Opening Day Blue Grouse

[elkrchr]

My son and I headed up the mountain this morning to try our luck with the ruffed and blue grouse. It was a beautiful, crisp morning but the forest didn't deliver much in the way of action. Late in the morning as we descended a ridge towards the truck, the dog started getting "birdy". Up went a blue, the bead found his head and I mashed the trigger. Dead bird! The bird crashed down a steep, thick slope and without the dog, it would have been a tough find. Lena will turn 13 this Xmas and this very well may be her last hunting season (she has a cancerous tumor on her neck). I'm planning on a few extra upland excursions this fall to enjoy her company and her antics! By the way, the red huckleberries were ripe and delicious.

 

[pointingdogsrule]

congrats!!!

good luck to all
the dog

 

[jerrym]

I really suck at pics

 

[jerrym]

I suck at posting pics

 

[jerrym]

Sounds like my day. Saw no ruffs down low got into a few blues up high and got 2. First one was a lucky shot. Forty yards and screaming through fir trees on a side hill. Took a poke told Miley no bird and then heard it hit the ground. I directed her to where I thought it was and she worked out of sight. Came back in sight with nothing. Sent her a little higher and her she came with the bird. Nice way to start the season.

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[elkrchr]

Nice job Jerry. My is all cleaned and cooling in the refrigerator. My son and I are going to eat it tomorrow for lunch.

 

[jerrym]

We are having ours for dinner tomorrow, I am cooking. I will look on the internet for some different grouse recipe I haven't tried yet. Sure was fun today, my dog is sleeping right now with all 4 feet up in the air, just crashed.

 

[big28hunter]

Congrats to you both! Fun day afield!

 

[mtmiller]

Well done Lena and Miley. I guess the dads did OK as well.

I have never killed a mountain grouse with a shotgun....but may have eaten a couple. Yum yum. Well done fellas.

 

[JWP58]

Its been pretty warm around my parts....I had planned to go this morning but decided against it.

 

[jerrym]

mt miller I am so jealous of your mourning dove pics. How fun that would be to get in a lot of shooting and retrieving for the dog. I live in Hamilton and last December I was hunting ducks on the river and saw a lot of mourning doves. I know somebody is going to correct me and say no they were the collared doves but they were mourning doves.

So this year I bought some dove deeks and a mojo and have been all over looking for a place to hunt them and have seen just minimal numbers. I have actually seen more California quail then doves I asked a game warden if I could shoot the quail as an invasive species and he said he use to say yes but actually now the answer is no. So I guess I will stick to mountain grouse or do more scouting for a huntable bunch of doves. Have a few more fields that just got cut to watch.