Home Forums Birds & Dogs Upland Game Getting Ready for Bird Season????

Today I ordered a case and a half of shotgun shells for next fall's bird season. Got some from RST and Polywad. They should last several years, or more depending on how the hunts go and the numbers of birds. Got some spreader loads for my old 30 inch full choked pumps. It will make them far more suitable for upland shooting.
Also, I loaded 100 trap loads for Wed. The local trap club is open for practice. Figure I will run 25 rounds each through the model 12, model 97, model 37 and model 31. Love those old pumps. Later will shoot my 870's a bit. After Fri. the days will start to grow shorter. Bird season opens Sept. 1!!!!

Yep. Bought a mountain bike and will be hitting the trails hard and running the dogs afterwards. (got to get everyone in shape)

Bought a Badlands Upland Vest, and I think I'm about to build a drawer system for my Tacoma to fit under my dog box.

Saving money for a bird huntin trip to Northern CA; our drought down here has made the quail population too thin to hunt in the huntable areas, with many public land closures due to fire hazard. And that will only get worse.

Might also try the east slope of the Sierra, too, although they have also have drought there and the terrain is murder for a 70-year old. But I haven't shot a mountain quail for YEARS....

Working out and shooting is an all year endeavor. The bug hits when you step out on the porch one evening and there is change in the air. You can smell it. It's then you know the time is near.

Geese must get the same restless feeling when it's time to go.

you are quite right battue, but in this state, forest grouse opens Sept. 1... So summer is hardly over before we are hunting.. Dove shooting here is pretty limited.. Probably don't kill a days limit for the entire season.. But some years the grouse shooting is very good. Then the middle of the mth. sage grouse opens, and Oct. 1 sharptails, huns, and chukars.. Saturday the days start to get shorter.. Hopefully this year I will be ready.. Already, have the Sept. 1 opener planned, if all goes well.. Will hit the mt.s for blue grouse in the morning, then hunt elk that evening...

Im looking forward to trying my hand at grouse hunting (never done it).

Im really looking forward to Oct....then its on!!

I do miss the dove hunting we had in Texas, but they can keep it..and the heat!

Never hunted doves in Tx.. But have hunted them a lot in AZ. It was during their second season in Dec.. Had a ball.. Really went though a lot of shells in two or three weeks.. Likely will never have shooting like that again. Grouse in the forest can be a pretty iffy thing.. Had a spot that produced dozens of grouse, then bang..Nothing.. A bunch of sheep were moved in and grazed to mountain, and the shooting has never been the same.. they are fun when you find them, but many times a .22 is all that is needed...

Oh I forgot about Ptarmigan, that opens Sept 8th I believe.

Sounds like you have variety and then some. Combined with your travels to different parts of the country, I'm a leeeetle envious.

Must say there is Grouse hunting and then there is Ruffed Grouse hunting. I think you know which one I prefer. Then again it's all good.

A Campfire group trip for some great Dove shooting would be a blast.

JWP you going to Colo. for the ptarmigan??

battue, You are quite right about the grouse hunting and Ruffed Grouse hunting, and I would add eastern ruffed grouse hunting. Like eastern gobblers, they are a whole different ball game.
Our western ruffs are pretty calm compared to eastern birds.. Being on the wrong side of 65, and having very poor hearing, I appreciate the less educated birds of my country. But it is still a great thrill to try those eastern grouse.. I haven't been to Az. for several years now shooting doves.. The second season opens in Nov. and goes to about the first weekend in Jan.
When I first retired, we spent part of Dec. and all of Jan. in Az. hunting doves, then quail.. But the continued lack of rain in that area has destroyed the quail shooting.. Last few times I was down, I didn't even shoot at the couple quail we saw.. There were lots of doves though.. It would be a great trip, no doubt, but some ground work would have to be laid.. Several of my old shooting spots now support homes, and of course NO TRESSPASSING!!
Sad, but quite true. We may make a tour that way come winter and end up in Tx. for some hog hunting and exotic game shooting. I will try and check out the dove situation... We used to headquarter around Wilcox. It was great hunting in the years right after I retired in 1999.. Sure something to think about..

That's the plan, to head towards hipsterville..

We are both on the wrong side of 65 and I'm damn close to the right side of 70. So what, it is what it is and it is still cool. It's gonna get worse, but I'll worry about it then.

I know what you mean re hearing. Because of it I hunt even slower than I have to.

10 cases of trap loads, 3 cases of #5 Golden Pheasant, and 3 cases of 3" #2 Winchester Supreme steel. One thing we have a lot of is bird shooting. Work the dog daily, provided I get done working before it gets dark. Hard to beat a frosty October or November day and lots of empty shotgun shells.

ranger1, what do you use the trap loads on??? I shoot lots of them at doves when I get to Az. Never tried them on huns or chukars.. Also those Golden Pheasant #5's, had a couple boxes, but they seemed to really kick. For me the old 3 1/4- 1 1/4- 5's worked about as well... Just interested in the reasons behind your selections.. Nice to hear there is still some great bird shooting in the U. S. What we have here is fair to good, but limited due to winter freeze up for waterfowl, and the best upland hunting is about three hours north of here. With good bird hunting, and some deer, life would be sublime...Your a lucky man.

Trap loads are used for trap every Thursday and for sharptail and huns. The Golden Pheasant #5's are my my go to pheasant load, they pattern perfectly at 30 and 40 yards through both of our Browning shotguns and just plain knock the dog chit out of pheasants. I've noted far fewer cripples with them, especially when birds are flighty and flushing wild at the edge of being in range. We do have it pretty good here, I've got no complaints!

I been liking those GP #5s myself.

Joined a trap league with some coworkers.

I think sometimes they loaded my shells with no shot or made the targets out of armor. Either way, I have to practice more.

Heard a story that a lot (a batch) of targets got loose with too much resin. Story was that one bird that didn't break had 17 hols in it. Dunno if you can claim that, worth a shot?

Shot a round for the first time in over a year last week, felt the same way. Actually my swing was rough and the muzzle didn't always go where I intended. Muscle memory games need practice.

We focus on grouse/wc in Northern Michigan (Opens Sep 15) until the first week in Nov when its SoDak time. Started riding the bike with dogs running alongside July 1. Will mix in some swimming and woods walks on cool days soon too. Shooting skeet/5 stand with the bird guns.

Don't need any more upland gear, probably already have a lifetime supply!

NB

Natty, our forest grouse season opens Sept. 1.. I do need to get some skeet shooting in.. Trap shooting has been my shotgun sport for years, but skeet is much tougher, but here skeet and 5 std. are tough to come by.. Hunted ruffs a bit near Mac. City last fall.. a fair amount of birds.. Didn't get any woodcock though.. That is one bird I have only killed one or two in my life.. Doubt I get to S. D. this fall for roosters.. Our fall plans have eliminated that trip I think, but may get some shooting in when we go though Ks. later in the fall... My dogs are getting daily exercise for the coming hunts.. Can't wait. One would think after over 50 years of gunning the excitement would have become less, not so..