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Posted By: gjw Favorite Game/Gun Picture - 2019 Hunting Season - 08/28/19 10:19 AM
Hi all, the opener for doves will sooner be here. And with that opener, the beginning of another hunting season for most of us. So it's time to start this thread again for this year.

Every year we see some great pictures of the members here and their dogs, family, friends and of course game. I know this year will be the same.

I do have one request. Please keep this thread on track. Please, no personal attacks or sarcastic comments to those who post in good faith. Let's just have fun with this one.

I wish everyone here a successful,fun and above all safe season!

Best Regards!

Greg
Greg, I was hoping we'd hear from you again this year with a new game/gun thread. Always my favorite of the year...Geo
Greg,
I know it's that time of year when your excellent thread starts up again! I'm hoping for a good season to post some nice photos.
Karl
Yay, my favorite every year!
Woohoo! Thanks Greg!
I can't follow a bird dog, walk across plowed dove fields, or stumble through the squirrel woods any more; all I can do now is hunt from a deer blind that I can drive to and admire the hunting you guys do, especially when you carry the young kids. Post a lot of photos so we all can have a good season.
Mike
My favorite topic too! Jim
Mike,
You brought up an interesting point, as I too find that whatever kind of season I have, it is greatly enhanced by the photos and tales of other members here.
Karl
Blues 1, Steve and the Spaniel's 0, but it is not over yet.
Today was opening of Special Teal. As teal hunting goes, it was pretty lousy.


Gus actually made a great retrieve on a wounded diving teal after many dives in pursuit and pulling up half the pond bottom in the process. But this was his proudest moment.

Not many birds here, but Gus made the best of it.


This is probably why the birds were so shy. That frog on the decoy scared them off


We have mud, yes, we have mud.
That's a cool looking gun Brent. What is that?...Geo
It is a Greener Fascile Princeps, 40 guinea model, made in 1902.

I should add, it cleans up very nicely, just like Gus.
3 flushes, two really really small birds and a hen. Shot 4 times, no birds. All the shots were screaming down hill, seems impossible to get below them with enough lead.
Nice pic, Brent. Nice gun and some mighty fine eating birds, too. Congrats on a good hunt.

SRH
Posted for two of my favorite people, John Roberts and son Ross Roberts. Opening day in MS. These guys are the salt of the earth.

They're killing me, as I wait for Saturday coming, but I'm happy for them. BTW, Ross is the handsome one. wink grin



SRH
Thanks Stan. And you're right on the looks.
JR
A little unusual post for this thread, but GA has an alligator season on a draw system. My oldest son George Jr. drew this year and has been hunting several nights lately. He got this one night before last at a lake south of town:



The law requires that the gator be caught first with a hook or some other method before being killed. George jr. shot this one with a crossbow with a line attached to the dart. The line was supposed to detach with a float to track the animal's movements, but the line got wrapped around the bow somehow and he found himself kneeling on the prow of the boat with the crossbow in his hands, and an eight foot gator pulling on the other end of the line.

He got the line loose after a pretty scary "nantucket sleigh ride" and they followed the gator into some lilly pads where they could pull him to the top. Then they threw a weighted treble on a rope over the gator and pulled him close enough to be harpooned.

Finally George jr. killed the gator with a 12ga bangstick. After all that story, I kind of felt sorry for the gator.

It is at the processors now to be skinned and the meat processed into steaks with the white meat and sausage with the dark...Geo
Do you enjoy Gator George? I have eaten some from Florida but did not care for it.

Looks like fun night out on the water though. Good for George jr!
I'll eat it cut in nuggets and fried, but is not a favorite...Geo
Tastes like chicken, chews like tires. smile

Sounds like quite a battle though.
I have had gator tail at Papadeauxs seafood house and it was outstanding!!
It is really good if you tenderize it. A Jaccard works wonders on any wild game. It will make turkey breasts as tender as chicken fingers
Missed the opener last weekend but bagged six this AM with the old Boss #1.
Lovely Boss gun and I like the seat as well. Another 1st of season shot for me with J Blanch & Son hammer-gun...Geo

Looks like you nailed him good Geo.
Must weigh half an ounce more than he started out.

O.M
Thanks Geo. That Blanch is a beauty as well. I went back to the same field this afternoon at 5 o’clock. The birds flew thick for 45 minutes. I was the only person in the whole field and so just had to to wait for crossers. I won’t confess to how many shotsI expended bagging an additional four birds. What a great time of the year. Dove season truly invigorates me for The coming Upland season.
No pics, but a good shoot this afternoon with my grandsons Jackson and Lane, and about 15 other fellows that I don't get to see but about once or twice a year. I took a limit with my .410 FAIR Iside and the grandsons had 9 and 10 each. Very hot by the thermometer, at about 97, but with a 34% humidity it was really not that bad. It wasn't a barn burner, but there were birds drifting in steady all afternoon.

Geo, I have a seat that looks like that one a whole lot. I found it under a pivot of mine a few years ago, where someone had been poaching and left it. I used it today. Very well made "blind chair", with swivel, four legs and the whole thing folds flat to carry. Pretty nice for a confiscated item.

SRH
Had a funeral to go to today. So I missed my own shoot. 14 others did not. Boys got their limits and almost everyone else did. I get to go tomorrow to another field. Will be just my sons and one friend with me. Not as many birds at this field. But they all were big, mature virds opening day. With a weeks education they ought to be a real challenge. Taking my big bore, Winchester Model 12 Skeet gun in 28 gauge. That was my first shotgun that I got when I was 12. It was new then and I was almost new myself. It’s a classic and I’m not far behind. Shoot well my friends and enjoy the company. Too many will be gone too soon.
Stan, I used to just sit on a wooden shotgun shell crate turned on end as a kid. As the years have taken their toll, I've used a lot of different blind seats trying to be comfortable.

We use blind stools in Canada with the kind of swivel base my pictured chair has and when I found a chair with that base I bought it. I like how steady the adjustable legs are and the fact it swivels 360 degrees...Geo

It is heavy though.
Here's a version of Owen's stool:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/HAND-MADE-STRON...L-/191835937233
Yesterday not many birds. Had a good time, but I may have been hallucinating from the heat which may have lowered perception of what fun is. Gil
You cant nap in that thing though
We shot again this afternoon. The gun in this picture is a new to me Cogswell & Harrison AT with sideplates. First time I've shot this one but it performed perfectly and looked good when the birds were not flying. Better shoot today and many picked up limits. I opted for comfort in the shade but still had a few shots...Geo

For anyone interested, Academy Sports has a chair almost identical to mine and George's for $59.95, but in black. Mine is marked Cabela's, and has olive drab frame and legs and black mesh seat and back. Looks like the exact same design.

https://www.academy.com/shop/pdp/game-winner-deluxe-swivel-chair#repChildCatid=4739524

SRH
Stan- your chair, and Brother Newberns as well, were most assuredly designed by a serious hunter- well worth the asking price. RWTF
Fine lookin' "Coggie" Suh. Not being into British fine guns, what is the "AT" series in C&H lineup. What are the: barrels, as to length and choking? Chambers? 2&1/2" Nice older series RST shell box- worthy of a photo page in DGJ, IMO anyway. Miss one or two for this old "damn Yankee" if you would. I'd dang near run into a forest fire wearing kerosene BVD's to get a legal dove season here in MI-- RWTF
That’s a far cry from a five gallon bucket and a burlap feed bag folded over double for padding I had in my youth. When I look at today’s equipment, clothing, decoys, ammo and stuff we take so for granted it’s hard to remember where we started from. Five gallon buckets or crates for seats, surplus army equipment for clothes, or just wear what we had, one brand of ammo, plastic decoys about as life like as a road killed animal.
Morning Fox. The AT model "Coggie" stands for Avant Tout. A multi lingual like yourself would recognise the french for "ahead of all".

Standard 2.5" limey chambers, in 30" barrels. It shot like IC and Mod to me, but I haven't measured the chokes.
Best...Geo
A fellow forum member invited me to shoot yesterday afternoon with his son and a few others on a 15 acre millet field at his son's farm. The heat has broken a little since this last weekend and a nice breeze made it a great day to be in the field. Not a barn burner, but a good shoot. Some limits, but most guys bagged about eight or nine like I did.I used a 1911 Fox BE I've just gotten back from Bill Graham for barrel blacking and some high quality checkering on the replacement stock...Geo




Damn, George. Nice gun! I think it's time I met with John and organized an intervention plan. You can't wear those ear muffs when we do it. Gil
Bill is working on some barrels for me as we speak. Beginning of the season has been a bust, but we are going this Sunday
No pictures, no shots fired, no quarry seen in this mornings muzzleloader deer hunt but it was an incredible morning on the mountain. I heard the first bugle not 200 yards from the truck and it was non stop for the next 2 hours. I was consistently seeing them from 6:45 to 8:15 and at about 7:30 had to stop my walk in because they were bedding to the North and West of me. I sat there watching cows, calves and several satellite bulls all between 60 and 100 yards away in the timber for the next 45 minutes the whole time the heard bull was bugling but I never did see him. One nice 6x6 was playing around in front of me about 100 yards out for at least 10 minutes, really wide but still not fully mature. He will be a monster next year or the year after. What great fun even if I did not have an Elk tag.
This is my favorite photograph from this year and for me maybe ever.

I was lucky enough to draw one of 3 pronghorn tag in small hunting
unit here in Utah.

Utah has a program where you can mentor youths and share your tag. I did that this year and mentored my 13 year old grandson on his first big game hunt letting him hunt under my supervision and use my tag.

I had scouted the unit several times and had found some decent bucks. Anyone would take a good first Antelope for a young man.

Our hunt started Friday morning. I had taken a drive around the unit and had spotted what might be the best buck I have ever seen on the hoof. I just hoped I could find him again in the morning. As you know we did find him.

We spotted him bedded down on small hill about 1500 yards away. There was know way we could stock up the valley so we decided to leave him and go up on the plateau and hope we could get near him before he wandered off.

We got lucky and managed to hit the edge of the ridge about 125 yards from the still bedded down buck. I put my pack down and had Dallin get prone. The buck sensed something was up and stood up and trotted a few steps and stopped. Dallin, aimed what will now be his Ruger American Predator 6.5mm Creedmoor, fired and made a perfect shot. The buck went down where he stood. I doubt he heard the shot.

When I got close both down antelope, wow he was an impressive Pronghorn. I don't think my grandson fully appreciates just how impressive this buck is.

I took head and cape to the taxidermist this morning. We rough measured and he might make book. Time will tell is he measure up. Either way, Dallin shot the Pronghorn of a lifetime.

Sharing this experience and getting a young man started hunting was much more fulfilling than if I had shot this buck.



Slowpokebill,
Good on you for starting another fine young man on the right road. When you are long gone, he will be telling his grand son(s) about this hunt. Good on him for a fine shot.
Mike
I like that smug, grown-up subdued smile on the young mans face, knowing full well he wants to be grinning like a Cheshire cat!!!! And rightfully so!! Good story and good picture and good on you Bill for getting this youngster started off right!!
I am happy for you both, knowing how special it is to help a grandson with his hunting firsts. That really is a nice goat.

Thanks for posting that. You've got some mighty good eating, now.

SRH
These aren't the greatest pictures but what the heck. We were tealing today. It was a spectacular morning leading up to a long day of rain and storms. But for a few hours, it was perfect. And we got some birds. In fact, using that old Cashmore clunker that Ted so vehemently dislikes and some blackpowder loads, I managed to drop 3 teal with the first shot. Multiple birds with one shot is new to me (except at skeet), so this was a nice bonus. We ended up with 4 birds total.

This was a new location for me, and when the big ducks and especially geese become legal, it should be a spectacular location. we had Canadas dropping in on our heads the whole time.



Hey all, my first post since this thread started. Some great posts here, keep them coming!

Yesterday was our Grouse/Hun opener. Didn't do squat! My son Jim and I went up to check on our duck slough and decided to hunt by it. Didn't see any birds at all.

Today however was different, went to an old reliable spot and was able to get a double on a covey flush.

More import, it was my new GSP pup Addie's first hunt. It was a whole new experience for her. Her she worked well, but didn't quite know what was going on, but she has time to learn. For her first day, I was happy with her. I think she'll dod well. Just a matter of time.

Anyway, here's a couple of her in the field:





The birds, I used my 16b John Wilkes





Best,

Greg
Greg,
I think that Addie did extremely well for her first hunt, and a great day was had. Here's hoping your season continues to go well.
Karl
Greg, few things are more fun than watching a good dog learn and figure out what’s going on when they first start hunting. You can almost hear that click as she figures out things. Enjoy the ride.
Hey all, thanks Karl and KY for the kind words. It sure is fun with a new dog, at times it does stress your nerves a bit. As I said just a matter of time and more experience.

Anyway, my son Jim and I went out after he got back from school, we hit one area we do well most of the time. Today was a good one. I got 2 and Jim 1. We took Raina today and she did will. Had to end the hunt early, the temps were hitting 80 (supposed to get to 93 today!) and Raina was getting a bit overheated.

Jim and Raina on the horizon



I used my C. Hellis 16b



Jim used his 12ga V.S. 3EC



Raina and the days bag



Best,

Greg
Greg: did your son ever find the 16 ga he was looking for?
No not yet. He's still looking. One will show up in time.

Thanks!

Greg
Greg, I have forgotten the parameters that he was looking to meet, but there are several tempting 16g Darnes on Gunbroker.
Hey all, well today was fun with a hammergun! My daughter is getting married tomorrow and this morning was the only chance I got to go out for a couple hours. The rest of the weekend is shot (no pun) for hunting.

Anyway, took my 6 month old GSP Addie out for her second hunt. Didn't do too bad, she's starting to understand what this hunting deal is.

Here she is out and about



I managed two today, both singles, I used my 16ga Carl Goluch



Good day overall!

Best,

Greg
Greg:

What a stunning piece of wood on that gun. Is it original or did you have it restocked?

Rem
I'm betting on grain painting. It does not look to me like Mark Larson's work though...Geo
Originally Posted By: Geo. Newbern
I'm betting on grain painting. It does not look to me like Mark Larson's work though...Geo


Hey George, you hit the nail on the head. It's a Mark Larson creation. He's done a couple stocks for me, always excellent work.

Best,

Greg
Hey all, my son Jim and I went out after work for about an hour to one of our local grouse spots. Saw a few today, two nice groups (a bit wild). Still, we managed to get a couple. I got two and Jim one.

I used my 16ga FN



Jim used his VS 12ga



Raina and the days bag



Best,

Greg
The FN is nice, but the Hellis is my favorite on this page.
Hey all, went out a bit today solo, only managed one, but still great to get out on the prairies!

Today I used my 16ga Uggie 1030



Best,

Greg
Hey all, well today was a change of pace, went duck hunting. Not great, but not bad either. There was a lot of water on our old reliable slough, so we had to adjust a bit. Started out overcast and cool, then we got a bluebird day and they quit flying! My friend Rick, brought his Chessie out and boy did she do well. Sure is nice having a dog bring you the birds rather then getting them yourself.

Rick and Mazie





Jim in his "area"



Mazie with a nice retrieve



Jim picking up decoys



End of the day!



I did use my Merkel 147E today



Best,

Greg
Just returned last night from our Canadian adventure. 67galaxie and I visited our duck club in Saskatchewan and spent the week shooting ducks, geese mostly, a few sandhills and some game birds. For those interested, the game birds (huns and Sharptails) seem to have recovered very well from the severe winters a few years ago. I noticed big hun coveys and lots of chickens as well...Geo


67galaxie's geese and his A grade Fox:


Yours truly with a few snows(Rosses actually) and mallards:



67galaxie with our decoy wagon and the same snows:



The new retriever, he may be a bird eater. See how he's chewing on that goose foot:


The view of the bird feeder out the dining room window. :


Geo, I'd be concerned about his nose. Looks like more of a sight hound which would be useful in prairie ankle high stubble but not so great in S. Ga. Gil
I's a good bird dog Gil. I's a good bird dog
Originally Posted By: GLS
Geo, I'd be concerned about his nose. Looks like more of a sight hound which would be useful in prairie ankle high stubble but not so great in S. Ga. Gil


Trust me on this; he ain't built like any sight-hound I ever saw, but he's young and strong enough to swing the sledge hammer while putting up the blind, not to mention the retrieving...Geo
I went out last week bird hunting; had two real good days of hunting. I managed to get seven grouse, all singles.

__________
TC
Tim, those are wonderful birds. What part of the world were you hunting?
Hey all, went duck hunting today with my friend Rick from MN. Today was the last day he can hunt this state and we did well! We each limited and his Chessie Mazie did an outstanding job of retrieving. Just a great day with a good hunting buddy.

Rick with the "pile" we shot



Mazie with a couple of retrieves





Today I used my Bernadelli Italia hammergun



Best,

Greg
Nice dog, gun, and dekes. What is the maker of the decoys?
Originally Posted by BrentD
Tim, those are wonderful birds. What part of the world were you hunting?
Hi Brent,

British Columbia.
______

TC
Originally Posted By: BrentD
Nice dog, gun, and dekes. What is the maker of the decoys?


Thanks for the kind words! The Mallard blocks are Dakota X-Treme and the Gadwalls are Avery Pro-Grades

Good quality blocks, I'm happy with them!

Best,

Greg
Last week

110% For the percussion gun and a beautiful one it is too.

Dennis, I am in total admiration and awe of you hunting birds with this wonderful old muzzleloader. Thanks very much for posting the beautiful pictures.
Beautiful, Dennis. Well done. Makes me want to unlimber my Manton this season on some doves. Think I will.

Thanks, SRH
First coyote of the season, Northern NV last week. Wilkes drilling 16ga/16ga/6.5x58R Sauer.



Small for this late but he came in just like an old timer.
Well that's a little different. Which barrel did you use?
Originally Posted By: RichardBrewster
Dennis, I am in total admiration and awe of you hunting birds with this wonderful old muzzleloader. Thanks very much for posting the beautiful pictures.
Hopefully this will inspire someone (maybe Stan) to pick up one of these old guns and hunt with it. I got a period capper and powder flask (Austrian) that I am using with this and have a period French shot flask on the way. Can't get much better than that I think.
Dennis, could you tell about the butt of that fine double? Is it an extension, or is it some type of covering? Maybe a close up pic or two? It looks very well done, from what I can see.

SRH
Reading about waterfowl hunting I've always noted the supreme importance of setting your decoy spread on the magic X where the birds want to be. On a recent trip to Saskatchewan, I finally found it:



...Geo
Now that is funny
After galaxie and I set up on that X every morning for a for a week, I have relegated the Magic X theory to the same round file as Gil Stacy's String Theory of Turkey Calling...Geo
Originally Posted By: Stan
Dennis, could you tell about the butt of that fine double? Is it an extension, or is it some type of covering? Maybe a close up pic or two? It looks very well done, from what I can see.
SRH

Stan-I've seen photos of other Continental percussion doubles with buttplates like this but don't know if they are added extensions or original to the guns. Horn, I think. I've added some additional photos of other details of the gun.





We are being hit with a huge cold front right now. Temps into the freezing, high winds, wind chills will be in the teens by dawn. I threw the canoe on the truck and the decoys in the back in preparation for a hugely successful hunt.

Just to be sure, I spray painted a green X on the side of the canoe so the ducks will know where to land.

smile
Thank you, Dennis. That horn butt, and the relief carving is impressive, to say the least. Actually, the whole of the gun is impressive.

SRH
Originally Posted By: Geo. Newbern
After galaxie and I set up on that X every morning for a for a week, I have relegated the Magic X theory to the same round file as Gil Stacy's String Theory of Turkey Calling...Geo

The string that turkeys come in on when called is incomplete unless tied directly to the key to success. Gil
Hey all, a bit off topic, today is our Pheasant Opener here in ND. But as some of you know we got hit with a winter storm. Where I'm at we got 14" as of yesterday, plus it snowed again last night (and it's still snowing as I type this). We're supposed to get another 2 to 3" today. But with the snow and winds at 25 to 35mph, I don't think many are going out. The snow is also drifting, that ain't good either. IMO, this will effect the birds somewhat. The snow should be gone by next weekend (will see!). But then, the roads will be sloppy as all get out. It may be awhile until things get back to normal. As far as the harvest goes, it's going to be a while also. We got so much rain here the last couple months, the ground is so soft that the farmers/ranchers can't get into the fields. They more than likely will not get the corn in until it freezes, so your looking at a lot of standing crop until November I would say. In short, I'd like to add.......this SUCKS!!!!!!

Here's a couple pics I took today from my front door





Good Luck all!

Greg
Greg, that's what I love about the South...Geo
But it surely deals with the mosquitoes.
and thank goodness for that
It's been dry here since August and the skeeters are gone. I sat in my deer blind this evening till dark hoping for a look at the bear that's been hitting my deer feeding station and never saw or heard a skeeter; or a bear either for that matter. Deer season comes in next saturday...Geo
I did a little more messing around with my camera this morning. This is my DeHaan 28 gauge side by side that I picked up used 10 or 12 years ago. It is a sweet little shotgun.

Originally Posted By: Geo. Newbern
It's been dry here since August and the skeeters are gone. I sat in my deer blind this evening till dark hoping for a look at the bear that's been hitting my deer feeding station and never saw or heard a skeeter; or a bear either for that matter. Deer season comes in next saturday...Geo

Come sit in my box stand if you miss the skeeters. I got gnawed on by a flock of them while the sun was going down
Bill,
That's a great picture!
Karl
The photographer captured while capturing the shot:




Sherburn county, MN. taken this afternoon. We had a nice little hunt.
The picture is my son and a roadside grouse who ran under the truck and back across the road after his picture was taken.
Best,
Ted
My oldest grandson's first deer. Our GA general firearms season opens tomorrow, but this week has been our black powder early season. Youth under 16 may use any legal deer weapon during this week, so the BP season doubles as youth week.

Emory bagged this nice doe this morning up at my middle GA farm with a NEF 308 single shot. He will be 9 sometime this month so, at 8 he's way ahead of me when I killed my first one...Geo





Well done Emory!! :)-
Some have privately questioned the wisdom of letting an eight year old shoot a deer. Emory has accompanied his dad hunting since he was little and seen a lot of'em killed. His father was in the double seated ladder stand with him when he shot the doe pictured above. As evidenced by his expression in the picture, I don't think he was unduly traumatized by the experience.

Just like everything else, effect depends upon the individual affected by the first kill of a large game animal. In this case, I'm proud of the boy and consider his first deer a milestone in his personal development...Geo
Geo.
I don't even know the boy and I'm proud of him too.
Mike
Congratulations to Emory. My son, Jonathan, killed his first at 8 or 9, can't remember exactly, with a Ruger No. 3, .45-70. His two sons killed their first at about the same age. When a kid is old enough to handle a gun safely, and shoot it accurately, and they want to hunt, they are ready, with proper supervision of course.

I was newly married when I killed my first buck, but there weren't any deer around here when I was a kid. I remember the first deer track I ever saw, in a dirt road on our place. I thought it was a goat track. blush

SRH
Great picture Geo, many more hunts with all your grandkids.
Woohoo great job Emory! Now for wood ducks and turkeys! Just lemme know when
It has been a crazy year, and this weekend was my first outing. It went very well. I took my 6.4lb Lefever 12 on its first chukar hunt, and hunted with a friend whose english pointer was ridiculously good. My ten year old setter was along for the ride but had a great time:





That is incredible Mark
Mark, what grade lefever is that? An early E, maybe? Nice treatment on the checkering...Geo
Mark, Good for you and the pooches. Glad you had a great day out!
Thanks guys. The gun is my special order ungraded gun with a one of a kind original serrated wood butt, no cocking indicators, ejectors, line engraving typical of a G grade, but no grade on the water table. It's basically a GE, and the plain side plates were kind of boring, so I rubbed out the old case color and painted my setter (same one in the photos) on the left side and pheasants on the right, along with a few branches and leaves, in sepia tones so it looks like engraving. Covered with a couple coats of spray finish and it is so far very durable. Working man's E grade! smile
Metal painting to represent faux engraving is a new on one me. Looks good...Geo
Wow, Mark, I am impressed! I just assumed that the gun was engraved and had to go back and look at the photo again. Nice work.
Mark, That is one beautiful and unique SO Lefever. Fantastic job painting your dog on the lock plate! Really amazing!
Hey all, my son Jim and I went out yesterday for a few hours.  Saw quite a few, but I didn't get any shots, but Jim was the hot gun. He managed two. Most of the birds were a bit spooky.  High winds today (25 to 30+mph). Will try and get out Monday.  Hope we can connect then.

Anyway, here's Jim and our faithful Raina



Best,

Greg






Sherburn National Refuge, backed up on the St. Francis river, where the bridge was dynamited after the road was closed to Santiago:



Last trip we moved four birds, not a bird this time. The woods was active with bow hunters, and guys scouting for next weekends firearms deer opener. But, it was a beautiful day, with great company.

Best,
Ted
Lloyd, beauty of a spot...Gil
Originally Posted By: Geo. Newbern
Metal painting to represent faux engraving is a new on one me. Looks good...Geo


I was envious until I read that....

A Fauk gun
Cool Lefever, just saw that. At
6.4 lbs and healthy damascus it is a serious find. If you haven't already discussed it here, what are the dimensions? That is a remarkable weight considering that it's an ejector gun.
Pair of wild Idaho Roosters taken with vintage 20 gauge hammergun featuring Lafaucheux system underlever.



[img:left]https://imgur.com/xBywpGg[/img]
We had a nice hunt in SD this year. We saw a lot of birds, but they flushed wild for the first 3 days and we had no results. Many areas were wet and access was limited. The crops were mostly standing due to spring rains and delayed planting/harvesting. The farm we hunted was 100% harvested by Wednesday and on Thursday/Friday our shelter belt hunts were finally productive. This photo was from Friday, which was our best day, with 11 birds taken, one shy of a limit.

Owen, tell me about your Boss.
Mike is is from 1926, 28”, 6lbs 12oz, Mod/XF, file cut rib. Just a joy to carry in the field. The birds were shot with 12ga RST 1 1/16 #4’s, 2 1/2”. I really became a fan on #4’s on this trip, having switched from the #5’s utilized each of the past two seasons.
Hey all, well Friday at noon was our deer gun opener.  We hunt on a friends farm for the past 8 years or so.  Weather wise it was a very nice day, lower winds and temps in the upper 30's with sun and some clouds.  We saw quite a few deer,  but opportunities for some good shots were limited.  I did manage to bag a smaller one (they always look like a majestic Elk in the scope) at 3:30.  While the deer was small, I was happy with the shot I made. It was a running shot at about 100+ yards.  So I was happy with that.  My son Jim didn't fair well, had a couple shots, but didn't connect.

Saturday was a different story, light rain all day long.  Got wet and Jim couldn't buy a shot.  I could have shot a least a couple more.  They were getting up by me on my side of the tree rows.  So.....we'll try and fill Jim's tag next weekend.  Fingers crossed for him.

Anyway, here's a couple pics of the weekend.

Me and mine.  I was using a 7mm-08 Remington Mountain Rifle with a 2x5 Redfield Wide View Scope



Myself and Jim



Best,

Greg
Greg,
Nice looking picture, thanks for sharing.
Karl
How do you get pictures to actually load and be seen? I can only post the link and no pictures are on my post.
thanks for your help.
Originally Posted By: 12boreman
Pair of wild Idaho Roosters taken with vintage 20 gauge hammergun featuring Lafaucheux system underlever.



[img:left]https://imgur.com/xBywpGg[/img]
[quote=12boreman]Pair of wild Idaho Roosters taken with vintage 20 gauge hammergun featuring Lafaucheux system underlever.



The last photo with the protruding lever is great! The gold inlay is very Germanic.
Posted for Bill Ferguson





Originally Posted By: gjw
Hey all, well Friday at noon was our deer gun opener.  We hunt on a friends farm for the past 8 years or so.  Weather wise it was a very nice day, lower winds and temps in the upper 30's with sun and some clouds.  We saw quite a few deer,  but opportunities for some good shots were limited.  I did manage to bag a smaller one (they always look like a majestic Elk in the scope) at 3:30.  While the deer was small, I was happy with the shot I made. It was a running shot at about 100+ yards.  So I was happy with that.  My son Jim didn't fair well, had a couple shots, but didn't connect.

Saturday was a different story, light rain all day long.  Got wet and Jim couldn't buy a shot.  I could have shot a least a couple more.  They were getting up by me on my side of the tree rows.  So.....we'll try and fill Jim's tag next weekend.  Fingers crossed for him.

Anyway, here's a couple pics of the weekend.

Me and mine.  I was using a 7mm-08 Remington Mountain Rifle with a 2x5 Redfield Wide View Scope



Myself and Jim



Best,

Greg

Really?
JR
Greg,that should be a good eating doe. Congratulations. I always enjoy the pictures of you hunting with your boys...Geo
My son and I hunted three weekends starting Oct 26. I got the smaller bull on opening day which coincided with my 79th birthday. David got his the following week. The deer was last weekend. All were taken within 1/2 mile of one another and illustrate why folks in the West are defensive of public lands.
I am awed considering the effort that must be required to field butcher an elk that size and pack it out, even if to a processor. That is a lot of meat and bone to tote out. Hope your trucks are always downhill from the kill site!

SRH
Stan, There were two younger guys to help with field dressing and two horses to tote the meat to the truck. No animal was much further from the truck than a mile. Each of the three days was followed by a blizzard that drove us out of the country sooner than we'd planned.
Congrats Bill, looks like your 'little' one has an extra point on the right.
Originally Posted By: rocky mtn bill
Each of the three days was followed by a blizzard that drove us out of the country sooner than we'd planned.


Global Warming will do that to you.
Originally Posted By: keith
Originally Posted By: rocky mtn bill
Each of the three days was followed by a blizzard that drove us out of the country sooner than we'd planned.


Global Warming will do that to you.


+1. keith is exactly right about that.

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/earthtalks-global-warming-harsher-winter/
Originally Posted By: Stan
I am awed considering the effort that must be required to field butcher an elk that size and pack it out, even if to a processor. That is a lot of meat and bone to tote out. Hope your trucks are always downhill from the kill site!

SRH


Even a cow is miserable when you're alone. Shot this one around 4 pm so no time to compose a nice picture before getting to work. Had it quartered and bagged by dark. Final load in the truck by 11:00 pm. For reference, a hind quarter weights about as much as a bag of concrete. The front quarters are probably more like 45 lbs. but, once you get the backstraps and neck and whatever you can get your toting roughly 4 bags of quikrete out of the woods. Bill had more like 5 or 6 bags of quikrete to tote. It's been almost a month and my back still hurts. I'm very acclimatized to elevation and it's still hard work at 9500'. I don't know how the out of state people do it.


Hey all, well we had my sons Jim's tag to fill (I filled mine on Opening Day), so we went to our friends farm again and Jim was able to fill his tag 25 minutes after shooting hours began.  We saw a doe standing by a cattail slough and he nailed her with his Browning A-Bolt in .25 WSSM.  She was a decent doe and with that, thus ended our 2019 Deer season.

Here's Jim with his doe



It was a good season and a safe one!

Best,

Greg
I killed a huge 5x5 whitetail as it came south out of my woodlot (gratis permit)on the 11th. Next day, same time 20 min. after suniet, same wind direction, my friend shot a 4x5 from the same spot. He was heading north into my woodlot accompanied by four does. No other hunters around in both cases. Just tough to predict the movements of these animals.
Yesterday was the first day Floyd and I ran our dogs.  My MutttPak, Abby and Willa, are in the photo.  The other two Britt's, Floyd's Sadie and Pop wouldn't take part in the photo.  We hunted edges of a 150 acre clear cut for an hour and a half while temps were cool and found a covey of a dozen or more birds.  We left it alone after two birds.  While hunting the clear cut edge, Floyd got an alert on his tracking that Sadie was 150 yards into a bottom on point.  We went in.  Our three dogs were strung out in a line backing Sadie for 50 yards.  It was great to see the first day out with them.  A woodcock flushed.  WC season is 17 days away and we are loaded with birds already because of the northern weather.  About noon after we finished at 11, we were looking for more wc habitat and saw this vicious looking, but harmless hognose snake in melanistic phase.  Beautiful snake but seeing it reaffirmed our choice of ending  when we did because we were in serious EDB rattler country.  Whose nose?  Only the nose knows.  Gil





Great job Gil! I can't wait to have time to get after some quail
Good report, Gil. Ever heard of a hognose being called a "spreading adder"? That's the only name I knew for them until I got to reading snake books as a young man.

SRH
Very cool snake! Good looking, and really nicely matched dogs too.
In my part of Alabama, we called the Hog Nosed Snake "Puff Adder" ( maybe "Puffing"). As a young man, I sometimes kept snakes as pets. The "Puff Adder" was a very interesting snake that employed unusual defensive techniques. Being harmless, it had to depend on subterfuge for it's defense. When threatened, it will "puff" up like the photo. A normally marked one( as opposed to the black one in the photo) has spots that look like eyes when puffed up, to mimic a larger snake. It is often said they look like a cobra, but it is unlikely that any threat would be familiar with cobras. If that doesn't work, they will roll over and play dead. If you roll them back to their stomach, they will immediately roll back over. If you persist in rolling them back to their stomach, they will defecate. The smell is so intense that I never tried to find out what they would do next.
Mike
Originally Posted By: GLS
Yesterday was the first day Floyd and I ran our dogs.  My MutttPak, Abby and Willa, are in the photo.  The other two Britt's, Floyd's Sadie and Pop wouldn't take part in the photo.  We hunted edges of a 150 acre clear cut for an hour and a half while temps were cool and found a covey of a dozen or more birds.  We left it alone after two birds.  While hunting the clear cut edge, Floyd got an alert on his tracking that Sadie was 150 yards into a bottom on point.  We went in.  Our three dogs were strung out in a line backing Sadie for 50 yards.  It was great to see the first day out with them.  A woodcock flushed.  WC season is 17 days away and we are loaded with birds already because of the northern weather.  About noon after we finished at 11, we were looking for more wc habitat and saw this vicious looking, but harmless hognose snake in melanistic phase.  Beautiful snake but seeing it reaffirmed our choice of ending  when we did because we were in serious EDB rattler country.  Whose nose?  Only the nose knows.  Gil









Looks great Gil! Sorry to be way behind checking and responding. I have been quail hunting once with a friend (no photos unfortunately). We have some quail ordered for Thanksgiving so should get Sherwood back on them
Yep Stan, all my life they have been spreading adder.

Sounds like a great morning Gill. I didn't get to go as we are trying to finish up gathering soybeans and planting wheat.

Hopefully will get the dogs out by Thanksgiving weekend.
Originally Posted By: Willieb
Sounds like a great morning Gill. I didn't get to go as we are trying to finish up gathering soybeans and planting wheat.


I'm no farmer. I do have a small farm up in middle GA though which many years ago had as good a quail population as anywhere I've ever hunted.

I've hunted that land all my life and my Grandfather kept it mostly in pasture for his cattle. When he passed my Grandmother leased the land out to the local county agent and his twin brother for row cropping.

The twin farmers planted soybeans and corn. After harvest, the land was left in stubble for the winter. Plenty of unharvested soybeans on the ground to feed the birds. The deer herd and the bobwhite population prospered. That decade was when the place was the best bird hunting I've ever experienced.

One year the farmers decided to double-crop the fields and after harvest the fields were turned under and wheat planted. That made plenty of deer feed I guess, but the quail disappeared. This was back in the '70s so before the general collapse of our southern bobwhite.

The reason for quoting WillieB's reference to gathering soybeans and planting wheat was it triggered my memory of the great period of bird hunting in my life. And the wheat crop which I blamed for the loss. I may or may not have been right about the ill effect of double cropping, but in my mind it was a clear case of cause and effect...Geo
I leave my stubble and crop residue all winter, Gil. Many of my neighbors harrow the fields clean immediately after harvest. I see no sense in that, and believe that leaving it matters to birds. My hunting landlords like me leaving it, too.

I do not, however, fault a farmer who needs to double crop by planting wheat immediately after fall harvest. But, it doesn't work well with my crop rotation, anyway.

Willieb, glad to know someone else in the world knows what a spreading adder is, besides me. (For a long while I actually thought the grown-ups were saying "spreadin' outer") laugh

SRH
Geo, I think you have identified one of the problems for survival of the southern bobwhite. Lack of cover in general leaves them exposed to predators. Our soybeans are planted in the wheat crop stubble and soybeans stubble is left. Not that it provides much cover, but it does provide limited feeding.
Wheat is planted behind peanuts and grain sorghum.

Trying to make a living off the land and managing for quail is a difficult task. I try to balance the two as well as I can. Non productive areas are left for the birds, woods are burned on a three year rotation, nest predators are controlled where feasible and feed is spread on a two week rotation year round. While I will never have the numbers that the plantations in the area have, I have seen the population of wild birds increase over the last 10 years.

I know your post wasn't meant to be critical, I just wanted to provide some options that we can do to help gentleman bob.
Something is magical regarding quail numbers in the red hills of SW Georgia. It largely arises from the wealthy, usually Yankees, who spend millions collectively in managing hundreds of thousands of contiquous acres for the pursuit of a handful of feathers. Gil
kudos to stan an willieb...
["I know your post wasn't meant to be critical, I just wanted to provide some options that we can do to help gentleman bob."] Willieb

No critical intention whatever, and I applaud you and Stan both for your wildlife friendly farming practices. I doubt there is a single cause for the collapse of our bird population down here. Year round cover though must be an important component of the problem.

On the other hand, plowing under at harvest sets up three months of perfect habitat for the arrowhead hunter. I love it when I walk a field in the Spring and find an artifact hoisted up on it's own little dirt pedestal by a Winter of rain and wind. One man's meat is another man's poison...Geo
Wow all work and no play makes me a dull boy that forgot duck season opened this morning
Hey all, my son Jim and I went out for a few hours today and hunted a friends ranch.  Did see some birds, but this year is kind of turning out like last season (which was poor!).  We didn't see as many as we have in years past, but I did manage to get a couple, so I was happy.  I was really happy with the performance of my 8 month old GSP Addie.  She's getting the hang of this hunting thing.  Working all the right cover and doing what she's supposed to do.  She made to nice retrieves to hand, but still needs some work on her steady to point.  She is doing better each time we go out.

Anyway, here's Addie and the days bag.  I was using my 12b Henry Atkin



Best,

Greg
Today's work. 2 shots, 2 birds. Doesn't always go like that.



Everyone needs a drink. This has always been a useful trick to teach my dogs.

Great pictures!!
Brent, nice photos. The dog's vintage-styled bells are hard to find...Gil
GLS. I am not a huge fan of those, but they are the best I have found. From Orvis or LLBean some years ago.

Did not realize those pics would be so large.

BEST PART WAS NO SKUNKS!


Stuck on the High Plains for a bit longer, such is life. I will survive though. It has been a good start so far. The young man behind me has just guided his first client solo. His brother has been my guide for years. The buck was shot from the cedar on the bluff above me. A spot I had been looking at on the map for years and my first hike in paid off nicely.




Bird dogs did a fine job as well.





The Holland served me well.

Steve, if that's your hunting truck, you need to up your gunsmithing fees. Nice, very nice buck by the way...Geo
Super windy this morning but we managed two roosters with two shots. Another doubled back on us and flushed behind us and out of range. Took pics but somehow they did not get saved. Not bad for an hour and fifteen minutes.
Steve,

It's definitely better than what I'm finding in Kansas.

Ken
Geo- I would love to have that truck and fix it up. I need another project right?
The man who lets me hunt his place has an incredible collection of trucks and tractors. I already have a project truck from up here, a '37 Chevy. Only need to hit the lotto now to finish it.
Tucker and I put a couple in the bag today.



Steve,
Great picture showing the old field equipment in the frame!
Karl
Thanks Karl, glad to see someone appreciates it. The dogs are less than impressed with photo time.
Steve
Great photos. It looks as though your dinner is assured.
Really great photos and birds! I would love to see some pics of the 37 truck
We got our Brittany Sherwood on some released quail yesterday. He did really well, considering it was his second hunt ever.
Hey all, took a couple hours off from work to hunt before the big storm we're supposed to get this weekend.  Went out with my son Jim and our 8 month old GSP Addie.  One area I wanted to hunt we got shut out of as they were bailing corn silage.  So, we hit a couple other areas.  I shot one, but he was wing shot and took off running!  Addie couldn't find him, so a lost bird (I hate that, wished I would have missed!).  Last place we went, I knocked one dead over some standing corn.  Addie was in pursuit and retrieved the bird to hand.  She really worked well today,very happy with her!

Here's Addie



I used my 12ga Hubertus  today



Will see how we do tomorrow!


Greg
Floyd and I took our 4 Britts out yesterday to exercise and hopefully find a new covey and woodcock locations for this weekend's opener. No quail, but the dogs pointed numerous dove on the ground in timber. Surprisingly, on a grassy clear cut dotted with standing water in low places, the dogs pointed snipe (which held), a first for the MuttPak and Floyd's two. With gusty winds, it was some sporty shooting. Here's the serendipitous snipe with Floyd's Ithaca SKB 100 20 ga. Gil




A few 2019 birds with my three 16's.
Sounds like that was fun shooting, Gil. It certainly was a windy day!

SRH
Dave, what is the middle gun?
It's an AyA #2. 16 ga. with 30" barrels, IC/F. I'd like to get the stock bent up just a tad.
I have yet to hunt! Great job Gil!
Saturday was opening day in Georgia.  Went north of home.  Found 4 birds, one in the same 10x10 square yards where one has been for the past 4 seasons.  Flushed wild, never found again.  Must've heard about Floyd. Next 3 were in the usual suspect places.  Floyd, Abby and Willa, aka my MuttPak.  
Today, Sunday, Floyd, Jeff and I.  Floyd's Sadie and Pop.  We went south today.  Found 7.  Recovered three.  We are off to a decent start for early season.  Should pick up as weather turns cooler.  Gil
Not a great day nor a great photo, but we didn't get skunked.

Gus also had a rock solid point on a turkey. Yesterday, he got fed up with my poor shooting and handed me a rooster at the ned of the day, so we got one, but it wasn't shot (at least not by me).




Above upgraded Fox Sterlingworth to an early AE 20 gauge.

The Princess, aka Sophie who turned 5 this week.

tut, nice photos and beautiful dog. Gil
Tut,
Beautiful gun & dog. Your great pictures are making me miss my woodcock season, now long over.
Karl
I agree, that is one very nice setter. Gun is ok as well.
Some beautiful guns in this thread. There's nothing special about this Belgian guild gun but I hadn't seen any of these birds posted and thought I'd add a little variety.

Hey, Skip! Longtime no see. Nice job as usual.
Today was a good day making up for a lot of misses yesterday. Beautiful day for an armed walk in the woods with cool temps and lots of birds. Floyd holding Abby and Willa in check, my MuttPak.
The snow and cold up north have driven them south early. "Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow." Gil
Nice pics, Skip and Gil.

Well done, both of you.

SRH
Thank you Stan.

Gil, my photo is from last Saturday. I usually have more than my share of misses but for once I looked like I had done it before. I shot at eight birds and killed all of them. I wish I could say I did it with eight shells but I missed two with the first barrel and one was a cripple that I had to flush a second time to put it down for good. I Wish I knew where to find a few of those Woodcock. It's been years since I've shot one.
Skip and Gil, it is nice to see the results of some upland shooting in our neck of the woods that does not involve released bobwhites. If I could still walk proficiently, I'd be out there with you...Geo
Thank you sir. Most days after walking I feel like I'm about at the point where I can see the finish line. Recovery takes much longer than when I was a young man.

I don't know how old Snipe Hunter is but I know exactly how old GLS is. That is what aggravates me the most. On the other hand, I still have the will to do what I can...Geo
is dar ah snipe res sipe in dis sum wares...or are you boys jes killim fur fun?
Originally Posted By: ed good
is dar ah snipe res sipe in dis sum wares...or are you boys jes killim fur fun?


They're eating birds Ed, some of the best...Geo
Originally Posted By: Geo. Newbern
. On the other hand, I still have the will to do what I can...Geo


George, a late family friend served in the Pacific post war. He had contact with MacArthur's staff and obtained a copy of a quote (not by MacArthur) that was displayed in the General's office. It was about enthusiasm and the gist of it was that enthusiasm is not just in the realm of the young, but that it was ageless. Gil
I saw a special on tv the other day about a 105 year old man who is still climbing in and out of elevated deer stands and hunting. Quite inspiring.

"Enthusiasm is the leaping lightning, not to be measured by the horse-power of the understanding." Ralph Waldo Emerson
Another good hunt this morning.

Nice pic! What is the terrain in the foreground ? Looks like it has been swiped.Is it crop or just scrub??
Thankyou.
That is a cow pasture. The area I hunt is behind where I was standing when I took the photo. Here is one showing some of the habitat. Where I took that first photo is on the other side of the water.

Ah thanks,so rough grazing land!Good snipe country.You have some great landscapes to hunt in over there!
Nice spot! Grazing and fire are the keys to healthy grasslands worldwide. Idle conditions have ruined most of my good snipe and rail spots around here.
There's a stretch of north FL from I-75 to past Tallahassee where the pastures are full of those shallow wet depressions. We have a bit of it just west of where I live in south GA. Great for snipe and ringneck ducks at times. Skip's picture depicts it perfectly...Geo
George, as long as there is clay and not sand the water will hold for a while. Anytime you see needle grass out in those pastures you know the ground is wet much of the time and you have a possibility of finding birds. I have hunted them down to the other side of Gainesville.
Everytime I cross Alachua Prairie I think snipe...Geo
So do I. Usually when I cross Paynes Prairie I am on the way to hunt them.
Today, we were heading for a skunk in a previously hunted area over the years so we went to another location never before hunted by us and in the last 45 minutes found two birds.  Floyd's Sadie (pictured) and Pop found both birds backed by the MuttPak, Willa and Abby.  In other words, mine held up the rear. Gil 
 
The first of two birds today, both mature roosters. Not too bad. Nice crisp 15 degrees F, but no wind so it was pretty perfect actually.

Beautiful! You have to love the happy and tired dogs. Great pictures from Iowa and Georgia.
Same thing up north Snipe Hunter. Spikerush and Needle Spikerush are not eaten by cattle and thus thrive with heavy grazing. The birds seem to like the hummocky ground with shallow water in the cattle tracks. Easy to probe there with their long bills?
Yesterday we opened the SC season with a whimper and very few bangs.  Birds were harder to find than in Georgia.  Georgia must be offering a better tax incentive than SC for the woodcock to winter here.  Couple of shots that only accomplished letting the birds know whose side we were on.
I had a couple of hours to hunt this afternoon. It was a gorgeous afternoon. Floyd had kids and sister in town so it was just the Muttpak and I.   Found a half-dozen birds, but only this one held for the dogs.  It was a new area for me.  Highlight was a covey of quail that busted in front of unsuspecting Willa.  Scent conditions were bone dry.  This is about as close to a tailgate photo you gonna get from me.  Gil
Glad you at least got one Gil. It has been years since I've shot one here. Hopefully I will find a couple of their cousins today.
Nice pic Gil, but you really need to identify the gun you use in each picture. You baffle us with the multitude of your collection...Geo
Geo, I've been partial to this Ithaca SKB 100 20 ga. this year (so far). 25" barrels, IC/M. Most of my guns baffle me. Gil
I had a good walk at the snipery this morning. It was a little cooler than any other day I've hunted so far this season and I was thankful for it.


Skip, what gun is that? You still reloading and shooting your 32 ga.? Gil
Lots of drifting snow but warm and sunny in South Dakota. Put one in the bag but they are not easy right now. Had to get them early in the cattails. Hope to get a few more before I head home. No pics as today's bird was not pretty but it will eat well.
Originally Posted By: GLS
Skip, what gun is that? You still reloading and shooting your 32 ga.? Gil


Gil, I still have the 32 gauge but I haven't shot it this season and I don't believe I shot it last season. This would be the time to shoot it. Water levels are high which means I am hunting thicker cover. Since it offers better concealment shots are often a little shorter. This morning and last Saturday I shot a 20 gauge Grulla.
Floyd was entertaining out of town family today and Stan came off the bench and agreed to join Team MuttPak in the woods for woodcock. It was a great day with great company and outstanding dog work. We were in the birds including one coveyrise over a solid point courtesy of Abby and Willa. I anticipated a woodcock but the coveyrise proved otherwise. It doesn't get any better than today for woodcock around these parts. Stan's holding his 28 ga. Verona O/U and shot very well with it. I lugged the Ithaca SKB 100 20 ga. For Team MuttPak, Gil.
The lowlight was when Willa pointed into a low bramble thicket, tunneled in and a wild sow ran out the back end leaving piglets. The squealing started and Abby joined in the fray. They ignored my commands (a lot of "come @#$%") and whistle blowing which they ignored until I turned up the Ecollar juice. Willa's head shot up and out holding a piglet sideways in her jaws like an oversized pulled-pork sandwich on a bun. When I juiced her, she looked at me startled, dropped the piglet and both she and Abby came to me running. I hate those hogs and we got lucky. Glad the sow chose to flee and not attack. That's why the MuttPak is clad in Kevlar cut vests when we hunt woodcock.
There was a chance of rain today so I carried a gun usually reserved for days when conditions could go south. It is a 70's era 20 ga made by Jose Uriguen. The little working man's, hardware store gun performed well and knocked down the first seven birds with seven shots fired. The pressure then got to be too much for me and I missed a shot I should not have taken. Once a perfect run was out of the question I regained my composure and picked up my last bird.



Gil, it looks like the two of you found plenty of birds and made your shots count. I keep hoping to stumble across a woodcock. One of these days.


It took some serious persistence out of Tucker to pull this bird that was still very much alive out of the cattails. I had just called him back and given up on finding this one when he popped up with it in his mouth.



My old girl Lucy handled a huge group of birds like a pro and I was able to get this one with her. I should have had my limit today, missed more than I would like to admit in the afternoon.
Nice SKB,
We saw only two roosters today, both in the cattails, shot at only one, no happiness resulted. Gus is not amazed with my shooting, at least not in a good way.

Good on Tucker. I have learned to trust my dogs. The have often done the miraculous and the impossible to make up for when my shooting fails. Gus has gone so far to bring them to me without my even shooting. He deserves better.
You're a great photographer as well as a great shot, Skip.

SRH
It was a great day. Many thanks to Gil, Abby and Willa. They all worked their butts off to find birds, and find them they did. I've hunted over a lot of good birddogs in my time, but none better than these. They should have been in the foreground, not me.

I'm very grateful.

SRH
Originally Posted By: Snipe Hunter
There was a chance of rain today so I carried a gun usually reserved for days when conditions could go south. It is a 70's era 20 ga made by Jose Uriguen. The little working man's, hardware store gun performed well and knocked down the first seven birds with seven shots fired. The pressure then got to be too much for me and I missed a shot I should not have taken. Once a perfect run was out of the question I regained my composure and picked up my last bird.

Lovely crisp 20g there,looks new!!!


Skip, you always take the best photos. The way you shoot you don't need to find many to get a limit. Gil
Went to the Oregon coast yesterday and used my Lefever GE grade "tournament" gun (a previous owwner put a silver shield on the stock). This gun has f/f chokes, heavy steel barrels and factory 2 7/8" chambers, so it can digest stout loads with aplomb if need be. This big greenhead is the first bird I've taken with it.

I was worried about using it in saltwater, but I bought it to use it, so a spray coating of rustguard and a coat of wax did the trick, and there was zero rust.





Beautiful Lefever. I have several friends here in Florida that hunt waterfowl at the coast. I haven't done it for fear of rust from salt. Kudos to you for using yours as it was intended to be used.
Originally Posted By: GLS
Skip, you always take the best photos. The way you shoot you don't need to find many to get a limit. Gil


Gil, very kind of you (and Stan earlier) to say that. The last couple of days I've had to improvise. I probably have at least thirty bird straps and the last two times I have left the house without one. Yesterday I just tossed everything up on a fence post and hoped for the best.
No hunting unfortunately, but we got out for some inshore fishing yesterday and caught a ton. Just before the rain came it.
Originally Posted By: Imperdix
Lovely crisp 20g there,looks new!!!


It was made between 1974-1976. I would have to look it up to tell you exactly. I've only owned for about fifteen years. I hunted with it quite a bit for a few years but then it became the gun I usually carry when the forecast calls for a good chance of rain. I gave $325 for it and it looked like it could have been unused. Today it has a few minor battle scars on the stock. The importer as stamped on the underside of one of the tubes was York Cutlery. I'm not sure how that worked, perhaps if you bought a set of steak knives you got an inexpensive but fairly serviceable bird gun.
Really muddy today, flushed two, bagged one and missed one. A great day on the plains.

Hey all, my son Will is home on Christmas Leave (he's with the 10th Mountain Div), so as usual we go hunting. Hunted a place about a mile from home were they harvested the corn this week. Saw quite a few birds, but boy were they spooky! I was the lucky one today, got two roosters one after another, fun with those! Later we busted some Huns, I got one and Will winged one, that we couldn't find. Our 9 month old GSP Addie did well, she's a natural retriever, worked the cover well. In time she's going to work out just fine. Anyway, it was a great day with my boy!

I used my 12ga Siace today



Will and Addie



Best,

Greg
This is my Pointer PRO Danny’s last hunt. We lost him to skin cancer way to soon!

But as one great leaves this world another steps up, this is our new Pointer PRO Confetti and she is really turning out to be an amazing birder!



Originally Posted By: gjw
I used my 12ga Siace today


I am a fan of those mainly because they have the tang safety. Since I jump shoot birds the only way I could realistically hunt with a hammer is if the hammers were always fully cocked.
I took the boy and the dog out for a few hours of late season grouse hunting today. The snow in Sherburn county was not quite knee deep, and made for tough going. Late season grouse hunting is always hit or miss, today was miss, not a single bird to be seen. Our progress was hampered in the snow by warm 35 ish degree temps.
I am concerned as I didn’t see a single grouse footprint in the snow. The good news, I guess, is there are deer everywhere.

Best,
Ted
Mark Larson,
I'd be interested to know what sort of load you were using for ducks in that handsome gun of yours.
Brent, I'm shooting reloads with a recipe the BP ITX manual, #4's and 2's. Once I use those up, I'll probably just buy the new 2 3/4" Bismuth loads that are now available. I have no qualms shooting any factory (or equivalent) 2 3/4" non-steel load in this gun, as the barrels are thick and flawless, and the wood is in fantastic shape as well.
Thanks. That seems pretty reasonable to me. I've been using Bi #5s in both Kent and some reloads. I've been very happy with those for ducks and pheasants in a Greener.
gjw,
Greg, Tell your son we appreciate his service.
Mike
I have limited experience with prairie birds, but it seems to me that Huns are the easiest birds to lose of any of them. Wing'em and they run and catch up with'em and they hide...Geo
Conditions are challenging with soft ice and muddy as could be but we found them in the cattails again today. Moved well over a hundred birds. Should have had my limit, lost a really hard hit bird. Ended up with two today including a nice old rooster that will become Christmas dinner. We had another great day.

SKB, you guys are doing well.

I covered 22 km this weekend and had two shots at one bird with negative results, so this pic has no feathers.

I had a great trip to South Dakota. I tried to talk several people into going but it was just me and the pups. So glad I did it. We will likely hunt Nebraska some in January and that will be days of walking for a flush or two but it still will beat the hell out of television.
Maybe I'll see you in NE. I'm thinking of heading that way too. I have a friend there that I hunt with. I'm still hoping to score a chicken and a grouse to complete the "slam".

Birds here can be pretty good, and then empty. Not sure why the variance.
I do know some public fields that have been holding chickens the last few years. Actually been seeing more of them than Roosters. If you are coming to the sw corner let me know.
Steve
May not get quite that far west, but not sure. Mark is in the Lincoln area.
Hey all, my sons and I went out for a quick hunt today. Will got one and so did I, Jim was able to assist on mine. Saw lots of birds, but very spooky! Had to cut the hunt short, Raina got a nasty wound from a corn stalk. She's okay, looked worse than what is.

Anyway, Jim, Will and Raina



Wishing you and yours a Blessed Christmas!

Greg
We got an early start on a beautiful Christmas morning for a few hours before family time at mom's.  Floyd brought his sister who has two Brittanys which are  littermates of Pop and Sadie, Floyd's dogs.  She had never seen a hunt before.  She baked a batch of Brittany cookies for the trip and we had a great time.  We couldn't start where we planned on starting because we saw at least 20 jet black mature feral hogs cross the woods road where we planned to stop and begin our Christmas Day Brittany Blitz with Sadie, Pop, Willa and Abby.  We got a good half mile up the road and began our hunt.  However, excess water in the woods created small islands of land surrounded by water which adversely affected the dogs because the water defeated scent trails and we initially had lots of wild flushed birds.  We found a more suitable area and found birds.  Tough shooting but we got a few.  Yeh, I screwed up the photo. Again...Merry Christmas to all.  Gil.  
Great way to start any day Gil. Merry Christmas.
Super, Gil. So, what did Floyd's sister think of the dog work?

Merry Christmas, those cookies are artwork!

SRH
Stan, she's had her oldest Brittany for 11 years and doesn't hunt him. Same for the 7 year old. She's never seen dog work on birds. She was amazed at their capability in finding birds. All four dogs worked the woods simultaneously. Gil
Went for a little walk today. I was surprised when a Dove flushed from thick grass right at the water's edge.


Hey all, my son Will and I went out today, it was a nice, but cool sunny day (this will end soon, supposed to get another winter storm this weekend!). Anyway, Will got one and I didn't connect, should have had one, but oh well! Addie did well today, her quartering is much better and she's starting to air scent more. In time, I think she'll do very well.

Will used his 16ga Sauer Royal



Will and Addie



Will see what tomorrow brings!

Best,

Greg
Note shirt under guns and birds.  We decided to try to penetrate an old clear cut riddled with walls of briers.  That's a Dan's Brier Shirt; stiff, hot, but wearing it and Dan's Brier Gloves is better than bleeding.  It helped get to one bird; Floyd stayed on the firebreak.  I got behind Sadie with Abby backing and when the bird got up, I shouldered my gun and raised it upwards.  My hat snagged briers and covered my eyes.  I'd being lying if I said this was the first time this has happened.  Unfortunately, it didn't cover my mouth as I lit up the woods.  Floyd thought it entertaining judging from  his laughter.   We found 5 birds and couldn't get to 3 of them because it would have taken a bangalore torpedo to penetrate the briers and we didn't have one.
SC birds; Ithaca SKB 20's
Dan's products are "hell for stout". My pair of Dan's snake proof briar chaps look just like they did 7-8 years ago when new. Stiff.......... but tough.

Best, SRH
Just got the pup to the hunting property over Christmas where he was introduced to gunfire, his training collar, water (ran into a shallow pond and then stopped dead in his tracks, looked at dad, and said "what do I do now?!), and birds in the mouth. He is a natural, and will get professional training - he deserves it.




Great Dog photo!
Good pics. Pups do not naturally like to retrieve doves because they tend to lose a lot of feathers into the dog's mouth, more so than many other game birds. Actually, he doesn't look too happy about it, either. grin

Best, SRH
Stan, for him it's actually a look of nonchalance. He, like Cocoa before him, is patient while dad takes his photo. He was off running around when I shot the bird (it was his first time at the hunting property, hunting, etc., so I was cutting him some slack). I called him over when I shot the bird, and let him find it. I then made him sit, made him stay while I tossed the bird, and in two tosses had it down pretty well. Froze the bird overnight, and then tossed it a few more times to get him starting to learn to have a soft mouth, the frozen bird keeping the dog from biting down. He's a fast study, all legs and energy/enthusiasm. Even pointed his first pheasant- there is/was a game preserve to our south, and he came across the remains of a pen raised rooster that a coyote had dispatched. He locked up and from a distance I could see a wing. He's got great genetics.

Mike
We got a couple today. The snow really helped. Gus likes blind retrieves.
Brent, those colors are spectacular against the snowy background. Cocoa had a few of those blind retrieves, where you just knew there had to be a dog somewhere under all that bird.

Mike
Mike,
We get some really beautiful golden sunshine in the afternoons at this time of year. It warms up the colors against that snow.

We had fun today. 13 kilometers and two birds. That's probably about average or a little better this year. We work for them.
Good on you. That which is easily gained is lightly esteemed. Hard won and highly prized.
Mike, great looking dog.
Floyd, Jeff, Billy and I split into two groups today.  Floyd and Jeff hunted with Pop and Sadie; Billy joined the MuttPak, Willa and Abby, and I.  We drew for areas.  It didn't make any difference.  The birds were everywhere and we finished by 10 a.m.  After limiting, the dogs kept on finding birds on our way back.  We honored the points with a good-bye salute. Here's Abby backing Willa on a doodle on our way out.  We hunted a Brier Free Zone today and it was a great way for all to start the new year with perfect temps and plenty of birds.  We had an early lunch in the woods.  I browned 3 lbs. of venison burger and made a soup containing tomatoes, okra, collard greens, black-eyed peas and red peas served with cornbread.  The soup base was the collard's pot liquor and the peas' broth.  The collards and peas satisfied the Southern New Year's Day Tradition.(Superstition??)  From top to bottom: Billy's 1953 20 ga. Superposed, the predecessor grade to the Diana. Inherited from his father who in turn inherited it from his father. My Ithaca SKB 100 20 ga., Jeff's 20 ga. Uggie, Floyd's Ithaca SKB 100 20 ga. Happy New Year.  Gil
Mike that is one great photo of your pup!
Gil,
Looks like a perfect way to bring in the new year, well done! Our season ends today up here, another year to wait.
Happy New year,
Karl
("The collards and peas satisfied the Southern New Year's Day Tradition.(Superstition??")GLS

Superstition nothing! Try a new year without peas for good luck and greens for money in the coming year. 100% chance you'd be poorer next December...Geo
Do ya have any leftovers Geo? I'm jealous of all the fine bird hunting you guys are getting into Gil. Here's to a great season!
Geo, if you look at the middle bird in the top row you'll see proof of good luck. Billy was expecting a woodcock and was so startled to see 15 birds get up in a space the size of a basketball five feet off of Willa's nose in low open grass, I don't think he shot. He ate peas afterwards. I had a taste this morning when I heated the soup up before putting it in the Thermos bottles. Gil
Maybe not my favorite pictures but today was a tough day to be a bird hunter. At least for me. Going to take some time to figure this one out.

[img]https://i.imgur.com/rdMsjiQ.jpg?1[/img]

[img]https://i.imgur.com/hWXxeH0.jpg?3[/img]
Brent,
I'm assuming that was a result of a fall, something we all risk chasing birds. Sorry you had it happen. Could you give us details?
Karl
Yup. I fell on the edge of the cattails. Frozen ground is hard.

I've fallen and broken guns a couple of times before, but this one is quite a bit worse - the metal work is out of my league. The wood might be.

I had repaired this gun once - repairing an old repair and inserting some internal steel, but this was too much.

Constructive suggestions always welcome.
For BrentD





Made me want to throw up !!!
Mike
Ouch!that is a big project, I can fix the metal for you and get the stock pattern worthy if you are up to restocking it.
Brent,
Since the break is in the checked area, the repair can be done so it's not noticeable.
Mike
Thanks for the comments. I will follow up. But let's get this thread back to happier pictures. I'll be back chasing pheasants this weekend. I intend to have better photos to share. And PM's with helpful suggestions are appreciated, including those already sent. I have some options.

Brent
Brent that looks like some serious bad luck for a fine gun. Modern wood mechanics can do wonders to bring them back from the brink though. I wish you the best with your new project...Geo
Jeff, MuttPak and I hit the woods early today and finished by 10 a.m.  Abby and Willa on point after we finished shooting.  Once again we couldn't get out of the woods without finding birds.  All told we had 25 flushes including wild flushes without a dog being near the birds.  Jeff's gun is a Spanish .410 imported by Jana of Denver.  Probably a Loyola.  My gun is the Ithaca SKB 100 20 ga.  
Hey all, well, today was the last day of our upland season. For us it was a poor one. The wet weather we had prevented the crops from coming in until late. The snow storms we had shut down some of the cover or made it impossible to get to. There were birds, but they were getting wild at the end here. But, on the plus side, no one got hurt (except Raina who tore herself open on a corn stalk) and no problems with vehicles or guns. So for that I'm very thankful! Thank you Lord and St Hubert for another season!

I also want to comment on all the great pictures you folks posted and keeping this thread civil and friendly.

Today I managed a Hun, it was a wonderful weather day for the last, warm, sunny and lighter winds. But, all we saw were hens today, just a couple boy birds that flushed wild. Yesterday I dropped a Rooster, but was unable to find him, that was a shame!

I used my 16ga FN today



Addie getting the Hun



My son Jim at the end of a push



Best to all,

Greg
I bought one of those hats. Looks about the same on me...Geo
Greg,
Thanks for starting the game/picture thread, always enjoyable. Looking forward to next years season, God willing.
Karl
It's not a bird or a double, but I took down a few of the finest dinners found anywhere on the planet.



I figure I have 2 days of Iowa pheasants left. One of them will be Friday, the Closer. The other chosen from the rest of the week as circumstances allow.
And so what is the beautiful gun you used on them squil'; caliber?
Agreed on great eating except that some of the old Fox squil's can be TOUGH.
Docbill, it is a tricked out Winchester 1885 Singleshot (known in modern times as a "Low Wall"). This one is an earlyish "thick tang" version which is the crème de la crème of low walls in my opinion. It is a .22 Long Rifle. Pretty much the perfect squirrel rifle.
Floyd and I were not too far from GLS yesterday. We worked a little harder but managed two limits on woodcock. Floyd shot his SKB and I shot my Parker GH. Floyd's Brittany Sadie gave my Brittany, Sherwood, a crash course in the ways of Woodcock and Sherwood picked up most of it pretty well.
Glad to hear you had a good time Mills, hope to see you at the Southern.
Great pictures thanks! We have lots of standing corn and even some soybeans around here. Snow up to the cobs in many places. I hope any pheasants still alive will find it. Have not seen one since the last blizzard that dropped 16-24" of snow and closed all Interstate Highways. I'm not worried about the sharptails or gray partridge.
Originally Posted By: David Williamson
Glad to hear you had a good time Mills, hope to see you at the Southern.


I will be there. Actually doing some work arranging the Smith Parker Challenge this morning.
First hunt of 2020. Birds are really scarce around here but you can pick up a couple if you are able and willing to spend most of the day looking.


Snipe, are you shooting from the boat?
I have shot a couple from that kayak but shooting with your legs straight out and not being able to pivot very well isn't the most productive way to shoot birds. I also don't like paddling with a shotgun laying across my lap. If it slides off my lap it's likely gone for good. Last weekend I took that photo on the bow because my kayak was the only dry place where I could lay my gun.

However, I have shot a number of times from the boat below. I do that when the areas I hunt are flooded and the birds move from shore to floating mats. I use a paddle to approach the mat. The mats range in size from 15' in diameter to perhaps as much as 100'. They are peat mats from the bottom of the lake that have broken loose and are now floating on the surface. I lay the gun across the bow and sit in the very front seat. Sometimes they flush as I am approaching, sometimes not until I bump into the mat and stand up. A number of factors influence how approachable those birds are including the density and height of the vegetation growing on the mat. I shoot more sitting than standing but it is easier to pivot on a boat seat than in a kayak.


It looks like you are having an absolute blast!
Thanks Snipe. That all makes sense to me. I can't imagine shooting from a kayak, but there is a cool video or two of guys shooting sea ducks on Adak that way. Absolutely impossible conditions, but they do it.

I like your boat. A assume you sneak about with a pole or paddle and that motors are illegal, but I am just guessing.
Keith, it is rewarding when it is as tough as it is this year. Based on how saturated my cartridge bag is and the puddle in the bottom of the boat I was probably not too heartbroken when that day was over.

Brent, that little duck boat is only 12' and being a v-hull it moves along well with just a paddle. It was made by Blue Star. They went out of business in either the 50's or 60's. When hunting I don't even carry a trolling motor just so there are no issues should a wildlife officer see me shooting while the boat is moving.
Billy joined Floyd, the MuttPak and me on what may have been the last day of woodcock for us in Georgia because of spring-like temperature predictions until the closing date of January 20th.  Because of rain flooded woods in Plan A's location, we had a plan B in place that worked.  Seven woodcock and two quail.  This was a new area for us and a wild covey of over a dozen birds was a bonus.  Willa pinned it down and we got two on the rise.  We didn't pursue singles.  Floyd's Ithaca SKB 100 20 ga., my Ithaca SKB 20 ga. with the Gamekeeper sling, and Billy's granddad's 1953 Superposed 20 ga.  If temps get better after the 20th, we'll have a week and half left in SC.  We had a fun season on woodcock this  year.
Gil
 
Ah, a kindred spirit, hunting from a kayak. Rick, I have hunted from a kayak for many years, drifting creeks and rivers for ducks, jump shooting them. You are so right about how hard the shooting is, sitting in a kayak with your legs stretched out in front of you. You have very limited gun swing. For me, being right handed, it is from about 360 left to about 220. Very tough shooting, but very fun.

I have the advantage of a good current. I just drift, paddle in my right hand, sculling to hold the kayak in shooting position, gun in the left hand, safety off. When the ducks flush I drop the paddle, which is tied to my belt with a cord, and grab the gun with the right hand and bring it to mount as quickly as possible.

The snipe are a whole nuther ball game. Love your pictures.
Looks and sounds like fun Gil. I’m going to have to take the 1953 20 gauge SP in my safe afield soon. Just wish we still had an open season. Lol.
Headed south to spend the Christmas holidays in Aggieland with my kids and celebrate the birth of a 2nd grandson(there goes the rest of my guns); a quail hunt was in the plans. My son used my father's old Win. model 12 20 ga. with 25" cylinder bore barrel....many quail have fallen to that gun since it was bought in 1951. A FAIR 28 ga. was my choice. 18 quail to bag. The winter venison was tagged with a 7x57 prior to leaving the Texas Panhandle.




Well that sure looks like a fine time was had by all. Great picture of the bird in flight too!
My bride and I hunted quail with our Brittany Sherwood. The first part of the hunt, he totally fell off the training wagon and was flushing birds and running wild. We went back to the truck, he thought we were leaving, and his tune changed dramatically. From there on, he was pointing and holding like a champ. I shot a GH Parker 28 and Julia shot a Superposed 28. It was 28 gauge day.








Gary, great photos. Nice looking No. 1 with the Mannlicher stock.
Mills, what? No photos? Keep Sherwood in the birds and hunt him with older dogs whenever you can. Gil
I have given up uploading photos on here. I am happy to email them to someone more computer savvy than I am


Edit: see if the images come up now
With the season winding down for GA, cooler temps returned and we had a beautiful day in the woods courtesy of the MuttPak. One epic screw-up was us emptying chambers at a going away easy shot. While muttering to ourselves about the miss, a second one got up. Would have been an easy shot but we were still unloaded. While cursing our stupidity, a third got up while were still unloaded. Stupidity confirmed. Still riding the Ithaca SKB 100 20 gauge horse. For the MuttPak, Gil
GLS,
I know all too well the 2nd and 3rd bird going up and having empty chambers from a silly 2 shot salvo. It seems that I never learn! Glad you had a successful day regardless.
Karl
Karl, another wrinkle from yesterday was I was one bird shy of a limit. We drove to another cover and it took us 30 minutes of the torture of the damned going through birdless thickets. As we circled back towards the truck, Abby got birdy and a bird got up. This completed the day and when we popped out of cover it dawned on us that we were about 50 yards from the truck from where the bird fell. Gil
Since we're on the subject of Southern American Woodcock, would any of you share tips on where to look for them. The boy, the pup and I put about 10 miles of walking in yesterday (probably closer to 20 for the pup) and we had no luck.

Started in the Atchafalya Basin hunting what young growth woods we could find. (In keeping with the thread, here's a picture. Boy, pup, AyA 4/53 16 gauge all in their first ever Louisiana woodcock hunt.)


There is also a cutover with very thick, very young growth (essentially no trees) that we didn't really hunt. We saw some guys at the end of the day with brittanies coming out of there and they looked like they were beat up by the briars. They weren't in the mood for talking or sharing wisdom to a newbie becasse hunter. They said they only shot 'a few'.

In the afternoon, we headed to the hills and creek bottoms of West Feliciana parish. Tried the ravines along the creeks, young pine stands, wet hardwood stands, and everything between. It was a beautiful day, but no birds.


Is this just the product of a young dog and an inexperienced woodcock hunter, or should we be looking elsewhere?
Well, you're in the right area; the Atchafalaya Basin has the reputation of being the premier doodle wintering ground. We look for closely packed vertical stems or brier tangles. For us, presence of water seems to be key with scattered puddles which raises the water table and consequently lifting worms closer the forest floor. When we first got serious in pursuit, we first concentrated in areas where there were large areas of rivercane, chest high or higher. We broadened our search to include thickets of huckleberries/sparkeberries, new grown pine clusters and dense colonies of hardwood sapling thickets including sweetgum. Nearness to open fields or wide grassy road shoulders of the same thickets seemed to help. We've found them in mature pine forests but mixed with hardwoods and clusters of cover and nearby puddles. We've broadened our search areas over the years and are constantly searching for new areas. If the cover is easy to walk through, look elsewhere, but we've found enough in the open to suggest otherwise, but odds are, the thicker the better. A shortcut in finding good cover and what to look for is to hire a guide. There are more than a handful in your area, but be sure the guide understands your intentions.
Good luck. Gil
PS: I just saw where you saw some hunters coming from the area and were pretty closed mouth about action. You were in the right spot. Anyone who discloses where he shoots woodcock is talking way too much.
Jim,
It seems that when I encounter bracken fern, I have better luck. But with woodcock, one day they are there and the next day gone. I attribute much of that to their migratory actions here in the north.
Karl


Sometimes I've found them warming themselves in the midmorning sun in grass areas.
This a relatively open canebrake than where we usually find them. But they were there that day...Willa is looking back at me from her vantage point on an edge of the canebrake. Gil
Thanks all. From what you all are describing, the areas we were hitting were mostly good. My brother has hunted "up north" (meaning north louisiana) and has found them in the creek bottoms. He was tagging along with some experienced guys.

The spot we were hunting in the Basin is around the cutover funded in part by AWS / RGS in the Sherburne WMA. We may have been walking through areas that were a little too open. I also think my dog needs some exposure to get the idea. As far as she knew, we were looking for pigeons.

There are only a couple of weeks left. I may look for a guide as suggested. Ideally, someone would let me bring my dog along. We both need the education.

As far as upland goes here in the swamp, this is what we've got, so I'm hoping to figure this thing out.

Best news of the day-- after walking a cumulative of about 5 hours behind the dog and finding no birds, my son said, "Dad, woodcock hunting is my favorite."
Jim, what breed is your dog? Once you start hunting heavy cover, a bell, at a minimum should be used. Where we hunt, gps tracking is almost a must. Sometimes we can't seen the dog from 15-20 feet away. One big factor in southern birds is that we are at the migratory stop sign. While there is some movement, it's not migratory unless arriving to winter over compared with states above us where it's passing through or native birds. This has been a spectacular season for us no doubt because of the bad weather to the north which came early this year. After all the talk of needing dense vertical stem cover, comes this video last year from Louisiana looking more like a S. Ga. quail woods. We tried some similar woods around here and found birds in the broom straw but under brush cover. Go figure. Gil
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yGnyWoWxyKE
She's a bracco Italiano. Just over a year old. She comes from your direction in the southern part of South Carolina.

I saw that video last year. Beautiful country. I think they are up near the Kisatchie National Forest. In fact, there are a few quail scattered about in there from what I hear.

The Basin area I hunted yesterday morning looked more like this, but not as thick. https://youtu.be/Ts_tkCe5i6w
Jim,
Congratulations, your son has what we up here call Woodcock Fever.
I've had it ever since my first one!
Karl
We are done!  In Georgia, that is.  Billy, Floyd, MuttPak, Sadie and Pop hunted today it being the last day in the season.  My gun was undeserving to be in the photo.  We had 15 flushes including a covey.  That's 5 coveys we've found in various places.  We've never had  a more successful season if one measures success by birds brought to hand.  But that's not all that makes a season a success. Having folks willing to share their land and having an enthusiastic hunting partner and friend and friends we take with us make all the difference in the world.  Not to mention, but I will, good dogs. Already looking forward to next year but we have until the 31st in SC.  For the MuttPak, Gil
Great job Gil! I didn't make the time to go once. Shame on me
We took the MuttPak of mine plus Sadie and Pop to Floyd's cousin's in SC. A lot of exploratory work produced nothing, but one new spot yielded two good points in tough spots but with predictable results. Moving to the Brier Patch, I geared up with my Brier Shirt and Gloves and turkey hunting shears. Of course once suited up, birds killed were in the open but not before opening up my right ear with a nasty cut. Next year the shears may be replaced with a machete or heavy duty weed whacker if we feel desperate enough to hunt the Brier Patch. Those or a Hannibal Lechter styled mask. A straight jacket may also be appropriate for even thinking of going back in there.

After not being able to keep accurate track of flushes, I found this vintage game counter. On side is "Faisane" and "Perdrix", French for pheasant and partridge. Other side has "Lievres" and "Lapine" for Hare and Doe (rabbit). Each category has up to 30 clicks in one direction only and this year with Billy we spun past 30 once to 5 reflecting 35 flushes on one trip. Note it shows 8 clicks on "Faisane" . That's where I keep track of doodle flushes reflecting some success at finding birds yesterday.

Yesterday morning after a short hunt in green timber in the flooded L 'Anguille River bottoms in Arkansas, using the BSS and steel. It was real hard hunting there this week. Ducks are hung up on flooded corn in Missouri. Early flights are all you're getting, over each morning by about 7:45.



SRH
Nice greenheads, Stan. Your picture reminds me of how muddy the water is in Arkansas. After a few days hunting, all your clothes are the same color as the mud...Geo
That middle drake weighed 3 lbs. 3 oz. He was a hoss. A friend of mine wanted one to have mounted so he will be "memorialized".

SRH
It's been years since numbers of wild greenheads have been seen around these parts. Despite the down year (almost everywhere), you're fortunate to have the connections where you are. It must be nice to sleep in comfort in the same place you hunt. Gil
I am very blessed, Gil. Between flights one morning this week we figured out that my first hunt with the Lindsey family was in 1997. That's 24 seasons of great memories. I had hunted AR at pay-to-hunt outfits for two or three years prior to that. I commented to one of the family members yesterday that the Lindsey Family Farm is like my second home.

An additional plus is that a close friend from GA goes to the L 'Anguille River Duck Club, at Marianna which is only a 25 minute drive from where I hunt, and guides clients the whole season. He is single, 51, and one of the finest woodsmen I've ever known. I can scoot down there in the afternoons and hunt with him, or just hang out and have supper.

SRH
First date with my new "girl" went really well. She's a Parker 32" 16/20 DHE. Finally got the chance for us to get together on a dove field here. Killed a dove with the first shot. Went on to take a limit of 15 old, mature doves, using 1 oz. of 7 1/2s.

Think I'll ask her out again next week.



SRH
Stan,
Well done! It looks like she would be a "steady date".
Karl
Stan, that's a beauty of a gun.  What mfg's shells were you shooting?  
We covered some different terrain today with all four Britts.  We tried finding woodcock on higher ground to no avail.   Instead, we found a covey of about 10 birds (quail) that flushed wild, but I marked a good direction on it.  About 150 or more yards out, Abby pointed. I went in and the covey flushed. Expecting a single, the covey apparently had regrouped quickly and got up with us behind Abby about 5 yards from where she was pointing.    Four shots, four holes in the sky with nothing falling out of the holes.  We left the high area and went to new terrain. The woodcock were in open hardwoods with puddles scattered among the oaks and huckleberry bushes.  I am sure flushing breeds do a fine job, but we would have never found these birds without ranging, pointing dogs.  Sadie made one point 120 yards away and Pop, a 100 yards out, while other dogs worked 180 degrees from them.   While Britts are  closer working than most other pointing dogs, we prefer them working 50 to 120 yards spread out ahead and to the sides of us.  Willa found one bird that flushed ahead of Sadie and I thought I'd missed my two shots.  We saw if fly off and make a banking turn descending 75-100 yards out. We expected another flush if we could find it.  We put the dogs ahead of us and Willa went on a point.  It was the dead woodcock.   
Good for Willa! Good girl! Thanks for the late season report from the SC hunt.

I was using 1 oz. loads in both barrels, but the right barrel was usually stoked with a Polywad spreader. The left was a regular 1 oz. Remington load. All 7 1/2s. You know how when you center a dove that is real close it erupts in a cloud of feathers? These chokes are so tight it did that on one bird, with the left barrel, at 40 yards! Amazing.

Triggers are way too heavy for me, tho'. That will definitely be addressed before the 2020-2021 season.
Pretty gun,looks like it works well for you too!
Well, Stanton......that's the picture I've been waiting patiently to see, and 'Thank you' for posting it. I'm glad you had such a successful day with a gun I have very fond memories of, and hope you have a long future together.

And I agree, the triggers are a bit heavier than either you or I would have liked.

Best Wishes my Friend,

Rob
Hope you are well, Rob.

Best,
Ted
'Thanks for asking, Ted. "If I were any better, I couldn't stand it!" is my usual reply, and there are still some days where I can actually believe it. Aside from my faith, the bottom line is that I'm still loading shotgun shells, and I'm still the guy whose emptying them.....so all is good!

Best Wishes to you and yours, Amigo

Rob
Once each season I shoot a sixteen gauge and yesterday was the day. I have a letter from the manufacturer with a date of completion and every year on or around that date I take it out for its annual birthday hunt.

A few ducks from Reelfoot Lake



Neat pics, Gr8day. I love that place. What loads were you using in that Fox?

Were you by any chance hunting with Billy Blakely?

SRH
Thanks. Kent Bismuth #4. No we were in another blind.
We took a short trip today with Pop, Sadie and my Muttpak to familiar woods where we've seen birds this season.  Floyd's daughter accompanied us.  Today, we managed to flush only one with no shot and couldn't find it again.  The area has sparse rivercane, hardwoods and is wet with islands of above water ground.  It's depicted below. We went to another area we half-heartedly hunted a few years ago at day's end and Abby had a distant point but it flushed.  Today, it had more rivercane which gave denser cover than in years past and significantly denser than what is depicted in the first photo of the first area we hunted today.  We wouldn't have found two points without gps collars as the dogs were barely visible at 5 yards. It is pictured below as well.  We found 3 birds in the second area and Floyd managed to take advantage of the "Popportunity"  (Credit to Floyd's daughter) over 11 year-old Pop's point. Pop may not have the speed of the other dogs, but he is steady and finds birds the others miss.  We were flummoxed on two more points with the birds not giving us clear shots with one flying at my head and swiftly putting trees between me and it.  For the MuttPak, Gil
Sparse rivercane cover:
Dense rivercane cover, shoulder high:

Looks like fun.
Gil, don't lose that leather lanyard. The come dearly. I've always admired them though...Geo




Note the single swan decoy in the Ducker. First time I shot a Tundra Swan on a river. Birds spent three weeks in flooded soybeans only a half mile east of my place. Hundreds of acres were inundated by massive releases of water from reservoirs due to the heavy rains in Sept. and freakish early October snowstorm of nearly two feet. Bird was a young of the year and very tender.

I'm trying to get gizzard contents analyzed as if bean fragments positively identified it would be the first documented case of swans eating beans in ND. Too bad there were none in esophagus or proventriculus as it would have been much easier.
Nice! What kind of boat is that?
I think we all like that boat!
Man that is a big bird!
They certainly are big. I would like to take one. Just one. In Iowa there are no swans to hunt. We have Trumpeter swans and I don't know how they compare to Tundras, but they are huge beasts compared to Giant Canadas.

Just one would be fine. It would feed me for a couple of weeks I think.
Originally Posted By: 67galaxie
Nice! What kind of boat is that?


Duralumin Ducker, maybe? Built from surplus aircraft aluminum for a while after WW-2. Both Lund and Alumacraft made them...Geo
Alumacraft Ducker. 64 lbs and slides over cattails and bulrushes like a dream and floats in 4" of water. See recent thread on Photobucket.

Tundras usually run 16-18 lbs. Meat is far better than any goose.
Much harder to bag one around here these days as our lakes got too deep and destroyed their traditional food supply....tubers of sago pondweed. Easy to kill because of that long neck. Just one pellet there is all it takes. I use 1's to increase the odds. Very easy to decoy. Do not try to pluck!
Originally Posted By: Hal
Do not try to pluck!


So, how do you dress one, Hal? Breast it out?

SRH
Pic of Tundra Swans in late Oct.
Looks like Iowa prairie potholes, but ours would have Trumpeters. Last fall, on a wetland maybe a little bit smaller than the one in Hal's photo and there were 50 Trumpeters on it. I looked them up and they can run 30 lbs. A turkey (big turkey) on the wing I guess.
Hal, can you get a retriever in and out of one of those boats easily?
Originally Posted By: Hal
....Easy to kill because of that long neck. Just one pellet there is all it takes. I use 1's to increase the odds. Very easy to decoy....

Boy, don't I wish. I've been able to hunt them three times in a permit zone. One hunt shut down with an overnight hard freeze. The other two times, I peppered a couple really nice ones and they lumbered off looking like they were just fine.

On of the neatest field pictures in my mind was watching a really big raft of mixed waterfowl getting slowly pushed by the wind. A buddy and I gave up regular shots and waited a good couple of hours while the pile was pushed towards our shore. They did start getting skittish, so I took a swat at a swan picking up off the water at about thirty fiveish maybe forty yards, nuth'in. So, I switched to a Mallard and got him before everything skooted out. I haven't put in for a tag for a few season, but maybe next fall.
I skin them Stan, leaving on the legs, but removing the wings.
Would really like to bag a Trumpeter. A few have moved in to eastern ND from MN where they are released to help reduce numbers of giant Canadas.

Because the Ducker is so stable, (a big person can sit on the gunnel and it won't flip) dogs are easily broght in by grabbing their collar. I have not built a ramp, but might need to now that I am using a svelte 103 lb GWP Griffon type that brings a ton of water with him. I really miss my Viszlas for boat hunting.
I've seen some big Griff, but NOTHING close to 103# They aren't really supposed to be even as big as a lab or a golden as I understand it. But cool dogs they are. Crazy eyes they have.

I'm thinking I need a duck boat for retirement.
I went today with the MuttPak.  Floyd and his daughter went fishing.  I went deeper into the woods than we went Tuesday and found three birds.  Only got two good points and missed the shots.  Decided to hit the Brier Patch and get as Marellus Wallace said, "medieval" with the birds and geared up with my industrial grade brier gear.  To mix movie quotes, the woodcock met "medieval" by going to the 
"mattresses" in the briers with me.  In the Brier Patch, the dogs found 5 birds with solid points and I could only connect with one that I could get to.   See Book of Woodcock Hunter's Lousy Excuses, chapter 5, on why I either missed or failed to shoot.  I had initially thought about today being the season's end for me.  I am considering going in the rain tomorrow as early December, 2020, is a little too far off to chase these birds when I can go tomorrow.  
Sling looks like it is modeled off a bretelle Darne.

Nice pic.

Best,
Ted
Ted, it's the Gamekeeper sling by CSMC. The attachment to the stock is via buckled straps. Not as elegant as the Darne, but it serves its purpose. Gil
No pics, but we shot doves the last two afternoons, in anticipation of the looming seven month "dry spell". Tough going this time of year. Hard to scratch out a limit some days. I bagged 6 Wednesday and 7 yesterday. Interesting thing happened yesterday.

We were shooting an old sunflower field that was sparse as far as cover goes. What's left of the stalks are only about three feet tall, no weeds or brush to get in. I was in full, appropriate pattern camo, including gloves and full mask. I set up the Mojo on an 11 ft. tall pole about 20 yds. away and clipped some inactive decoys on top of a few stalks around it. The setup really looked good. Nothing that I could see to spook them.

As soon as some big droves started flying I realized something in my setup was flaring them, from as far as 200 yards away. I thought that maybe they had gotten "Mojo shy", tho' I'd never seen that before. I took the Mojo down .......no dice. They still skirted me, out of range, from all directions. Finally, about an hour before the end of the shoot I got off my stool, folded it down, and crouched on my knees, putting my silhouette a good two feet lower in the sunflower stalks. Bingo! They began passing within range of me.

My silhouette was just too obvious, even though I was in full camo and motionless, and those wary old birds just weren't having any of it. If I had just figured that out a couple hours earlier I could have probably limited out. Oh well, still had fun and learned something I hope I can remember.

Looks like a washout this afternoon which is the last day, due to rain, but we'll see.

SRH
[img]https://photos.app.goo.gl/4TB4xytXzkgkC8Ne8[/img]
A brace of red jungle fowl cocks and a bar-in-wood hammer Purdey.

The gun is not in the best of shape but it it still locks up tight, and I take it out every year since I've had it at the beginning of the season a time or two.

Thirty or so years ago a gentleman I slightly knew turned up to a Skeet competition with this gun. He shot pretty well with it and at some point I asked if I could handle it. He let me do so and I brazenly asked him if he would sell the gun. He said he would not but if he ever did it would be mine.

One morning, four years ago, my friend the gunsmith called me and asked me to visit his shop as there was a gun for me. I duly turned up and was handed the Purdey and told to complete the paper work at the shop so I could leave with it.

I expressed my surprise that the gentleman was selling it and asked how much I had to pay. My friend told me that the gentleman had called him last night just before he left for the hospital. He told my friend that he should take the gun and transfer it to me immediately. He handed over all the necessary authorisations to do so. I looked the question and my friend the gunsmith informed me in a quiet voice that the gentleman had passed away that morning.

Bar in Wood J Purdey with 30 inch barrels, 2 1/2 inch chambers, finished in December 1899, originally built for Sir Bradford Eden ICS. Said Eden was once chief secretary of Bengal back in the day of the Brits.

All the best

Skeeterbd

PS. I don't know if the image shows as an image or a link. If the latter, I would be truly grateful if some kind soul could make it show as an image. Thanks
Skeeterbrd, please post more pictures of that gun if you get a chance. Amazing story of how you came by it.

Yes, more pictures of that gun and those birds too. And maybe a little bit about how you hunt them. Nice to see something so different.
Dan S W
Thanks for posting the pic.
All the best
Skeeterbd
Originally Posted By: Dan S. W.
Skeeterbrd, please post more pictures of that gun if you get a chance. Amazing story of how you came by it.





Believe it or not GA stocked red jungle fowl along the Ocmulgee river as a hoped for pheasant substitute. It didn't work out. The citizens of Fitzgerald, GA adopted the confused stocked birds and made them the official city bird. Whenever I drive through there I detour through the residential neighborhoods just to admire the wild chickens...Geo
I assume that these birds are more like grouse than pheasant for habitat anyway. Will they hold a point and then flush? I bet they are tasty.
Wonderful story, Skeeterbd, and great pics. Thanks.

SRH
Skeeterbd, good to see you back. Great story about your gun. Beautiful birds.
Gil
I was planning on ending the woodcock season yesterday, but couldn't stand sitting home on the last day despite rain prediction.  Obsession beat weather forecast and just as I finished crating the dogs after the hunt, the rain started.  I started the day hot with two relatively quick birds and paid dearly as I sought the third.  I had more than a handful of opportunities, but fell short for one reason or another including but not limited to lousy shooting.  It was a fine year for us and I look forward to next year.  We left plenty of birds in the woods for their northern trip which will begin soon.  That's Willa with her chin on her older sister Abby's back.
This may not be a bird or a shotgun, but it is a favorite gun, favorite game, and the last 2 hours of the season. I got three.

Haven’t seen a fox squirrel in years.

Best,
Ted
Ted, I assume you have lots of greys, but I don't know exactly where you are at. Somehow I associate you with Anoka, but I don't know where I dreamed that up from.
Brent, I have foxes and grays on my farm in middle, GA. Our fox squirrels come a a variety of colors from black with a white nose to gray, to red like the ones you shoot. Do you have the other color phases where you are?...Geo
Geo, is the term "Fox Squirrel" regional meaning different types of squirrels from state to state? Yesterday I saw a solid black one. Gil
Geo,
We have melanistic fox squirrels here, but they are rarely completely black as they can be in some other areas. They generally get some black on their bellies and different amounts of the normally orange portions are black.

We do not have the black masks that is most common on the coastal plain below the fall line in your part of the world.

Gil there are other "fox" squirrel including the Chiricahua Fox Squirrel and Apache Fox Squirrel, but the common fox Squirrel from the midgrass to the barrier islands is Sciurus niger (translating to black squirrel), because the first one described was a pure black one. I forget who was the author of this description but his second squirrel of the morning he wrote up as Sciurus carolinensus - and it was a grey version. He thought they were different species. Later, when it was confirmed that the two were the same species, the S. niger name had precedence.

They all taste great however.
As a boy I killed fox squirrels in every color phase from cream white all over to jet black all over. Most common, and largest in body size, in this area are the grey ones with the black face. They are solitary creatures. I often see them scavenging in the edges of my harvested peanut fields.

I go out of my way not to kill one, now.

SRH
I don't shoot my Fox squirrels on my place either although I enjoy eating the grays. One of my boys came across and ad somewhere that a northern guy wanted to shoot a southern fox squirrel and would pay $1,000 for the privilege.

Little George asked me and I told him Heck Yeah! Partiality is one thing but a thousand bucks of greenback northern money will trump it every day...Geo
Originally Posted By: BrentD
Ted, I assume you have lots of greys, but I don't know exactly where you are at. Somehow I associate you with Anoka, but I don't know where I dreamed that up from.


Lots of grays is an understatement. Yes, Anoka county, but, I seldom, if ever hunted squirrels in Anoka county, Sherburn and Mil Lacs county, mostly, with some forays into Kannebec and parts south of the greater metro.

Minnesota got the first and most of the Hmong boat people, who were perfectly happy to hunt small game with little regard for the laws until a major effort was put into teaching those laws. I do believe there was perhaps a decade that put extreme pressure on all furred small game species around and in the Metro. A side note, the Hmong initially encountered Destroying Angel mushrooms, and, until the word got out not to eat the mushrooms that looked just like the ones back home, we would see stories of Hmong families that needed three, or four, or five liver transplants after a meal. I would bet the last time I read one of those stories was about the time I saw the last fox squirrel.

I have often wondered why the fox squirrels never seemed to bounce back. The bunnies cycle up and down, just like always, the greys are at nuisance level, most of the time, and the fox squirrels are gone.
The little red squirrels are here as well. Not as many as greys, a good thing.

Best,
Ted
Originally Posted By: Ted Schefelbein
Haven’t seen a fox squirrel in years.

Best,
Ted


I guess they're too Foxey for you Ted considering their brain is as big a peanut....
I used to hunt deer in Anoka - long before your time I suppose.

Not sure what the mushroom sort was about but western squirrels I know love some of the most toxic of the Amanita mushrooms.

Reds may have some say in the fox's disappearance, but more likely it is due to habitat change. The world does not stand still, even for squirrels.

Reds are pushing into northern Indiana and others are being pushed out.
Originally Posted By: Geo. Newbern
I don't shoot my Fox squirrels on my place either although I enjoy eating the grays. One of my boys came across and ad somewhere that a northern guy wanted to shoot a southern fox squirrel and would pay $1,000 for the privilege.

Little George asked me and I told him Heck Yeah! Partiality is one thing but a thousand bucks of greenback northern money will trump it every day...Geo


Damn. Barnum was right when he said "There's a sucker born every minute". Sounds like above the Mason Dixon line it may be more often than that. Maybe that's part of the answer to low cotton prices.

SRH
Originally Posted By: BrentD
I used to hunt deer in Anoka - long before your time I suppose.




Lived here since 1968. Yes, the habitat has changed. But, I would have guessed if the greys can do well, you would at least see some fox squirrels.

The mushroom story just details that the Hmong had some things to learn on this side of planet earth. They were excellent, if lawless, small game hunters when they arrived, to be expected of a people who did the same thing for subsistence where they came from. Of course, now ed and bill will likely call me racist, ignoring the fact I am an honorary member of the Vang green clan.
Best,
Ted
Favorite pic of our season!
I lived in New Brighton from 59 to 73. Greys are all I remember. No reds or foxes in the timber behind the house.
RA,
Fantastic photo, looks like the dog really has something nailed!
Karl
The Hmong did a good job helping us hunt the VC and sacrificed a lot for us. As far as I'm concerned, they can have my share of the Greys.
Mike
Great pic Rick!
Agreed. Years ago, I worked with a quiet, unassuming pressman. It was just he and I on second shift, and he was a diligent worker and pleasant guy. He told me he was having a “picnic” with family at a park in St. Paul, and to bring my family.
It turns out it was the Vang clan family reunion, and was attended by people from every corner of the US. We were welcomed as family might be.
Been going every year, since. I was the “white guy” the first year, critical identifier as Hmong food is similar to Tai food, and they can eat it with far more hot seasoning that I can tolerate. Every year, more people who are not Hmong are invited to enjoy the festivities.



My friend turned out to be a tribal leader of that clan, known by nearly all of the several thousand people who made it.
Warm, welcoming folk. I am amazed at how well their culture adapted to life in the US, while retaining their family ties.

Best,
Ted

You show them squirrel hunt ?
Nope.

Best,
Ted
Originally Posted By: Ted Schefelbein



Best,
Ted


That you on the left side Ted ?
If you ever snag an invite, you can meet me there. I’m the white guy.

Best,
Ted
I'm color blind Ted...I just figured you were the guy with the biggest head.

sOrry
Originally Posted By: HomelessjOe
I'm color blind Ted...I just figured you were the guy with the biggest head.

sOrry


You check all the boxes, homefries. Can’t comprehend what you read, can’t see color, really don’t own or shoot or know anything about double guns, can’t run a screwdriver, shop at Lowe’s for tools.

Wish there was a twelve step program for guys like you that I could tell you about.


Best,
Ted
last day of atlantic flyway season 1 Canada goose limit with Ithaca Magnum 10 and load of bismuth
I took advantage of the dog-friendly temps this weekend to run the MuttPak looking for quail.  Took them to a spot that we've found both wc and quail this year.  Here's Willa locked on a bird.  The flush twittered "woodcock".  She later found a quail from a busted covey on the edge of a grass bottomed open area without a stick between me and the pines on the other side 75 yards away.  I went in to flush the bird and it flew in an obstructed perfect straight line 5-6' off the ground for a two shot miss.  It takes skill to miss that easy of a shot. We flushed 11 wc in two hours for a nice morning on a crisp clear morning.Assuming a season start date same as last, 301 days until Doodle Day. For the MuttPak, Gil
Cool! My lab and I lucked up on a covey of wild birds yesterday. He locked right up on them and inched along with them through the thickest cover I have seen
Julia and I got another quail hunt in with Sherwood. Our sons went this time and really enjoyed seeing their dog work.

It was 16 gauge day. Julia shot her VH 16. I shot a Lefever G 16 for the first half of the hunt and a Parker G toplever hammer gun the second half.








Looks like a nice outing for your family, Mills. It's getting hot down here. GA regulations provide you can shoot put out birds all year if you and the dogs can stand the heat (and don't mind the reptiles)...Geo
It was chilly here Saturday afternoon.
Attaboy, Sherwood. Gil
Great Job guys!
Well, since Mills didn't post a photo of Sherwood, I will. Woodcock season Jan. 2019. He was 6 months old when he photo bombed the photo. Of note is Mills's Parker 28 gauge. The other gun is my Ideal Clunkerette 16 ga. Gil
Mills glad to see that Julia was able to go. I'll bet the boys did have a great time also.
Thanks Gil and David! All five of us had a great time. The boys learned the thrill of watching a bird dog hunt
Gil does the sling retract into the stock?
More pictures of the Cluckerette would be nice. Freckles or not, it looks like a nice gun and one I have never been able to see in person.
Actually, Clunkerette is French for "Clunker" with its root from the original Pig Latin, lunkercay. It is an Ideal 302, and yes, Keith, the sling retracts. A better example is my other 302 is which is shown before and after Chris Dawe did his Old World class craftsmanship.
https://www.doublegunshop.com/forums/ubb...true#Post492115
The 302 is a lower grade Ideal, but not the lowest, that someone engraved in France. It was bought off Naturabuy.fr at a time before stricter gun laws in France applying to exports. This is the gun that was exported via Borderview which is in discussion in another thread. It was worth the wait for my money. Gil
GA Spring Gobbler season opened this morning. I saw two big gobblers but they were in a field with hens and wouldn't come to the edge. My number 2 son John and his buddy pictured below scored a longboard to start the season off right...Geo

That is a pretty spot and great picture
Very well done, nice bird!
Karl
That looks like an "Extra Large" bird. I like it and I'm looking forward to hunting them very soon. Pheasants are fighting in the middle of the roads and my drive, so they turkeys should be starting to feel something stir. Won't be too long now. Might have to try to Darne one this year.
Gambel's Quail in NM last day of the year - also shown is a less common Beretta 686c (case color hardened) 20g O/U that I had restocked by Cole Gunsmithing with a knockout stock.




Beauty of a day in the lowcountry turkey woods. I had been after these birds two days, but couldn't get through the thick stuff until today when I found a better route in. I normally wouldn't shoot two, but today may be the last day of the virus truncated season. I expect the governor to prohibit non-essential travel tonight effectively ending the season or at least shortening it severely. Yildiz TK36 .410 single-shot, TSS 7/8 oz. #10 at 32 steps. In the confusion after the first bird went down, I quickly reloaded and stopped the second bird with some fast clucks on my mouth call. Gil
Gil,
Well done! Great picture!
Karl
Well done, Gil!. I hope you were using the box turtle call...Geo
Nice job, Gil! It's always feels a little better when I figure out a tougher than average hunting problem and succeed. And you doubled success at that! Carrying out to birds, especially early season birds would be a bit more of a chore though. Good thing you only have a .410 to lug around smile

I've got my 6# turkey gun. I should pattern it soon. I'm two weeks out from opening day.
Thanks, fellas. Geo, it was all calls on deck. The box turtle slate, mouth call and rivercane yelper (cane cut last woodcock season). Everything but the washboard on my chest and the cymbals between my knees were used. Harmonica replaced with rivercane yelper in chest holder. Gil
yes, yes! death to awl grouse an quail egg destroying varmints!
Great job Gil!
Way cool Gil! Harry and I are having a rematch on Saturday with the ones we missed last Saturday. Sherwood found the ones we were after last year and I have never seen two turkeys fly so fast.
Congrats on the double, Gil! I don't believe I've ever seen a double taken with a single shot .410 before; that's quite a feat!

Here is one I got yesterday with the SxS 20 gauge Yildiz. I called to him with a mouth call and the Rivercane from my initial setup on him, but he rejected me and went the other way. I made a circle and set up a second time and used a glass call that my son in law made for me. He liked that one and came to check it out.

That was my fifth AL bird this year, so that is the limit and I am done as a shooter this season. I'll still be calling to them, but will have to let someone else shoot. Good hunting to all of those still at it. The turkey hunters close out this very interesting thread each year.

Steve, nice hooks on that bird! Steve, from start to finish on the pair was an hour and fifteen minutes. They came in with a hen and were behind large trees. The first one stepped out inside 30 steps and I shot. The other was still behind a tree. When the first bird dropped, the second darted out confused and was about to hightail it when I fast cut and he stopped and his head shot up and I shot. Between the first and second bird, I was able to reload without spooking the second as he apparently was confused and distracted by his buddy dropping without a flop. He was 32 steps out when he fell. Rather be lucky than good. Gil
Mr. Coosa, that is a very nicely composed photo of your double and a very nice gobbler. It seems like my pictures are all afterthoughts usually done on the back porch after I get home. Well done, sir...Geo
Geo, Dave Owens (youtube "Pinhoti Project") has a recent video on composing photos. Big thing he stresses is opening wings up and straightening feathers. He shows how to do it. Steve did a great job from start to finish on his bird. Gil
Son John and his buddy killed two this morning. Pic is John and his bird...Geo

Geo,
That looks like the quintessential "hunter and game" picture, very well done!
Karl
George, great photo. John is having a good year. Gil



I know there is no pretty double gun in this picture, but I am a proud dad. Where we hunt in north central PA this is a trophy.

My daughter took this buck in December from close to 100 yards with a Model 7 .243 wearing a red dot scope.

She is now two for two with the crossbow, and three for three with her rifle. Not bad for a 12 year old!
CHAZ
Nice pic Mr Hoof. I killed most of my deer with a Sako .243 and the caliber is perfect for a 12 year old. I'm proud for you and your daughter...Geo
Nice fat deer, pretty girl and pretty woods. Great pic and narrative, Chaz.

SRH
Hey, check the numbers on that Rem! EVERYBODY knows a .243 won't kill no deer....

Just kidding. Great pic, great shot, great rig.
Chaz:

Nice buck. I’ll bet she was a very happy hunter.

I hunt the area around the junctions of Potter, Clinton and Lycoming Counties. Where was this buck taken?

Rem

No sure if this will work.

A true double in Kansas this fall.
Awesome picture of what looks like a very happy Draht.

We hunt near Unityville, right across the border from Sullivan county in the far north east corner of Lycoming county.

CHAZ
Whatever happened to the turkey hunting season? Seems like very few posts.

Well, here is mine from this morning. My first bird of any kind (other than clay) with a Darne. This was some of the steepest, roughest country I have ever bird hunted, so the 6 pound gun with a sling was pretty darne (bad pun, intended) nice.




Nearly stepped on this hen's nest on the way out. I hope she comes back but it was a very poorly placed nest.

Nice bird and a great pic!
Nice bird Brent.
Great job! I had to walk away from one hammering at 75 yards to come open the restaurant. Boooo!
Nice bird, gun and photo. Looks like a keeper of a gun.
As for the rest of us, every day of the week in the public woods has been a Saturday with hordes in the woods. Most birds have shut up either through pressure or "bang". Those that dare gobble end each gobble with "don't expect me to come to your bs fake call". Gil
Good looking Darne, Brent. Glad you bagged a nice bird...Geo
Brent,
Nice to see some game pictures at this time, as it gives hope for the coming season. That sure looks like some tough terrain for sure!
Karl
I live in SC's Lowcountry - it's hot, humid and flat...we don't have grouse so I make do best I can...

That's something we don't usually see. I find a few sora rails snipe hunting freshwater fields and marshes. I haven't shot any in years; nor have I shot saltwater clapper rails, marsh hens, in decades. Both species are underhunted for sure. Nice bag of birds. Gil
I don't remember seeing the Soras in the Georgia salt marshes where I've hunted Clappers. The Soras I have seen are in fresh water,up the river from where the salt water is. Same as GLS...Geo
I have no new hunting pic to post, as I got absolutely skunked this Spring turkey season.

I do have a pic of Mocha's expanding species retrieval repertoire:

https://imgur.com/hFnzPpY
Seems absolutely appropriate for the end of the hunt!
Karl
Originally Posted By: GLS
That's something we don't usually see. I find a few sora rails snipe hunting freshwater fields and marshes. I haven't shot any in years; nor have I shot saltwater clapper rails, marsh hens, in decades. Both species are underhunted for sure. Nice bag of birds. Gil


Originally Posted By: Geo. Newbern
I don't remember seeing the Soras in the Georgia salt marshes where I've hunted Clappers. The Soras I have seen are in fresh water,up the river from where the salt water is. Same as GLS...Geo


There's not much overlap - I have a sora hole that gets loaded about the same time every year and it's very fresh albeit tidal water. I shoot a few just to say I've done it then leave the rest.

The Clappers are usually in the spartina flats much closer to the coast.

My son coming back to the boat with a clapper and a Citori...

How has the Francis Marion National Forest recovered since Hugo, in '89? I drove through from Moncks Corner to McClellanvile in April of '90 and I can still remember the devastation to those beautiful pine forests. I was competing in the SC Muzzleloading Championship in McClellanville when i passed through and saw that. It was "other worldly". I've not been through there in so many years, Is Awendaw still there?

SRH
Originally Posted By: Stan
How has the Francis Marion National Forest recovered since Hugo, in '89? I drove through from Moncks Corner to McClellanvile in April of '90 and I can still remember the devastation to those beautiful pine forests. I was competing in the SC Muzzleloading Championship in McClellanville when i passed through and saw that. It was "other worldly". I've not been through there in so many years, Is Awendaw still there?

SRH


Hugo broke my heart but other than the wild turkey and white-breasted nuthatch numbers still being low, just about everything is back like it was. Poor management of the FMNF has done way more damage than Hugo.
Originally Posted By: Rubberhead
Poor management of the FMNF has done way more damage than Hugo.


That's saying something. Hugo was a bad blow.

Best wishes, SRH
Here's a photo of hunting marsh hen hunting in the Georgia Sea Islands. On the back of the photo: "12/9/1928". For those not familiar with marsh hen shooting, marsh hen shooting is the edible version of shooting mylar balloons. They are abundant in the spartina fields of Georgia's and SC's coast where half the remaining spartina marshland exists on the Eastern coast.
Seems a lot of us were in FMNF after Hugo. I was there within a week. It was quite the mess. I am curious to learn the details of how it has been mismanaged.
Originally Posted By: BrentD
Seems a lot of us were in FMNF after Hugo. I was there within a week. It was quite the mess. I am curious to learn the details of how it has been mismanaged.


First let me position myself - I'm a hunter and have killed just about every game species in the forest except for deer. The list includes wild turkey, woodcock, snipe, squirrel, fox squirrel (when they were legal), dove, bobwhite and wood ducks. It's one of the few places where I know I can reliably catch a redfin pickerel. I'm also an avid bird watcher and saw my first Red-cockaded woodpecker and Bachman's sparrows in the FMNF. I'm a long-distance hiker that has hiked the entire Palmetto Trail section that runs through the FMNF from Awendaw to Bonneau. And, I’m a native plant enthusiast and there’s about a half dozen really unique wildflowers that I have only ever found in the FMNF. I say all of this I’m a big supporter of multi-use management.

The biggest single management misstep, in my opinion, is infrequent or miss-timed control burns. Example: back in the heyday of the FMNF they never burned when wild turkey were on the nest…now it’s an all-too-common facebook rant is someone finding a burned up turkey nest. Areas that used to be havens for both flora and fauna are impenetrable thickets devoid of avian chirps or whistles. I don’t know if it goes back to funding or whether the “new” management techniques are not working but something is different and not in a good way…

FMNF Pine Lily:



FMNF Black-eye Suzie:

Gorgeous photos, Rubberhead.

I was in FMNF for both RCWs and Bachman's Sparrows. The old pines snapped right at the RCW's nest cavity as often as not. It was a surreal landscape.

All the NF's in the SE were shifting to managing for more open, not less open understory. Largely due to RCWs but also other species of plants and animals. However, their abilities to burn have been dramatically hampered by climate change. The number of days that meet safe burning conditions is much less than it used to be. At least that was the case when I left that part of the world for the last time.

Hugo blew the roof off of FMNF and with that, a lot of light started hitting the forest floor, so dog hair thickets and worse were to be expected. There was no way they could manage to make it what it was when the whole architecture of the place changed overnight.

I wasn't at FMNF much. Most of my time was further inland on the bomb plant.
Oldest son and I broke out the Elsie's for a duck hunt.

I finally found something that is perfect for wild turkey legs. A slow-cooked carnitas recipe. Unbelievably tasty.

Originally Posted By: Greyduck
Oldest son and I broke out the Elsie's for a duck hunt.


What load are y'all shooting in those nice old guns?

I've shot just about every soft non-toxic load imaginable and the only one that was close to lead was Kent Matrix (a poly-tungsten) load. Back at the turn of the century Federal made a similar load that was very light (one ounce in a 12 gauge) but it hit hard. They didn't make it for long. I had varying experiences with Bismuth loads but I think the Kent version out now is as good as any. Fiocchi, which I normally like, offered two density of Tungsten-ploy loads neither seemed to hit hard. I finally gave up and had choke tubes installed in a 1979 BSS and shoot steel through it now.

Brent,
I just finished breakfast and that picture of your great looking meal has me hungry already! Great utilization of game meat.
Karl
Karl, Thanks for the compliment. If you want to try it, this is the recipe. When I read it, I thought, no way! Cooking with citrus is no my kind of thing, but it turn out to be perfect, especially for turkey legs which are slightly problematic to begin with.

https://www.themeateater.com/cook/recipe...as-street-tacos
Originally Posted By: Rubberhead
Originally Posted By: Greyduck
Oldest son and I broke out the Elsie's for a duck hunt.


What load are y'all shooting in those nice old guns?

I've shot just about every soft non-toxic load imaginable and the only one that was close to lead was Kent Matrix (a poly-tungsten) load. Back at the turn of the century Federal made a similar load that was very light (one ounce in a 12 gauge) but it hit hard. They didn't make it for long. I had varying experiences with Bismuth loads but I think the Kent version out now is as good as any. Fiocchi, which I normally like, offered two density of Tungsten-ploy loads neither seemed to hit hard. I finally gave up and had choke tubes installed in a 1979 BSS and shoot steel through it now.



with an ounce and a quarter of #5 bismuth the following works wonderfully on mallards and pheasants.
Hodgdon Longshot Ched. 209 WAA12R 31.4 gr 7,200 PSI 1,350 fps

From https://www.hodgdonreloading.com/data/shotgun

Could use a tich less powder and a roll crimp for even less pressure.
Brent,
Thanks for the recipe. My idea of "problematic meat" would also include Pheasant legs.
Karl
Karl, I know what you mean about pheasant legs, but I find that most of my favorite recipes will handle them well enough. However, with this recipe, I'm reconsidering my butchering practices for them this fall. I kill quite a few pheasants and this year is shaping up very well for birds so far.
Hey Greg, time for a 2020 thread. Folks will have dove pics on Tuesday, I suspect, and I know good and well I'll have some come Saturday...Geo
A bit confused here re the first recipe. How do you braise in all that beer? I thought the searing of the meat in some fat or oil came first, then the braising began after adding the mix of liquids and solids. Perhaps the sentence was just out of place.

And IMHO, the legs and thighs are the best meat on a pheasant.
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