My long time black powder friends and I have been doing an annual bird hunt in the northern tip of New Hampshire for around 30 years. We started out with muzzle loaders but have grown older and lazier so now use modern guns. This allows me to miss faster. This annual trip is one of the highlights of my year. The weather is usually nice, the fall colors are out, getting to spend some time with old friends and maybe a bird or two will be bagged. It don't get no better than that.
What birds, Mike?
Ecc 10:2 The heart of the wise inclines to the right, but that of a fool to the left.
A Nation which leaves God behind is soon left behind.
"The Lord never asked anyone to be a tax collector, lowyer, or Redskins fan".
Back in the good old days of SW KS pheasant hunting I had a mammoth sized chocolate lab.
Dad had run over her when she was a pup so she had bad hips from the get go. But that meant she was slow and stuck right by my side. Until she got wind of a bird close and she’d give me that look like “come on boss” and start on the trail at a wallowing lope. She’d bull through whatever thick thorny mess of cover and root them out to put them up. The shooting was usually easy as they flushed close, nothing as satisfying as pillow casing a big rooster with an ounce and a quarter of 6s at 12 yards. Cripples she was slow but she’d stick with it and run them to ground, didn’t lose many when she was around.
More than one time a guy asked if I was really bringing that old dog at the start of the day. At the end of the day they’d be wanting to buy one just like her. I could take her and hunt slow like we were sneaking and stalking and not walk past birds and kill most of the ones we put up. With her staying so close and us being pretty quiet we didn’t put many up wild out of range either.
End of the day we’d clean birds on the tailgate and she’d crush and gnaw the elbows off all the wings we cut off. Then eat all the guts out of every bird as we cleaned them. Big old stinking bloody filthy dog that I had to lift into and out of the truck because of her hips. I always snuck her into the motel room and gave her a couple aspirin in a slice of cheese at bedtime. Good times.
What a great Campfire story.
Ecc 10:2 The heart of the wise inclines to the right, but that of a fool to the left.
A Nation which leaves God behind is soon left behind.
"The Lord never asked anyone to be a tax collector, lowyer, or Redskins fan".
I like pheasant hunting. Love quail hunting. But I am addicted to hunting chukar. I'll trade them all for some great chukar hunting. My grandpa chased chukar until he was in his mid 80's. My Dad is 73 and he'll be hunting them with us in a few weeks. My son is 13. He knocked down his first chukar at age 11. Guess it's in my blood.
"The Ballpark burgers were free, why not eat them?" - Wabi-
Geno, if I was you I’d be a mountain quail hunting SOB. I chased them around Happy Valley a few years ago. Got several but they made me work for them, no doubt.
Other than that, I am an equal opportunity uplander.
I have even known to carry a shotgun when going in for a 2nd load of bigger critters.
Cool pics bud,
yeah, if I could hunt them in this area, within 100 miles or so, I'd certainly go after them. Unfortunately, they're not on approved list and although we're within their range, I personally haven't run across any.
I'm just checking now on the CDFW page to see if grouse is open in the Warners or up the hill from me. Fall turkey is not until Nov I believe, but I might have that wrong. By that time I might be hunting frozen turkey, in the store or in the woods.
100 miles? That is surprising. I figured they were most everywhere in N Kali, as they’re also in NW Nevada and S Oregon. The habitat shown in your pics sure looks like they could live there.
Good luck with grouse and turkey, regardless.
I’ve seen plenty of them not 20 miles from where Geno lives. Always wanted to bring my dogs and hunt my friends place there, but between the stupid regs in Cali about guns and ammo and the joy of carrying a dog in a semi with a small sleeper, it never happened.
My apologies if my communications weren't clear. I know they're within 100 miles, and Dutch tell me your secret spot, but we can't (legally) hunt them in this area. Last I read the regs, I think it's at least 100 mile drive to get to an open for hunting area.
Only ones I've seen locally are the California quail, as in a covey of about 40 I spooked out by the woodpile this evening when I went to turn on the trail cam out there for the night.
The desert is a true treasure for him who seeks refuge from men and the evil of men. In it is contentment In it is death and all you seek (Quoted from "The Bleeding of the Stone" Ibrahim Al-Koni)
I like pheasant hunting. Love quail hunting. But I am addicted to hunting chukar. I'll trade them all for some great chukar hunting. My grandpa chased chukar until he was in his mid 80's. My Dad is 73 and he'll be hunting them with us in a few weeks. My son is 13. He knocked down his first chukar at age 11. Guess it's in my blood.
You coming over to the south of the Warners or heading down further south? I hear there's some decent areas to the SE of Likely, but not having a dog I'm not going to attempt getting after them there.
The desert is a true treasure for him who seeks refuge from men and the evil of men. In it is contentment In it is death and all you seek (Quoted from "The Bleeding of the Stone" Ibrahim Al-Koni)
Sounds like a good hatch for chukar everywhere this year. We hunt them all over central Nevada. I don't understand guys who say: "I quit hunting when I had to travel for birds" I'll drive 6 to 8 hours to hunt chukar every chance I get.
"The Ballpark burgers were free, why not eat them?" - Wabi-
Sounds like a good hatch for chukar everywhere this year. We hunt them all over central Nevada. I don't understand guys who say: "I quit hunting when I had to travel for birds" I'll drive 6 to 8 hours to hunt chukar every chance I get.
Yeah,
but your rich and rollin' in the nuts.
Fixed income and a long ass drive to AZ to hunt this year is going to take some of my resources that could go into chukar hunting.
The desert is a true treasure for him who seeks refuge from men and the evil of men. In it is contentment In it is death and all you seek (Quoted from "The Bleeding of the Stone" Ibrahim Al-Koni)
Sounds like a good hatch for chukar everywhere this year. We hunt them all over central Nevada. I don't understand guys who say: "I quit hunting when I had to travel for birds" I'll drive 6 to 8 hours to hunt chukar every chance I get.
Yeah,
but your rich and rollin' in the nuts.
Fixed income and a long ass drive to AZ to hunt this year is going to take some of my resources that could go into chukar hunting.
Sheesh, not quite. But yeah, I'll drop the coin to chase birds around. But all it costs is gas money and shotgun shells. Maybe a motel 6 if I'm feeling ritzy.
"The Ballpark burgers were free, why not eat them?" - Wabi-
It certainly is fun, but we're at almost $6 a gallon for LGB gas here now. I guess I want a chance to make more meat than a few birds, although with my luck a couple of chukar makes a better meal than the deer I don't get.
Ate a javelina tag in AZ a couple of years back when gas was too high, didn't see spending that kind of money for a vacation and a few pounds of meat, even as delicious as it is. And I love the area we hunt..
Maybe the economy turns around and my retirement plans start earning better rates again I'll chase birds more frequently. Don't know the odds, but I'd sure like to go after one of those snowcock.
The desert is a true treasure for him who seeks refuge from men and the evil of men. In it is contentment In it is death and all you seek (Quoted from "The Bleeding of the Stone" Ibrahim Al-Koni)
It certainly is fun, but we're at almost $6 a gallon for LGB gas here now. I guess I want a chance to make more meat than a few birds, although with my luck a couple of chukar makes a better meal than the deer I don't get.
Ate a javelina tag in AZ a couple of years back when gas was too high, didn't see spending that kind of money for a vacation and a few pounds of meat, even as delicious as it is. And I love the area we hunt..
Maybe the economy turns around and my retirement plans start earning better rates again I'll chase birds more frequently. Don't know the odds, but I'd sure like to go after one of those snowcock.
Javelina delicious???
God bless Texas----------------------- Old 300 I will remain what i am until the day I die- A HUNTER......Sitting Bull Its not how you pick the booger.. but where you put it !! Roger V Hunter
I've dearly loved upland hunting since growing up in IL and IN back in the heady days of the early 70's when pheasants were everywhere. Now that we're retired and in NH time to get back into it. We're on the list with a breeder for a Small Musterlander in late winter/Spring and looking forward to training another pup. I know it won't be as easy as our labs were but hopefully fun.
Here's what they look like for those not familiar (not my pup obviously) but all my research seems to point to them being a solid pointer as well as a good family/house dog so we'll see. There are grouse where we are, nearly hit one with the truck mirror a bit ago, but mostly it will involve driving a couple hours to find them, although the woodcock come through here well.
In the meantime did a preserve hunt yesterday with a buddy I shoot clays with. He has a pair of Brittanies who were really enjoyable to watch work. I can do that 10 minutes from the house which will be good for training. After a summer of shooting clays toting the 16 gauge Parker in the woods reminded me that they knew what they were doing back then.
Zekee at work (for some reason CF doesn't want to embed a youtube short)
How many of you guys really anticipate upland bird hunting?
I like it quite a bit Sam. Got out with my BIL on Saturday. It was raining all day but we got a few. All we have is ruffed grouse and the occasional spruce grouse.
Our weather is usually great for most of grouse season and it's a good way to get into the woods walking around and enjoying fall.
I do like deer hunting still but like it for a lot different reasons than I did when I was younger.
I've hunted grouse since I was old enough to carry a shotgun. There's not as many as there used to be even when the cycles are supposedly at the high ends. Too dang many turkeys! DNR biologists will say there is no conflict but every place where turkey (tree pig) populations have expanded grouse populations have declined.