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Joined: Feb 2012
Posts: 574
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Feb 2012
Posts: 574 |
Its official, i'll be in the mountains for the opener of blue grouse. I've never seen one in the flesh, but I've got an idea of the type of habitat they prefer.
We'll see if me and the pups can find them.....(not getting my hopes up lol, should be fun though)
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Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 17,808 Likes: 3
Campfire Ranger
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OP
Campfire Ranger
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 17,808 Likes: 3 |
Best of luck.. With these guys it is usually either feast or famine.. Haven't spent any time in the mts. this summer except for a couple trips for brookies early.. We usually kill a few some times quite a few.. Also enjoy going for ruffs in the northwest.. My sister in law is coming in Sept. so that may goof up my ruffed grouse trip, but I have lots of other tags to fill and birds to shoot.. good luck...
Molon Labe
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Joined: Feb 2012
Posts: 574
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Feb 2012
Posts: 574 |
That's the same tale I've heard from others regarding the snowys. You're either on them, or not.
Oh well should be fun. And I have an elk tag, so it will be a hunt/scouting trip (if I don't see birds).
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Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 75
Campfire Greenhorn
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Campfire Greenhorn
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 75 |
Re: Blue grouse- Hope you have a great time. We hunt them every year starting Sept. 1st. The ones around here are not the fool hens like may be found some places. We hunt the clear cut edges a lot, and hunt them like pheasants- lot harder to hit at times. Round count to birds taken is sometimes 'significant'...
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Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 6,887 Likes: 5
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 6,887 Likes: 5 |
bird season is about on us. dove starts sunday sept 1st. right now its looking good, lots of white wing and morning doves and a few ring necks coming in to the tanks morning and evening,Quail look better this year than the last 5 yrs, lots of birds and we have finished our 2nd hatch and i am seeing a lot of pairs we may get at least 1/2 a 3rd hatch.coveys are bigger this year than the years past,with 15 to 25 birds per covey, will be able to tell more after the fall shuffle,if the weather holds and we dont have any freezing rain early we should have a hell of a great quail year.my labs are ready for dove, and pointers will be ready for the oct.15th opening of quail. we are covered up with turkeys but dont hunt them much, should be a fun a productive year. rio7
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Joined: Feb 2012
Posts: 574
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Feb 2012
Posts: 574 |
Im considering going down to black gap in late December/early Jan for some desert quail. Heard anything about how they're doing over by Big Bend?
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Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 6,887 Likes: 5
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 6,887 Likes: 5 |
dont know about big bend country, its 8 hr drive n.w. from here.rio7
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Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 6,284
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 6,284 |
Dove opens Monday the 2nd; worked on the farm last Saturday, had 100's of birds in the sunflowers and corn. Should be a fine opening day, gonna shoot my old Belgian 16ga A-5. Good luck with your gunning gents!
One of the sanest, surest, and most generous joys of life comes from being happy over the good fortune of others. Archibald Rutledge
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Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 11,955 Likes: 1
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 11,955 Likes: 1 |
We had a lot of work this summer that was supposed to happen this fall. Looks like my fall is going to be fairly clear for lots of hunting this year. Pics of the new-to-me M100.
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Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 17,808 Likes: 3
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 17,808 Likes: 3 |
SuperCub, sharp little 20 ga., hope it shoots as nice as it looks..
I have the shotguns laid out, ammo, old hunting coat, ready for the morning.. I 'll use my old 37 12g. with 1 oz. loads of 5's and 1 1/8oz loads of 6's in spreaders for the first shot. My wife will have the little 870 28 ga. with Estate 3/4oz of 7 1/2's. Good luck with dove, grouse or squirrel what ever is the game...
Molon Labe
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Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 933
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 933 |
Ill be taking the kids out chasing the doves and blue grouse... Should be blast!!!!
Save Some Elk, Shoot A Wolf...........
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Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 3,722
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 3,722 |
Ruffies for me tomorrow! because the bush is so dense this time of year I use a much heavier charge than normal- I usually use just a skeet load for them. Going with a full 1 1/8 of of 5's and a stiff load of FFG in the Westley Richards hammer double. Cat
scopes are cool, but slings 'n' irons RULE!
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Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 11,955 Likes: 1
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 11,955 Likes: 1 |
Ruffies for me tomorrow! Ours doesn't start till Oct 1.
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Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 17,808 Likes: 3
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 17,808 Likes: 3 |
Cat, 5's for ruffs!!!I thought I would be the only guy using that load... We don't have any here, only blues, but I usually get a few when I head north for an early deer hunt.. I try to get there 3-5 days early so I can shoot grouse for a bit.. Not sure the plan will work this year.. Maybe only a day..
Molon Labe
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Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 20,813
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 20,813 |
You are not the only one. When I can find 5s or 6s in a 16 gauge they are a first choice for Ruffed Grouse. They penetrate. Odd to some and certainly not traditional, but they work better than well. Toby is going to need to get a trim here shortly.
laissez les bons temps rouler
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Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 168
Campfire Member
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Campfire Member
Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 168 |
Toby is a handsome boy . . . .what breed?
"We've had enough of exhortations to be silent! Cry out with a hundred thousand tongues! I see that the world is rotten because of silence!" St. Catherine of Sienna
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Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 20,813
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 20,813 |
English Cocker. Flushing Dog, similar to an English Springer only smaller and more color variations.
laissez les bons temps rouler
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Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 11,955 Likes: 1
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 11,955 Likes: 1 |
Nice dog. I just made an app't to have our old lab put down on Thursday. Better days for her. Note the paw up on the rest. Ready to go!
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Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 20,813
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 20,813 |
Sorry Cub. Labs are cool.
Give her a good by hug from here.
laissez les bons temps rouler
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Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 11,955 Likes: 1
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 11,955 Likes: 1 |
Sorry Cub. Labs are cool.
Give her a good by hug from here. Thanks .... We are going to miss this old girl. Labs are cool, but we'll never get another given the shedding. We had them on the farm as kids, but I've never seen anything shed as much as this dog. I think the next one with be a Pudelpointer. https://www.google.ca/#q=pudelpointer
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