Home Forums Birds & Dogs Upland Game Hot, wet and nasty for the Toby!!!

We headed north for a short hunt for ringnecks last week.. the pups had a great time.. We bought them jackets from Cabela's to help keep the burs and weeds from their long hair.. Also made keeping track of them much easier.

We had excellent success the first morning.. Had our limit by 10:30.. Peach did not hunt the entire time, because it was warm, and she is 10.. So for about 1/3 of the hunt, she rested..

Used my old 870 12 ga. field.. Tried some new ammo to me..
Hevi Shot Upland Lead.. I selected 3-1 1/8-5's.. It is also available in 4's and 6's. Recoil was mild and it killed very well.. Bought some 1 oz. loads of 5's for my 870 20 ga., but haven't tried them..

The second day was not so smooth.. Everywhere I was roosters were not.. Hunted most of the day, then just about quitting time, we finally busted one.. Peach put it into the air, but Kate located it first.. One load of 5's dropped it with a crossing shot at 42 steps..

The biggest surprise of the trip, did come the second morning.. While roosters were scarce, when I moved into the creek bottom, the dogs were off to my right checking out the fence line.. When I stepped up on a ditch bank, there about 35 yards away was a turkey!!! Season was open, I had a tag, so I put the bead of the 870 on its head and sent a load of 5's on its way.. Peach and Kate were surprised to find not a pheasant or grouse, but a turkey.. I had to retrieve this one..

There were about 40 turkeys in this group, I only saw the one.. At the shot turkeys flew everywhere.. It was a nice surprise..

You guys are killing me! I'm not going to iowa this year so no pheasants, my buddies bird dog died last year so no ruffed grouse this year and duck season isn't opened yet. I believe I will shoot some pigeons tomorrow, just to take the edge off.

Fine pics from you both. I am living vicariously through y'all till season opens!

Looks like you had a better than good time. On top of that good shooting. A crossing Pheasant at 40yards is not to be taken lightly. Congrats.

Phones have been ringing with the four of us making plans to head North Thursday AM. Meeting up and where, who is bringing what to eat, how many guns you taking, etc. Not sure if the Grouse numbers will be all that great, but it looks like we are going to eat good.

I got a little ribbing about being sure to bring my hunting pants, which I forgot to bring last year. Lucky another fellow brought two pair along with suspenders, being that his waist is around 40inches and mine 32.

Good old boy who took a 7 hour unintended walk that started around 5pm after a days hunting up in Wisconsin a few years back. Went looking for one more Grouse when he was at the truck and coming back missed the truck that was sitting on a dead end cut. We finally found him and his Dog coming out on a different road around midnight. He made a couple big circles and ended up on the Flambou river twice before he made his way back up and onto a gravel road. He bought a GPS pretty soon after he got back home.

You gotta love Duck hunting to be serious about it. Serious Duck hunting is almost like work. I admire those who go at it hard.

The weather threw one at us on this trip. Arrival was to nice fall weather and high expectations.

Not a bad place for $60 per night divided by 4.






Bud and I headed out and the temps started dropping and the snow started spitting out. He got this Bird and when we checked its' craw it was overloaded full. Bad weather on the way?




Most definitely this Bird knew what was coming, because the temps kept going down, the wind started up, a slush type snow appeared and then a real North snow followed. When we left this AM the wind was at a howl and the temp was 10 degrees. It was a coooooold.

Anyway, the Birds were tucked in tight and we and the Dogs didn't find all that many. Total for the four days was three Birds and perhaps 20 some total flushes for four guys. Still a good time.

Getting to know each other:



Getting fed on the chain gang:



I did manage to "shoot" one Bird, but since it was Sunday I had to use the camera.




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Nice photos.. Glad you had a good time despite the weather..Look forward to seeing more of this thread.. What shotgun did you carry on this trip??? Ithaca 28?? We had my 28 ga. on our trip to the hills this day.. No grouse though..

Hazen,

Carried the Win 59 for the first day, then the Ithaca 28 for the next three.

The only shot I fired was with the 28. Bud's Dog went on point and then moved up and locked up a second time. From the intensity you knew it was right there in the tangle at the end of his nose. Bud on the right and myself on the left. Bird came out hard left about 4 feet in front of my face and then turned left around my shoulder. I got bound up in my swing and never caught up to him going straight away behind me.

Addition:

Wind was blowing good the second day, so in the afternoon we all headed a little South to one of the GC's Pheasant fields. We did manage to take a limit of eight. The 28 did well on two of them.

Sounds like you had some shooting on the pheasants.. Looks like we might loose our sage grouse season to the Feds.. Enjoy the fall.. This has been one of our best.

We had to have the pickup worked on last weekend so I took it to the dealer up north... Coming home we spotted a big covey of chukars feeding on the side of a mountain.. They were loafing along and old road.. The light snow made them easy to spot.. I couldn't believe my eyes.. I have hunted hard for days for these buggers, and got only one or two.. Many times none.. Here was a big group away from their beloved rocks.. Needless to say the dogs and I put a stalk on them, and for once things turned out right.. I got one early riser, then luck befell us, and I hit two with the second shot.. Used my old 12 ga. 870 and Federal copper 3 1/4- 1 1/4- 6's.. But our luck was not over.. We headed on home, and spotted a second covey, but smaller.. Similar deal, this time I got two out of the covey.. I have never even come close to a limit, and here it was handed to us by simply being ready for an unexpected chance...

Well done and again good shooting. A little good luck often goes a long way.

Pretty upland Bird.

Damn Battue where is that place, PA?

I need to get out after some grouse. Went duck hunting last weekend.

Had Monday off from work went out bow hunting and sure enough it down poured all day!

Camp was around 20miles outside of Marienville, Pa. We hunted in the Allegheny National Forest for the most part. Huge amount of clear cutting has been going on for years.

Bud and I hit the Butler Game Lands today. Little chilly, but not bad. Hunted around 5 hours and ended up with 14 flushes/points and these four Birds.





Had a couple really nice cock Birds get up wild and they must have flown for a quarter mile. In fact all but a couple birds went out strong. The GC deserves more than a little credit for their put and take Pheasant program. The covers on this game lands are excellent-some you can't fight your way thru-and they encompass at least a thousand acres. Saw two other hunters, but did hear some other shooting in the distance.

Another high point of the day were Deer. Like 38 in one field. Saw a total of 44 Deer for the day. The good days may not be over just yet.

Took a previous posters advice and used some 5's in the 28. On one high Bird at around 30 yards out, it was a head flop.

Nice Battue. I am going out tomorrow afternoon archery deer hunting. Thanksgiving day duck and goose hunting. Haven't gotten out much at all this year. Work keeps getting in the way!

Birds do carry over in this cover. The shame is the number of Hawks and probably Owls also. Saw at least 5 Hawks in the fairly large area we covered. Waiting in trees or just circling.

ToDay's Brace, and was...