose a lot of body fat and rancid flavor. It took some of the greasiness away. Still not my favorite, but if I was hungry enough I would eat one or change political affiliation to get something better to eat. Might be a closer call than I want to admit.

I think an "outdoors man" needs to try just about anything once. Seconds are optional. In fact some of my best days are still shooting the simple things and cooking them like my Grandmothers or Mother did decades ago. Stan had a few Wood ducks and I had a flash back to a simple roasted Wood duck with salt, pepper on the skin and a couple thin carrots, celery and Granny Smith apple slice cooked inside sealed with a couple straps of bacon, served on a pile of wild rice. I think she cooked the carrot first a little before she stuffed the bird. For sure that was far better eating than that Possum.

I feel very fortunate to live on the West coast in an area that is a major wintering area for waterfowl due to our mild winter climate.During a recent cold snap they were concentrated wonderfully on a local marsh and provided an excellent morning with my trusty Lab Rigby.A limit of mallards (8), and an unlucky Canada were the result.Wish I could say that the birds were taken with an example of British exotica but due to the salt marsh conditions the job fell to one of my trusty SKB's.chambered and choked for 3"steel.Two more weeks before the duck season ends.

https://imgur.com/a/aoZnU

Not a "Double Gun", but an "Oldie." My Dad gave me this (then new) Mossberg 16 gauge bolt action in 1953. I make it a point to hunt with it at least once a year. Took two illinois pheasants with it last week.

JERRY

Terry,

Do use the cart as part of your blind?

doubled up....deleted

Hi Tamid,I just use it for transporting all the usual gear.Blind material,stakes,decoys,Robo,gun,shells,birds etc etc.It's a mag deer hauler from Cabelas that I made a plywood box for that slips on.Great tool.Had it over 10 years and it is starting to rust out on me but I have another one new in the box to take over.Wish I'd had one 30 years earlier.... Not sure if I'm going but maybe we'll cross paths on Good Friday?

Terry,

Although I have to travel from Regina I will be there. Hope to see you.

Cheers,
David

I love the taste of duck, and fix it different ways, but one of my faves is to take a whole dressed woodie or teal and coat the outside thoroughly with olive oil. Then, put as much salt and pepper on the duck as the olive oil will hold. Place it on the grill upright on one of these holders, and slow cook until medium rare.

https://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/store/product/cuisinart-reg-chicken-rack/1043395149

I ain't ever been hungry enough to eat a possum. When I was a kid my Grandad had a large herd of herefords. When one would die he would just drag it off to the woods, to a spot we called the boneyard. Buzzards would make short work of it. I was squirrel hunting one day and walked by where one had been left weeks earlier. The hardened skin still covered it and I kicked the carcass in the ribs. Three fat possums waddled out of the enlarged "anal orifice". My mind was settled about eating possum that day.

SRH

Each year bird season seems to pass quicker and quicker. Only four weeks left and then it will be time to start fishing.

Stan,
My bird season passed yesterday at 16:30 CT. But we were out there. It was hard for me to tell Gus to get in the truck for the last time this year. I'll get to hunt Nebraska this weekend, but he will have to stay home.

What a pose! Nice pic, Brent. Beautiful dog.

SRH

Brent,
A really nice end of season photo and memory!
Karl

Thanks for the compliments. Gus appreciates them too, but he feels that perhaps he would look better with a nicer shotgun at his feet. I'm saving my pennies for just the right English, French, American gun. I don't know what it is yet, but I'm pretty sure I need a few more of those pennies.

Brent,
I would think that Gus cares more about the dropped bird rather than what dropped it. That said, nothing beats the trio of beautiful bird, dog, and gun. Someday that "perfect" gun will come along............several times!
Karl

Karl, I am convinced that perfect guns, pocket knives and boots do not exist anywhere on this planet. Seriously. But perfect dogs, I have had a super abundance of. That is a good trade off for me.

We are having a tough time in an old standby of an area. Not finding many birds. Emily Dickinson said that "hope is the thing with feathers." Here's hoping that tomorrow will bring us things with brown feathers. One bird today. Sadie and Pop with Floyd:

Nice shooting Gil. I'd be ecstatic if I could bring home one woodcock. Maybe one of these days.

It was one cold day in north Florida. I spent much of the time wishing I was at home in front of the fireplace.

Couldn't figure out which was my favorite, so I posted both; Ruger No. 1 25-06 case colored and scroll engraved by Tyler Gun Works Friona, Texas and my Win. 21 no. 6 engraved two barrel set with the 30" M&F barrels.

Skip, I am sure Jackson would be up to the challenge. Looks like you've had another banner year on snipe. Gil

GaryW,

Great pics. Did you have to have the action annealed before it was engraved? I've never heard if No. 1 actions are surface hardened, or not.

SRH

Bobby Tyler has two case coloring formulas....a high temp for steel that needs hardening and a low temp for already hard steel; he does fantastic work on single actions and 1911 pistols and all the work for Henry Repeating Arms. Here is a close up of the colors and the engraving done by Dale Bass of Amarillo, Texas. Case coloring the scope rings was a nice touch.

I had another good afternoon yesterday, in a harvested peanut field. The BE Fox was used again, and did it's thing at the 50% level once more. Man, I wanted to best that previous 50% ratio, but just didn't do it.

Big, pretty, mature, fast flying birds.



SRH

That's a great example of cyanide colors. Very pretty and appropriate. Now you need to let him fix that safety button by milling out the the slot and putting a recessed button in there. Looks 100% better.
JR

Dang that looks good, Stan. I can imagine just what that afternoon's shooting was like. There's not 15 doves within a 20 mile radius here.
JR

A fine day in the rivercane with Floyd, Ben and Billy escorted by Abby, Pop and Sadie. Willa rode the bench due to having to safeguard stitches. She’ll be up and at’em soon. We had 15-20 flushes and bagged six. Good day with friends and dogs.

One flat worn out dog, Abby. Note the rivercane camo pattern on Floyd's dog box.

Pop surveying the tailgate, Floyd, Abby, Sadie in the right box, Billy and Ben.

Top to bottom, Billy's 20 gauge Superposed Midas Grade (equivalent); Ben's 28 ga. Marocchi; My 16 ga. MF Ideal 302 Clunkerette. Floyd's Ithaca SKB 20 ga. was camera shy.

Stella bringing one in this morning...Geo

You should frame that picture.

She is a machine!

And title it "dedicated dog"! Great picture, certainly one to be displayed in the gun room.
Karl

Hunted private property today with worn-out dogs. First hour and half unproductive, then went to another tract. The land bordered a swamp and the birds were on the hill adjacent to the swamp’s edge “nooning” in straight as an arrow sweet gum saplings of about an inch and a half diameter. I tried taking a photo, but it must not have happened. We found at least a dozen birds in about an hour’s time, but of note, four got up from one spot and three from another. We often have pairs get up but never more than that previously. We ended up with 5 but gave the landowner one before we finished.



Abby, Sadie and Pop—all three in need of a rest after Pop and Sadie hunted three days in a row and Abby only two.

That sounds like a great hunt to me, Gil. I would be delighted with 5.

67 galaxie and I enjoyed a good wood duck hunt this morning. A few more of the pics Keith snapped:


Keith and I:


The guns are my Feg with the strap, a B grade Fox of Murray's and a sterlingworth pin gun of Keith's:


That's keith's dog Si on the left and Stella again swimming under the log with another woodie:

Great day, Geo! Please tell us more about your FEG sometime. I've always wondered about them...

I closed the dove season out this afternoon with an invitation to a shoot on a corn field that Hurricane Irma had devastated before they got it harvested. The wild hogs and deer have worked the field over for the last three months, scattering kernels of corn all over it and creating a winter wonderland for the doves. We had non-stop shooting all afternoon. No problem getting the limit, but dropped down to 48% on my shooting. It was a very productive late season this year, with four limits in the last 16 days.

SRH

I too closed my bird shooting season this weekend. This was Nebraska and I was using borrowed dogs. No picts I'm afraid. But we got a couple roosters and a single quail. Birds were far apart so it was tough sledding. Now we have 9 months or so to get in shape for next season.

Good luck to all of you and thanks for the pictures and stories. I learned a little - like I never realized there were that many woodcock on the entire planet, much less that 5 of them could be brought to bag on a single day. Who'd a guessed?

jaeger, its a Hungarian gun with the unpronounceable name of Fegyvergyer. A utility European type gun. Reminds me of a BRNO ZP. Mine's a 12ga 2 3/4" chamber, carries well and seems completely reliable. Choked m/f I shot bismuth 5's this morning...Geo

No photos. Use your imagination. Picture Curly, Larry and Moe. Moe stayed in the truck with Murphy.
We had great expectations today having left a pile of birds (woodcock) behind the last time we went to this spot. Expectations developed into a real cluster fest. It started out with a wild flush out of a thicket. We figured it would land behind the thicket and we walked around with the dogs in front of us, my Abby and Willa. While watching the dogs work, it exploded from the ground five feet from me. I got off two quick misses. We worked the back edge of the thicket and Abby went on point on another bird. I couldn’t get in fast enough and the bird got up on its own. Sayonara. Next up was a huge rivercane patch. In spots, the cane is 12-15 feet tall and as big around as a 12 gauge shell. Cane is bad enough, but it was laced with cat claw briars and stump holes that could swallow a VW. We are lucky to see the dogs 5 yards away. Dogs out in front. “I heard one get up, Floyd.” It landed five feet from us with a “thunk’. It was as if it landed on a silver platter. As quickly as it arrived, it left up and away behind a tree just and I shot the tree. Gone. The bird, not the tree. Later, my Garmin signaled Willa on point, 50 yards out. We struggled through the cane and Floyd saw her 4 yards away, locked down. Floyd got the shot, and it got away fast without a ruffled feather. Minutes later, Abby’s bell stopped. Both of us got there quickly. I could see the bird five feet from her nose. Floyd was positioned behind her perfectly as he could see it as well. I went in. The bird got up fast and just as fast dove down 25 feet away. I got off a shot just as it dove. Swing and a miss. The dogs got over in the area where we thought it landed, but it either flown farther than we thought or had run and it took off without us seeing it as we heard it twitter away. We eventually got on the far side of the monster cane patch. Abby’s bell stopped and I got a signal that she was on point, 50 yards into the cane. I got to within 15 feet from Abby and Willa charged in with me yelling “whoa, whoa!” and I then tripped and promptly face planted on the soft loam and the bird got up and away. I wasn’t too happy with Willa. According to Floyd, the worst part of it was he didn’t get to see me face plant. We should have never let Murphy in the truck.

In spite of things, I'd say a bad day afield beats a good day at work.
Karl

Loved the story, GLS. Way too familiar a path you were on. Fortunately many of the best memories are of those where we lost. Some of the stunts I've pulled.....

Not to discount the value of pictures, but a well told tale is a good substitute. Gil always tells a good tale. I look forward to hearing lots more of them...Geo

Loved the story!

Fellas, thanks. It wasn't as much fun as it sounded. I suppose a bad day in the field (unless you shoot your foot off and maybe someone else's) is better than a good day at work.

What a difference a day and a change of location makes. We hunted civilized, head high rivercane today. Shots were easier than yesterday and we found some birds, or more precisely, Pop and Sadie found the birds. Floyd and Jeff in the photos to give some scale of the cane we were in today. Tomorrow is season’s end in Georgia with SC out end of the month. Work beckons, however. Gil

Cane not as dense as yesterday’s. Here’s Pop out about 5 yards.

Gil,
You're making me anxious for October to get here again in Michigan. Your woodcock cover looks a bit more brutal than ours here in Michigan.
Karl

Poppel (aspen) thickets are plenty tough, Karl especially when it’s hot. Grouse hunting must be at minimum, ten times harder than Texas quail hunting...no kidding. Tough upland cover is pheasant hunting in a marsh....very tough walking. I’ve heard wild chukar hunting is really hard due to terrain, but I’ve never hunted wild chukar.

Yesterday I shot this 16 gauge Cogswell & Harrison for its 104th birthday. I have a letter from the maker indicating that the date of completion was 1/21/1914. Every year on or around this date I take it out for its annual birthday hunt.

Excellent, Rick. Pretty photo.

SRH

Snipe Hunter,
I'm looking forward to starting the same tradition with my new 1911 Churchill this coming grouse and woodcock season in Michigan. Come October!
Karl

Never hunted wild chukars? Just a walk in the park if you've got a death wish. Besides what you see there is an abundance of all sorts of sticky bitey things, including rattlesnakes. This is from several years ago along the Snake River (Hells Canyon) in Idaho. In many places with one misstep a feller would have ended up as fish bait. What fun!

Two of my hunting buds can be seen in blue shirts. And folks, that picture is looking straight up and a long way! I believe Hells Canyon is the deepest canyon in the U.S.

Joe,
That looks like a tough landscape for sure. Rough on hunter and gun alike. No place for a "safe queen"!
Karl

I'll have to wait until I reincarnate from Old Goat to Mountain Goat before I'd consider Chukar hunting on what appears to be the face of the moon. All of us seem to have our challenging spots to hunt. Gil

Joe, any elevation problems with the thin air?

No problems with the altitude. So far north and the Snake empties into the Columbia, etc., so it's relatively low. Actually, the hunt was fantastic. Called a "Cast and Blast" by Mountain River Outffitters" out of Riggins, Idaho. First class operation all the way. We floated the river in inflatables each day, dressed in our hunting gear with shotguns handy. Handed spin rods we would cast to the rocky bank with plastic worms and caught an incredible number of smallmouth bass. All the time we would be watching the cliffs for birds and listening. When we spotted a covey we would beach the boat and hop out. Then the short hunt began. Frequently straight up, climbing over basalt rock, slipping on tall grass, and trying to not look down at the tumbling river far below. Invariably we only got to shoot the covey rise because when flushed they would fly over the wide river into Oregon. One bird I remember was high overhead when I dropped him over the river. I was already a couple hundred feet above the water and it fell for what seemed like a minute before splashing down. Fortunately another Zodiac was floating below and picked the unfortunate critter out of the water.

Now as I said, this was a classy operation and we had two camp tenders, a man and woman, who had a much larger Zodiac full of gear. Each morning after we'd pull off of our overnight camp spot they would load up everything and soon pass us heading downstream to set up the next evenings camp on a sandbar. When we would arrive they were waiting for us with evening cocktails, hors d'oeuves, and a roaring camp fire. We felt as though we were being treated to the best of an Afriican safari.

Hells Canyon is a spectacular place. The Snake River is huge and deep. It is remote and with very little sign of modern intrusion though there are old trails everywhere Chinese coolies made back during the gold rush period. The trip is worth every penny just to experience a wild river.

Oh, at night we would set out massive ocean rods with bells attached trying for Sturgeon. Part of a bass would be put on a huge hook and then rowed out into the middle of the river and dropped. To get the bait down through the fast water they tied on a large oldtime window weight weighing a couple pounds. Down it would go 200 or so feet to the bottom. Massive and ancient fish. When the bell on the tip of the rod would ring all hands would turn out in whatever they were sleeping in--if anything--and run to the water's edge. If a fish was on a mighty battle began. Sometimes these giants are well over ten feet in length and have different ideas than the fisherman. Catch and release only.

I have been twice and would do it again in a heartbeat, even at my 76 years!

You've got me thinking now, Joe. That sounds like a wonderful trip. How many days did you fish and hunt?

SRH

Stan, it is a three day trip (guess it could be more if arranged). The third day is a half day float to the confluence with the Salmon. There a jet boat picks us up and a couple of wild hours later jetting upstream we were back to our vehicles. I have heard that Mountain River Outfitters is now doing more of their cast and blast trips on the Salmon, which is probably as good or better and maybe not as difficult...maybe. Google them and have a visit. Jeff, who runs it is a top notch feller. Oh, he did take along his GSP to retrieve birds in places no one could go. Best time to go is opening week. Fly into Boise, rent a car and about three hours later you're in Riggins. Incredibly fun trip. Book it and I just might join in....

I should mention that during the float we encountered very few other craft on the water and those that we did were jet boats. Usually just us and the river.

I'll try to post a couple more pictures this evening.