8 of us went over to Harrold last night, it was just really one of those great days. I took three high school seniors with me and we met four more hunters over there. Great kids, friends of my youngest daughter. One's on his way to Annapolis, the other two are off to college next fall, all with brilliant futures. Plus another friend who's lots of fun, a young 84 with an 870 about as big as he is. We saw hundreds of birds, had to have shot well over 100 shots and finished at dark with 19 roosters. One kid's dad works at GFP, told me he hunts public land alot, and said it was just his best day ever.

The kid in the mustache works at our office on his way to law school and I love the sweatshirt he stole from some sorority girl. Ha. He spent too much of his youth fighting over in the sand, I love taking him along. He's a real killer.

I invited the whole group back next Sunday. The 84 year old told me he'd have to look at his calendar. Why is it the retired guys always are the busiest? LOL

Nice…. I guess that should answer some unnecessary questions. 🤣

Well done!!!!

It was fun. My old yellow lab Flash rides along and I usually let him help block, which at 12 is just his speed. In this case I had to supervise the high schoolers so Flash's buddy Curt, in the goggles, was blocking and supervising the Flash. I didn't see him in action but one of the kids said Flash got one of his birds for him. Huh, ok.

Last night and again this morning Flash is moaning and groaning like he'd been through the wringer so I called Curt just now to ask. Apparently the two of them had set out up a fence line to block. the Flash decided to take an independent spin through the field and came back 10-15 mins later, got a drink and an assist up into his crate which explains the aches and pains of today. Apparently he wasn't disrupting anything.

Flash is short for Flashman. My other dog is Lola, and with my friend's dog Rudy, they make up the three main characters in Royal Flash which is a read I highly recommend to anyone with a sense of humor.

Very nice BK. I’m empathizing with Flash, as a knee and a hip of mine are taking turns giving me the fits two weeks before we are to walk SD CRP, crop strips, and shelter belts. I may end up being a blocker if things don’t get better.

Hope springs eternal..

Lotta birds showing up across the state Geo. Hope for dry weather to hold out for a bit.

I am in the same boat. Left knee and hip have been killing me for a week and we leave Sunday morning. There are only 2 of us old farts going but I will volunteer to be the one man blocking force. If we get a couple of birds I will be happy. I shot a wild rooster in ND probably 30 years ago and one in MT around 25 years ago. It will be nice to carry my old 16 gauge 870 again and it hasn't been fired in years.

The best of luck to you.

Awesome!

I hope it all comes together for you. The boys were asking about my shotgun (all of them ran 870 12 gauges...some things never change) which is a Browning auto built 30 years before they were born and designed 60 years before I was. I told them my first shotgun was also an 870, in 16ga, that my grandfather bought new sometime in the mid 50's. I found and put a VR barrel with modified choke on it and that was quite an upgrade from the plain Full choke barrel it had when I got it. I told them I'd get it out and run it next week unless I was feeling too lazy to pump it which might well be the case.

It sounds like we will be running about the same gun. I am guessing mine is an early 70's vintage with a rib and modified choke. I looked for a long time to find that configuration. I used to shoot quite a few grouse with it but I just don't hunt them much anymore. And if I can't hit anything with it I am going to say the barrel is bent!

Great pictures and its always nice to see younger hunters getting out there!

Very well done! Green with envy here. SD is on Hank's bucket list and hope to scratch that off next year.

Two months of season left...watch the forecast and get out here. Birds showing up all over the place.

I ordered an 870 Wingmaster, 28” barrel, and modified choke when I was about twenty (I was ahead of the times 😉, and that’s when you could order a firearm and get it in a week or so). With it I hesitate to say how many birds I’ve taken, but it was many. Even got it muddied up crawling up on some mallards one time, field stripped it while on my back, wiped it out, stuck it together and took two green heads. I learned to carry a little punch to remove the pins. I so regret trading that shotgun.

Now…a week out from heading to SD, I need steroid injections in my left hip and right knee, to hopefully give me a couple of weeks. The writing is on the wall though that I’m in line for some more after-market parts I’m afraid. Forty years of running thirty miles a week might have been good for my stress and heart but not so much for my joints. But I’d do it all over the same way again.

One of our friends who went last year (we’re all about the same age) and who played eleven years in the NFL, is hesitating due to difficulty with his knees. So it goes — you can be in top shape otherwise but there’s not much to do about decrepit joints, other that become a modular human being.

Looking forward to the five-day trip. Weather looks good; the company will be good, and I’m even anticipating that boiling hot tub where we stay. And then there are those birds…

Ha good for you. I ride a stationary bike every morning in an attempt to move my blood while taking it easy on my joints. I hope it works. You'll have a great trip. We're going out this afternoon and again tomorrow afternoon, shaping up to be a great end of the season!

Nice that you showed the young guys such a good time. They will remember the days forever.

Is the old guy named JonnyB? Just curious.

😀. Well, Harry. I and my group are not quite there ^ yet. I just have a few unhappy parts. But never underestimate an “older” man. Not that I have to tell you 😉. Ol’ Clint just keeps on goin’ doesn’t he.. and makes some pretty entertaining movies too.

BK, I have had a lot of different workout apparatuses in my basement in front of a TV, and without exception, I would get bored to distraction. I always needed scenery that was moving.

Have to admit, I’m pretty happy with the WC showing mid-30’s to upper 20’s the week we are there. My favorite is about 20* with no wind and about 4” of fresh powder. But who’s complaining?

This mild weather dictates two O/U’s — a Browning Featherlite 16, and a Rizzini 20.

Great pic’s again as usual.

Didn’t mean to imply you are old old. Did mean it’s a mindset.

Anyway, it’s pretty much been proven muscle loss is often the most debilitating factor when it comes to age.

The gym and weights along with added protein is a proven cure to slow it down. Making the gym a habit is the first step. And most times there will be some interesting scenery. 😉

Addition: The Docs were considering back surgery, then another suggested weights first. They didn’t get to carve on me.

Yep, probably especially true of backs. I agree about weights and protein for muscle loss, unfortunately there are no options for traumatic arthritis of a joint when it gets intolerable other than the knife. Reminds me of half time of a high school football game. It was an away game and for some reason we spent half-time in a bus. I had lost a complete fingernail the first half and I was flummoxed on how to protect the end of my finger.

Coach walks down the aisle and asks if anyone has an injury. I show him the raw bed of a missing fingernail. He looks disparagingly at me, and comments,”it’s a long ways from your heart.” It’s the way I look at my small troubles for my age, and compared to many others.

Reminds me of home... I spent my first 10 years of life near Mitchell SD, pictures look similar.

Had a devil of a time getting pheasants to fly yesterday. For some reason I don't understand, so many of them wanted to run rather than fly. We'll see what today brings.

I think we shot eight last night is all. There weren't as many pheasants around and we had too many hunters on the IR list and not enough walkers. I walked more than usual and shot more than usual but that's how it goes. I think the blockers shot zero which with their mobility issues isn't surprising. One guy brought his six year old...a quarter section of CRP is no place for a little kid so they stayed on the perimeter, understandably.

Super high on my list was the performance of Lola my little black lab. Lots of flushes, lots of hens and three superb retrieves. One was especially tough as I had shot a double and couldn't assist in all that deep grass. She went for the first and I went for the second...we met in the middle with two dead roosters. I was very pleased.

The kids from last week went goose hunting yesterday instead. I could have used them.

Great pictures and story. Looks like you had a great crew and a lot of fun.